A Day In Bath

Above is a picture of Nicole and I in front of Bath Abbey.

I must first point out that Bath is a city in England and that the name is derived from the public baths that were built there by the Romans using water from natural springs. This was a trip that was planned by the American Studies Department and was offered to any Americans who wanted to go. I would also like to clarify that there is much more to Bath than just the baths themselves. There is also a gigantic park on the river bank, bus and river boat tours, walking tours, Bath Abbey (in the background above), the Jane Austen Center (she was an English writer in the 1700-1800's for you non English majors), and an American museum which we didn't have the time nor the desire to visit. We busied ourselves with the baths, the abbey, and the Jane Austen Center. I must admit that a lot of aimless wandering also took place in an attempt to simply get a feel for the city and no we were not lost. Below, as usual, is a pictorial tour of Bath, England and almost everything that it encompasses.

Above is a picture of the main bath. There was a roof covering the bath when it was originally built but of course it has since disappeared with time. The roof would keep the outside air from coming in and so the algae that you see (the green stuff) didn't exist. The water was clear when they were in use but that is (clearly) not the case anymore. There were also signs all over stating that the water was unsafe not only to drink, evidently, but also to touch. We asked a guide about it and we were told that the base of the baths were once lined with lead. Great, lead poisoning and acid rain, no wonder why the Roman Empire fell!


This is a picture of the same main bath but with more of the actual building. That massive structure in the background on the left side of the bath is Bath Abbey.


This would be the main bath again but with more of the building and taken from the opposite side of the courtyard.


Above is a picture of one of the many statues of Roman warriors that watch over the main bath. Below are two more warriors. Please ignore all body parts and any tourists that may have found their way into these pictures. The tourist population in Bath is astounding and seeing as I'm not one for crowds, especially of tourists, it wasn't exactly my favorite place but the sights are awesome.





The picture above is of one of the smaller baths. As before, there was once a roof over it and the water was clean. The water did have steam coming off of the surface and the water seemed to be bubbling up from the bottom but according to the sign the bubbling was caused by the natural draining of the pool.


Above is an example of one of the drains for the main bath.

A picture of me at the main bath. I hope that boulder doesn't move or might get a little wet!

Below are some of the artifacts recovered from the Sulis Temple that was once on the site with the Roman baths. The last picture is of some stone Roman coffins.













Going in?

This was a sign that was in the bath house and it explains what the steps are to taking a bath. If you click on it the picture should enlarge and hopefully enough that you'll be able to read it. If you can get it big enough, notice the servant in the first drawing, he's smiling.

The amazing thing about the Roman baths is that the floors were heated. This picture shows how they did it. They would build several small fire pits around the perimeter of the room and then build the floor on pillars of stacked bricks(above). This would heat the entire floor and then there were small holes in the walls beneath the floors to allow the heat from the fires to flow freely from one room to another.


Above is one of the indoor baths still remaining and this is where people would go for a , "cold plunge" after a soak in the steaming hot baths.

These are the steps to the above bath. I'm not sure if you can see them clearly, but I can reassure you that those coins aren't pennies and quarters. They're two pence and 20p (pence) coins.


This is an original "foot bridge" placed over the stream by the Romans. The ditch that the bridge spans is the water flow from the main bath to the drain that is pictured above somewhere. Also, notice the sign in the background.

Welcome to Bath Abbey...


Amy, me, and Nicole in front of Bath Abbey.


Me and Marta inside Bath Abbey. In the background is the stained glass window that is comprised of 56 different panes each portraying a different part of Jesus' life. Most of my pictures of the abbey need to be turned around but my computer won't let me do that right now so I'll mess around with it and see what I can come up with, sorry. Lets see what other pictures I can dig up.

This would be a horribly humiliating picture of me and yes, Jane Austen, well a statue of her anyway but hey its the best I can do seeing as I came about two hundred years too late. The Jane Austen center is definitely a must for any English major who has the means, or doesn't, to go to Bath. Jane Austen did live in Bath for about five years and while she lived in several houses there, most of which aren't open to the public (one was bombed during the war) you can still wonder the same streets and get just as lost as Jane.

Well, I would love to offer you more pictures of Bath but again my computer won't allow for that at the moment so these will have to do. You may notice the publication date for this blog, I know it was about a week ago but it has taken me that long to write it. I had to move from my campus dorm to my flat in the student village two miles from campus and unfortunately a ten minute bus ride from my beach. I've been a little to preoccupied to write but I hope to pick it up again but maybe over the weekend. Its fresher's week (orientation) and I have a paper due Friday. I did visit Cardiff and Caerphilly castles last weekend and I hope to start on that blog relatively soon. Please be patient with me as I try to balance parties, class, travel, and a bit of journalism, as it would appear.

I hope you have enjoyed the Roman baths and Bath Abbey. Do note however, that the pictures are in no way a substitute for actually going there. If you are ever given the chance to travel there, or anywhere for that matter, jump at the opportunity and do as I am attempting to, grab it with both hands and love every minute of it. I think that the days spent traveling become the best of a lifetime, at least for me.

