Thermae et rugbius.

We're in the middle of a "fine" spell here, so yesterday Matt and I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather and make a day trip to Bath. It was pretty darned exciting to see the steaming green waters of the Roman baths after years of seeing them in textbooks! You can go right down to the side of them, walk on the original (70 A.D.) floors, and touch the water. We also saw lots of altars dedicated to Sulis Minerva and folded up curses asking for retribution upon cloak-snatchers and other scoundrels that were found in the baths. The price of admission also includes a glass of warm water from the spring, which you collect in the Pump Room (Jane Austen enthusiasts, get excited!). The stuff is NASTY -- pretty much like drinking molten metal -- but I'm happy to have had my health fortified!



Aside from the baths, the rest of the town is completely charming: the well-kept Georgian buildings that make up the center make it look uniformly stately, and you can picture the carriages that would have held Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth driving up and down the streets. We got Cornish pasties again for lunch and ate in a really gorgeous park down by the river Avon, watching pigeons peck around our feet and the boats on the water. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, up to the Fashion Museum, out to the Georgian crescent, through some more parks, and back to the center. With the great weather, the turning leaves, and all the town out enjoying themselves, it was a perfect day. It will be easy to go back, too -- it only takes 15 minutes on the train to get to Bath from Bristol! Look at my pics from Bath here.

When we got back, rugby fever had overtaken Bristol, as the World Cup Final between England and South Africa was set for 8:00. We went down to a pub near here to watch the game (mostly the fans, really), and to cheer on South Africa -- as Matt is loyal to Wales and I to Scotland, we are both honor bound never to root for England against anyone. South African stomped them, so we went home happy.

It's down to business the rest of the weekend, and this week. I'm trying to stave off panic as the next round of grad school applications and a new batch of essay deadlines approaches --help! But I'm sure it will all get done somehow, and I'm glad to have made time for a little play this weekend.