Pampering @ the Thermae Bath Spa

I have been very excited about the Sunday because I was promised a massage session and experience at the Thermae Bath Spa - the only natural thermal bath spa in Britain.

The building that host the Thermae Bath Spa

The day before, we met a lady who live in the Royal Crescent, who told us that the guy who designed and built this bath spa, rented a basement room from her for about a year or so to oversee the buildling of this project. That guy pumped in 12 million of his own money for this project, which has since attracted heaps of visitors to Bath. WOW! I wonder, why would someone who has 12 million to spare, would want to live in someone's basement...although the Royal Crescent is one of the most 'high-class' address in the high-class town of Bath. !!




We were given robes and slippers when we enter the building, and ushered to the spa massage area where we both have the aromatherapy massage - these sessions are dangerously addictive!! After the massage, we're free to roam the 4 storey Thermae Bath Spa!

On the roof of the building, there's the rooftop pool where we could look over the beautiful green views of the fields and highlands of Bath, views of the Bath Abbey and some parts of the town. Half the pool is bubbly most of the time,  a gigantic jacuzzi if you may.  On a sunny day such as this Sunday...this experience is just paradise.

Sneak peek at the Rooftop Pool

View from the Rooftop Pool

The Rooftop Pool - lovely place to soak on a sunny Autumn's day

Ground floor, there's a big open indoor pool of which I would have imagined how the old Roman Baths are like. It's one big heated pool, with a section where the pool bubbles up - giving it the jacuzzi feeling.

On one of the floors, there are 5 different steam rooms, each with a different aroma (smell). There's big huge shower in the middle of floor called the Rainbow Shower. This gigantic shower could shower up to 20 people at a time!! All you do is stand under the shower, and heavy water will drop from the roof.....very refreshing and massaging!! Around the hall, there are little basins on the floor for foot massages. You can just fill up the basins with water and press a button for bubbles to appear....soak your feet in and enjoy. :) A very unique experience indeed!!

Gigantic Rainbow shower and Roman styled pool

 This is a highly recommended stop if you visit Bath. Thank you Mr T for arranging such a treat. :)  


As we were not allowed to take photographs inside, check out the official webpage for photos of the spa.  http://www.thermaebathspa.com/

Beautiful Bath

After the weekend in Birmingham..the weekend in beautiful Bath is such a treat... hehehe.

Early in the morning, on the way from our B&B to the town centre, we stumble upon this buzy farmers market and bought heaps of goodies!!

Every town / city in Europe seem to have the big red  double decker open top tourist bus! Since we like Bath so much that we return a 2nd time, we figure...why not! We did both a tour of Bath City, and bigger tour of the surroundings of Bath, which include the University of Bath... the alma mater of some that I know people. The natural and man-made beauty that we otherwise would not be able to see on feet is definitely worth the 12 pounds for the bus fare.

For tea, it was the famous Lunn Bun shop (Bath's famous bun)...very yummy! The restaurant is also in the "Oldest house in Bath", and has a kitchen museum in it....apparently where Sally Lunn originally baked these buns.

We visited the Royal Cresent again, and gained entry to Number 1, Royal Crescent...a now-museum on how the houses in Bath would look like in the olden days. Glad that we did this tour now as the house is suppose to close for a 2 year renovation starting the end of the year. We also discovered the very interesting fact that the big green field in front of the Royal Crescent is divided into 2 parts by a small cliff, with the restricted access to the upper part, and  only available to people who live in the Royal Crescent. Well, I guess that's the advantage of living in one of the most expensive streets in Bath. While we were lazing around on the field...a few hot air balloons took off, just behind the Royal Crescent...reminds me of the day about a year and a half ago...when he wanted to pop the question. Hehe..:)

Unfortunately, we couldn't climb up the tower of the Bath Abbey as bells were ringing the whole day...now, what's that all about??? And on the next day, which is a Sunday, there's church service in there so we will miss out again. Ah well, another reason to come back to this quaint town I suppose.

And to end the day, dinner at a romantic restaurant overlooking the river :).

