Today began with a tour of the Roman Baths. After coffee, of course...
This was one of my favorite tours we experienced; which is ironic, because it’s the last contemporary place you’ll ever find me...a spa. No. Thank. You.
But the Roman Baths were fascinating. Maybe it’s the natural hot spring. Hot springs I’m more than okay with, but total strangers touching you after offering you slices of cantaloupe is another story.
Built in the 1st Century, the baths were a sacred place for royalty, slaves, Romans, and Romulans alike: designed for public bathing and sometimes, healing.
We toured the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and the museum which holds all sorts of wonderful artifacts from Aquae Sulis.
I was most amused with the curse tablets, which were mostly petty complaints pounded into lead or pewter, rolled up, and tossed into the Spring where the spirit of the goddess Sulis Minerva dwelt.
A contemporary curse tablet might read, “My pink shorts were stolen from my locker...why me, Minerva, why me? May the monstrous culprit suffer daily until the sacred pantaloons have been returned.”
I jest, of course, but the mix of artistry and engineering is truly incredible...even in the tiny curse tablets.
The Baths were located about a block away from our flat and we spent the rest of the day just walking the city.
We saw The Circus, the Royal Crescent, and a wild protest parade in favor of environmental protections.
We dodged the rain all day until it was time to walk to dinner where everyone got soaked except for me and my trusty, tiny umbrella.
After polishing off a few bottles of Sauvignon Blanc (yeah, we got there a little too early), we made our way to 218-year-old Theatre Royal Bath, or The Egg, where we had front row seats in the nosebleed section for a play called The Score, starring Brian Cox.
Best seats I could manage only learning about the play’s existence the evening before...but we faired well, I think.
It was the very last performance of this production with this cast at this location.
Brian Cox played Johann Sebastian Bach, who, in 1747 visits the court of Frederick II, Europe’s most ambitious and dangerous leader.
I was eager to impress Steven, David, and Nancy with my certainly astute theatrical post-assessment, but...it was about 140 degrees up there in the rafters and Mr. Cox’s soothing Scottish accent lulled me into a scintillating examination of my own inner eyelids.
At least for a quick minute or two...I couldn’t help it! ...I am a huge disappointment, surely.
We walked the seven-minute jaunt back to our flat and were lulled (back) to sleep by the drunken shouts of Halloween going Bathonians.
Another very interesting and very good day!
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