Chepstow Castle

As the title of this post suggests, I spent the day in Chepstow. Its a small town in East Wales. We caught a taxi to the Swansea train station at eight this morning and by 8:30 we were on the train to London. We got off in Newport and sat outside at the station, in the freezing cold, for an hour and a half waiting for our connecting train. We finally arrived in Chepstow about 11:00 but then we had to find the castle. Fortunately, Chepstow is a traveler friendly town and was kind enough to have posted signs around the city pointing to specific locations including the castle. We had to cross a very busy street and as we approached it we began to see signs that read, "Subway." We soon realized that the signs were referring to a crosswalk that went through a tunnel, under the street, and to the other side. That was the, "Subway." We walked to the castle in about fifteen minutes and as we turned the corner we became dwarfed in its shadow. As you will notice in the pictures below the castle is awesome in size and while parts of it are in a state of disrepair most of it is still standing and the remaining structure alone is enough to make you stop and think. I hope that you enjoy this virtual tour at least half as much as I enjoyed the real thing. Welcome to Chepstow Castle, St. Mary's Church, and the town they were built for.

Below is an external view of Chepstow Castle. It is the oldest stone castle in Britain and was occupied by King Edward. It even comes with a moat!

This next picture evidently is me with the castle. Do I look a little small to anyone else?

Nicole, me, and Marta in an archway which was once a door. The architecture is breathtaking and the simple fact that it was built, amazing.

These are the stairs leading down to the wine cellar. Now that's my kind of castle! The cellar was dry, unfortunately. Back when the castle was in use they would hoist baskets with the wine in them up from boats that were in the moat below.

This would be me with more castle ruins in the background (you'll be seeing a lot of that, sorry).


Alexandria and I in a random window You probably can't really make it out too well but the shimmery substance in the background below the trees is the moat.


This was once the Grand Hall and if you follow along the top edge of the wall you can tell where the vaulted ceiling once was. All though more decrepit now it is still grand.

Me in a staircase that went no where but its in a castle in Wales and that's good enough for me!


The warrior and I, sounds like a movie. We were a little alarmed to see the manikins at first. We weren't expecting them and in one exhibit there was a fake rat on the floor. Chepstow was an interesting experience to say the least.


This one would be of Nicole and her handsome fellow. She seems excited about the match.

My staircase to no where. The steps were absolutely tiny and narrow wouldn't be the word for it, but its still better than the spiral staircase at the Opryland Hotel so I'm happy.

Its difficult to tell but that would be Nicole and I. There were metal helmets from the time period that we could try on and so we did. My head is apparently much smaller than most people think it is but Nicole's is even smaller. The helmets were made of solid metal and had to weigh at least seven pounds. Uncomfortable and embarrassing might begin to describe how we felt when this one was taken. I hope that you've enjoyed your laugh, now moving on...

Me in front of a window in one of the turrets. The really narrow windows, like the one in the background, would be placed close together in a circle to increase air flow into the castle. It was the predecessor to modern air conditioning.

Marta and I in a doorway leading to one of several courtyards.

Alexandria and I in a courtyard with castle ruins for a backdrop. Notice, if you will, that the grass really is greener on the other side.

Again, another, "Great Hall" that has since been reduced to architectural rubble but it is beautiful. There are what appears to be sand colored sculptures carved into the side walls. These were once the base of an archway that has since been destroyed by time. This room was most likely two or three stories tall when it was built. Sorry that its crooked, maybe I was the one who emptied the wine cellar.

This isn't the same room as above but its just as big. Perhaps this will help you put things into perspective. Alexandria is the one in the red.

This picture wasn't actually very planned. Amy, Marta, and Nicole happened to be all be looking out the windows at the same time and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

This one was just for kicks and no, we didn't plan to wear the same jackets that just randomly happened but it makes for some fun pictures.


Alexandria and I with the moat in the background.

No Marta isn't hugging a tree because she's lost. Pardon the pun but this picture stemmed from an inside joke about Marta and the Tree of Knowledge.

This picture has become known as the, "Prince Charming one." Anyone see him? Neither do I.

Everyone here claims that this looks like it should be a senior picture. I'll let you decide. By the way, we ate lunch sitting in such windows in one of the turrets. It was by far one of the most exciting meals I've had in a while.


Here are some random photos that I took of the castle. They aren't of anything in particular, just pictures of the past.
















These next two pictures are from the actual town of Chepstow. The first is of the street that the castle is off of and the second is of the city gate which was once the entrance into the walled city. Most of the wall is gone now but there is a path that follows the remains of it around the streets.



This last picture is of St. Mary's Church. The land that it is built on was acquired in 1073 if that is any indication of how old it is. The inside is beautiful although I don't have any pictures of it. Some other people took pictures of the inside and I'll try to acquire some for you.


Oh yea, this one was taken at the train station on the way back. I found the sign to be rather interesting and of little use seeing as it was on the roof of a train station. Perhaps it was a warning to the pigeons.


At last we have come to the end of another day in Wales. We left Chepstow on the 4:30 train and again changed trains in Newport. We got back to Swansea at 5:40 and caught a taxi back to campus. We made it back to uni at 5:55 just in time for our free dinner at six. We found our way to Chepstow, saw the castle, made it home, and didn't get lost. I would declare that a success and we did all for less than £10 per person! I will probably be incommunicado tomorrow as I plan to be sleeping,exploringg Mumbles, and doing laundry. Its been fun but now, seeing as it is 1:00 am, it is time for bed. I hope you had fun looking at the pictures because I thoroughly enjoyed making the memories that accompany them. Again, thanks for the comments and to Auntie Jean, if you click on a picture it will become a larger version. Anyways, my motto is, "Guinness For Strength." Today was awesome!