After my trip to Wells I drove back to Bath and spent around three hours exploring the city and visiting the Roman Baths. This was perhaps the best day Ive spent on the road and Im think that (Ali willing) we’ll resettle here and Ill set up the ye Olde Anthony Acupuncture/Web Design studio in Bath. Pretty much every person I ran into today was happy and friendly and it makes a big difference to come into contact with people like that when you are travelling solo.

In fact I think Ive just had the quintessential English experience. Im in a pub - Ive just had a pint of cider, fish and chips and am watching the Liverpool vs Arsenal game. I was wondering who the rest of the folk were barrracking for and I just found out when Arsenal scored - the cheers were so infectious that my heart lifted and I smiled, almost leapt to my feet with them.

So anyway the baths are a pretty special place. Roman occupation of Bath ended in around the end of the first century and so that makes the baths really really old. You can see from the pics below the bath itself and I think …. arsenal goalie just saved a goal - phew! … you should be able to see how special they are. Visiting the baths was another case of wanting to break down the ropes and dive into the baths which come out of the earth at a consistent 45 degrees celsius … but of course I resisted and just took happy snaps instead. I guess there must be a healing spa somewhere near here that takes advantage of the baths but it would be great if you could experience them directly.

Actually Liverpool just scored two goals in quick succession and the crowds response was pretty much equal … wow what a match Arsenal just went 3 - 2. The atmosphere here is getting pretty intense …

The rest of the afternoon was spent buying little pressies for Indy and Nush and also for Ali … I think she deserves a little something after letting me go on this trip.

Ive just updated the flickr  (Arsenal just went 3 - 2) stream on the right so you can see my iphone pics now.

Tomorrow Im off to Haworth via Oxford, Bakewell and Eyem. Haworth was the home of the Bronte sisters and is in the Peaks district (Liverpool just scored 3 - 3 - now people are booing) and from the photos Ive seen the landscape is going to change quite dramatically.

A few days ago I was feeling really overwhelmed by being away and felt the landscape was kind of claustrophobic and consuming - Bath has changed that and Im ready to move into the Lake district and into Scotland and beyond.