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Anticipating Bath - blogging during lunch break

I can't believe how warm and sunny this week has been. 29 degrees awesome weather during Autumn. London weather is same as Melbourne's. Unpredictable! Am at the garden of St Paul church during my lunch break and plenty of office workers and school children, just sitting around enjoying the sun, weather, squirrels and birds around. Can't wait for the next 4 hours to be over....so we could get on the coach for the 3 hour ride to bath..we've been to bath on a day trip before, to the lovely lovely town, and this is our trip back to spend the whole weekend there. From what I've heard from the planner of the trip, there's a lovely b&b booked, Saturday evening dinner and on Sunday, we will get to soak in the Royal Roman Baths on a rooftop place. very exciting!!! The coach trip, might be a bit of a hurdle thou....last weeks journey to Birmingham wasn't exactly exciting with traffic jams and bumpy roads..

Little room in the attic

10pm - we finally arrived at our accomodation in our little B&B in Bath - a cute little house on a stretch that many has been turned into B&Bs. We probably got the smallest room in the house - a room in the roof ( probably the old attic), but which has since been renovated. It's a cozy and personlised B n B, called the Bay Tree House with only 5 rooms, in the prime area just beside the town centre. The home cook breakfast in the morning is amazing (cooked by the owner of the BnB) - we have an option of the English breakfast, or a salmon and scramble egg choice. Well, each of the 2 days we had breakfast day, I custom made my breakfast - Salmon, tomatoes and mushroom....my favourite. Yum.

Freshly cooked Salmon & Mushroom

Freshly cooked English Breakfast

Stonehedge & Bath in a Day

What a day to go on a day trip out of London...its raining cats and dogs the entire bus journey to our first destination - Stonehedge.

StoneHedge
When I first saw it, I was amazed at how small it is...I always thought Stonehedge is HUGE...But it is amazing how the big rocks are placed vertically and horizontally, almost to make them look like stools. There are many theories of how the Stonehedge come about....Aliens, Giants, Merlin the Magician etc, and many theories of whats its used for - to study astrology, astronomy, to tell the time, for King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table etc. Some say its to recognise the longest and shortest day of the year - June 21 and Dec 21,where on those days each year....the sun shines on it in a certain way that makes it really beautiful. Well, I don't know why or how its there, all I know is that it exist,  there right in the middle of several highways, and the stones are there for me to brave the heavy, pouring rain and muddy field to look at it and take a few photographs of it.

City of Bath
Bath is a lovely town, a town surrounded by 7 hills. Legend has it that the son of a king, (and a few of his pet pigs) was cured of leprosy in this town, from bathing in some spring water. To recognise this place, the prince built and name this place Bath.  

There are a few interesting places in Bath.
Bath Abbey - named "The Jewel of the West" by Queen Victoria. This is also the church where the first king of England was crowned. It's the tallest building in the city by far. We only saw it from outside and didn't get to go in as there was a wedding taking place there...when the wedding is finished and the church door open for the couple to come out, they must have felt like royalty as there were TONSSSSS of European, African, Asian tourist, snapping away at the newly weds.

The Roman Bath - Its like an archelogical site of when the Romans were in Britain. This place is like a big olden day swimming pool / leisure complex, which is adjacent to a big temple. Although it's technically a "ruin" the place is not at all in ruins yet, and the major pool, and all the pillars and statues surrounding the pool is still standing.  What's really amazing about this place is that the hot spring water from the ground is still coming up ( we can still see steam from the source pool), and the water is still flowing on to the other connecting pool. Legend has it that this water/ pool  can cure diseases. Well, visitors could have a drink of the spring water from the ground here and of course, we had a go....but....i must admit...it tasted a bit yuckish, and very salty water..... (one wonder if drinking the water rids one of diseases or create diseases in one's body :)  )

We then take a walking tour that brings us to see The Circuit, the only circular street in the world. Houses along the Circuit are worth millions of pounds each, and this is where we saw Johnny Depp's house ( all the girls go....AHHHHHH ) Number 7, The Circuit....We also saw the Royal Cresent, (the person who built the Cresent, is the son of the person who built the Circuit....amazing family with interesting ideas).

Bath is definitely an interesting place, and one afternoon there is not enough. We already have plans to come back here for overnight stays when our parents visit. :)