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11 November 2013

The City of Bath





Bath is the oldest of England’s principal tourist destinations and has been welcoming visitors for centuries. The three hot springs within the city were sacred to the Celtic goddess Sulis, whom the Romans later identified with the goddess Minerva. Bath first achieved its status as a sacred spa site with the growth of the Roman settlement Aquae Sulis around the thermal springs. The Roman period saw a vast complex of bathsconstructed - the remains of these were re-discovered in the 18th century and helped fuel Bath's modern revival as a luxury resort.
Bath was a prosperous city in the Medieval period, the site of an Abbey and Cathedral (under the Bishop of Bath and Wells). The Reformation under Henry VIII saw some uncertainty emerge in Bath's future, although the reign of Elizabeth I saw the first revival of the town as a spa resort. It was during the Georgian period, however, that Bath came once again into its own. Exceedingly fashionable, Bath was laid out in stately avenues, streets and crescents, encrusted with Neo-Classical public buildings.
Bath suffered a significant amount of damage during air raids in World War II. The prestigious crescents and terraces were relatively unscathed and restored where necessary, but some of the more minor Georgian and Victorian streets were demolished both after the war and during a later ill-conceived phase of development known now as the "Sack Of Bath". Consequently some modern buildings pop up in unexpected places, and the locals are generally very opposed to any major building developments that are put forward. Since 2011 some major developments have taken place with a brand new Mock Georgian shopping centre replacing a tatty 1970s monstrosity and a restaurant quarter and bus station built at the bottom of town. Nevertheless, Bath is still an incredibly beautiful city with a smorgasbord of attractions,and the entire city is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Information care of Wikitravel.





Walking around Bath feels like walking in Europe, there is music, art and al fresco dining smells everywhere and it feels like everyone is enjoying it at their own pace, irrelevant of what is going on in the rest of the world. 

This is where I want to move to...



















Yummmmmmmyyyyy! Don't know where to start and where to stop...




I want one!!!! :)



Sculptures out of beach sand, and no beach in sight...


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