And our Bath party continues ... with high tea at the Pump Room. Built as a place of entertainment for Bath's elite in the 1700s, the Bath Pump Room is now a place where anybody can enjoy an afternoon tea. Which we did and loved.
Our afternoon tea came with scones and delicious cream, tarts, and finger sandwiches. I was so full I couldn't finish it all!
We finished our Bath trip with a visit to the big building next door to the Pump Room: the ancient Roman Baths. We had another "is this real life?" moment here. As a former history major, my geekiness level was maxed out here. The bath ruins have been preserved pretty well under the city of Bath, and tourists can now walk around and see really great exhibits recreating what the baths were like when they were in use 2000 years ago. I love being reminded of the finiteness of life by being around buildings that connect me to people who lived so long ago; so much is different, yet so much is still the same.
Like many places in Europe, history comes in layers in the city of Bath: the ancient Roman Baths, the 19th century recreation of Roman statues, and the medieval Bath Abbey just nearby.
Proof that these really are hot baths - steam rising off the water in the early morning sun. We had to rush through all the exhibits because we had to catch a bus to London, but I was so glad we made time to at least check out the baths. Nothing like a little ancient architecture to provide a humbling reminder that the things we build and create will long outlast us.