By John C. Dyer, UK Correspondent
Braced by Costas Cappuccino, Victoria and I approached the entrance to the Square adjoined by both the Cathedral and the ruins of the Roman Baths. It was early.
Street musicians made their way to their posts as we entered. A bicycle parked next to its street musician owner advertised a performance schedule that evening. ( Photo left: Bath Cathedral -"Through a Portal," photo right center "Beside One Musician", photo right "Street Musicians Take Their Places" by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
We were distracted by one of the objects of our quest in Somerset, a shop selling Wedding Rings. But they were not the hand crafted type we sought. (Photo left "Wedding Bands, by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
The Cathedral rose majestically at the Square’s other end. As we gazed at the towers of the Cathedral extending toward the sky as if in praise, a woman’s voice filled the Square with the most unexpectedly rich Soprano. Tourists and locals stopped what they were doing and listened. (Photos center right "The Voice" and "Bath Cathedral" by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
Both Victoria and I felt our spirits soar with the Voice. As if ushered along by it we entered Bath Cathedral. I gasped at its interior. (Photo left "Bath Cathedral Interior by JC Dyer summer 2011).
Once again, as had been the case at Wells Cathedral, the experience overwhelmed the senses as we moved from the grand to the intricate to the intimate, all displayed in detail of amazing craftsmanship. (Interior Photos of Bath Cathedral by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
I marveled at the eight musician angel figures adoring the hand carved choir seating.
One of them seemed to reach out to me. (Photos below by JC Dyer summer 2011).
The Cathedral seemed to swell to an internal music embodied in its stone and glass. (Photo right by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
There must have been a thousand stone figures that came alive in the light and shadow cast by the windows at the roof of the cavernous hall. Awesome, an overused word, but appropriate. (Photo left by JC Dyer, summer 2011).
Bath's Roman Baths
The Roman Baths lie not 50 feet from the Cathedral. I should make clear from the outset that what one sees in all the photos is a relatively modern reconstruction, but the buildings are built upon actual ruins and contain many actual artifacts.(Photo Left: "Cathedral and Ruin by JC Dyer summer 2011).
Entrance is through an ornate central hall. (Photo left: "Entrance to the Roman Baths" by JC Dyer summer 2011).
The Roman Baths surprise not only because they are just off the same Square as the Cathedral. They are nestled right in the heart of the busy downtown. (Photo right "The Street Just Outside" by JC Dyer, summer 2011) Bath is a small city of around 89,000 as of the last census in 2001. It contains two Universities, the older Bath University as well as Bath Spa (once a polytechnic). While photographing the Covered bridge overlooking Bath University and the students playing intramural football I day dreamed what it would have been like if my college, Raymond College of the University of the Pacific had been located in Bath. What an opportunity!
"Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Walking through the baths we came upon the entrance to the section that contained the artifacts and actual ruins. It oddly reminded me of the beginning of the Disney ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. (Photo right "Welcome" by JCDyer summer 2o11 ). I could just hear, “dead men tell no tales.”
A dark room wired like a mini theatre contains remarkably well preserved ruins from the actual Temple on the site. In Roman times these sculptures would have been painted. As we watched, a camera projected onto these ruins the colours believed by scholars to be the original. (Photos far left "Actual Ruins" and center left "Detail of Carving" by JC Dyer, summer 2011).
The next room held an artist’s reconstruction of a skeleton from Roman times. (Photos left "As it would have looked" and right "Reconstruction of a Resident" by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
There were dozens more exhibits of artifacts, but I don’t want to spoil the discoveries for your trip.
Returning into the sunlight we joined other tourists milling about the baths (Photo left "Beside the Bath" by JC Dyer summer 2011)
Once upon a not too long ago people were permitted to bathe in the waters. No longer. Pollution. . Victoria couldn’t resist just the very tippy of a tippy toe. Roh Roh. Quickly on to the Wishing Well , where slipped the lady of the lake a coin for our future (Photos center right: "Wishing Well" and far right: "Roh Roh" by JC Dyer summer 2011).
The baths wrecked their own revenge. Inside the restaurant adjoining the site one can have a taste of the bath water. The water spilled onto our camera, frying the circuits. We had to buy a new one. Considering the taste of the water, it was an awfully expensive lesson in blech. (Photo left "Tasting the Water by JC Dyer, summer 2011.)
Outside the street musicians were still hard at work. (Photos left: Stree t musicians by JC Dyer summer 2011)
A side street beckoned
A side street beckoned, and in it, a purveyor of hand crafted wedding rings (Photos left: "Side street called," by JCDyer summer 2011). We looked, considered, went next door to a delightful, classic second floor English restaurant
(Photo right: "classic English Restaurant" by JCDyer summer 2011), the name of which we have forgotten, but you will forgive.
We went next door and bought the rings. (Photo right: "Job well done," by JCDyer summer 2011).
Justice beamed down on us. (Photo left: "It was Justice" by JC Dyer summer 2011 )
The Crescents called
Bath’s Royal Crescent, a brace of townhouses (Photo left: "Royal Crescent" by JC Dyer summer 2011), is world famous. But perhaps a little less well known are its other marvelous Townhouses, including other crescents.
(Photo far right: "The Circus," photos center "The Crescents Call" by JC Dyer summer 2011)
The homes up close are beautiful, front and back. (Photos of Circus Crescent Houses by JC Dyer, summer 2011).
Interspersed among them are intriguing side streets. (Photos left by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
We daydreamed as we took in the Royal Crescent. Who wouldn’t.
(Photo right "Royal Crescent" by JC Dyer summer 2011.)
Soon it was Tea Time. The students headed home . The late afternoon sun bathed the warm “Bathstone.” We called it a day. Tomorrow we head to Bristol for another big day. (Photos left "Evening Coming" and "Tea Time" by JC Dyer, summer 2011)
Note to Self: Taking in all Bath’s sights will only take a lifetime. Tops.