Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Europe Adventure: Day Three- Bath, England part two- Roman Baths and Sally Lunn

After visiting the Abbey we walked across the street to visit the Roman Baths.

First you go into the lobby to buy tickets. You have to look up. The ceiling is beautiful!


After getting tickets you can pick up a free audio guide and then you go out onto the terrace. 


The terrace looks down onto the Great Bath. 
There are a bunch of Victorian statues of different people going all around the terrace. The statues were carved in 1894 for the opening of the Roman Baths in 1897. 



There's the Abbey across the way!



From there we went into the building and explored some of the displays. They had a lot of models, artifacts, and ruins of the original Roman architecture. 
It was very cool. 
Then we went out to the Great Bath. 



Our shoes and the bath.


The Great Bath is a little over 5 feet deep and has steps leading down to it on all four sides. It is lined with 45 sheets of lead and filled with hot water. 
We were told that it used to be covered. 
The Roman Baths were in use for over four hundred years!



It was so cool to be here. When you have seen a place in pictures for so long it really does feel surreal to visit it in person!

We then went back in to see even more. 
Inside there were heating and sauna type rooms and this circular cold plunge bath. 


After seeing all of the tour we went to the Pump room to "take the water". 
But unfortunately there was no one in there doing it at that time. 
There was a water spout in the museum where you could taste it but since I thought we would be able to do it in the Pump room, we didn't do it at that point. 
So, we didn't get to taste the water. But that's okay. I've heard it is pretty horrible. 
The Pump Room was really pretty. 


After we left I got a few pictures of the outside. 



After we were done visiting the Baths, we walked to Sally Lunn's.
I was really hoping to be able to have lunch here on our visit.
It was a late lunch but we were able to!


Sally Lunn was a refugee from France that began working for a baker in Bath in 1680. She introduced the baker to the French brioche bread. The bread that she would make was served at the breakfasts and teas. They became so successful that the baker was able to upgrade the kitchen oven. It became the famous "bun" of Bath. 
In the 1930's the recipe was discovered in a secret cupboard over the fireplace. 
The kitchen is no longer in the basement but the old kitchen is a museum that you can enter for free if you eat there. 
The bun has now become the famous "Sally Lunn Bun". 

This building is also the oldest house in Bath, built in 1482. 
Sally lived there in 1680.



We both ordered the Split Pea Soup with the half bun. 
My mom had hot chocolate with it and I had water. 
Both the soup and the bun were delicious. 


It was a great, warming lunch and we were so glad we were able to eat there. 
We went down to the little museum kitchen after eating. 
It was small and interesting. 


Next up: The rest of our time in Bath

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

I have a historical romance series that takes place in Bath and was always curious what the town looked like. The Baths u had seen pictures but very cool you were able to see in person.

Cheryl said...

It was really such a lovely town center. Very cool to see in person. I would love to go back someday and spend more time there.

Seth and Julie said...

So cool! I love the history here. I can't even imagine public baths, but I love that they are still there. It is so amazing to see things that we have read about in history and literature.

Donna said...

Wow, what a cool place. And the place you ate lunch at looks delightful.

Cheryl said...

Julie- I know. I couldn't bathe in public! I love seeing the history!

Donna- It was! I loved Sally Lunn's.