Day 10 - London/Bath
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Hobbit's Posting from Bath
We are on the train to Bath now. I love Europe. You’ll be going along, happen to look up and there’s a medieval thingy sticking up out of the trees.
We spent three and a half hours touring the Roman baths in Bath. The bath for people to go in is about seven years behind in construction and not open yet. It’s set to open this summer but is booked for the next two years.
We have really great accommodations here.
I have noticed that all of the visitor attractions actually close a half hour “before” they say they do. For example, at the Tower of London, closing time is 5 pm. They locked all the buildings at 4:30 pm, and the Beefeaters moved through the courtyard like the riot police through the streets of Seattle during WTO. The Roman Bath Spa, closing time 5 pm, had an audio tour which emitted a painful beeping noise promptly at 4:30 pm.
Wendell Updates From Bath
Once again a quick post from an outrageously expensive internet cafe.
We had a great time visiting Glenfiddich distillery and Balvenie Castle - the Whisky Shop was closed however, so we couldn't do any shopping.
We've concluded that Scapa Whisky is the best Scotch Whisky known to man and intend to order a case delivered as soon as we can find an importer.
Visited Culloden battlefield in Scotland - proof that you can have fine, brave infantry, however without artillery support, a tactician and a logistician, you're screwed. Culloden is the Scottish Gettysburg, I'd opine.
Loch Ness was entertaining (no Nessie sighting) but Urquhart Castle is worth the trip time. Skip the tour bus, take the city bus (Bluebird line) instead. I'd recommend investigating a Scotland Buss Pass - point-to-point tix are EXPENSIVE.
On the night train down from Scotland, we discovered, listed on the menu, Haggis flavored Potato Crisps - Haggis flavored potato chips.
We've got lots of Pancho Porn - hundreds of hot, naked teen sheep, including closeups- some even shaved. Will post to our website shortly.
We're in Bath now, tomorrow we visit Royal Navy museum and Royal Marines museum, after which we're off to Normandy to attempt to climb Pont du Hoc and retrace my Uncle Frank's footsteps 60+ years ago.
We're visiting Paris from 13-16 May if any listies are in the area, back in London the eve of the 16th to pick up our 100+ pounds of baggage, then onto the QM2 for transatlantic crossing to NYC, arriving on 23rd May for 2 days in Manhattan.
Aufidius Maximus
My mother suggested that I take Latin when I was in high school. Touring Europe gives me an occasional opportunity to exercise it. Generally when visiting Roman ruins. Recently, we toured Bath and the Roman ruins of the baths.
When the Romans moved in, they found the hot springs and the locals worshipping the goddess Sulis. The Romans mapped Sulis over to their goddess Minerva and created a temple devoted to both.
Part of the bath complex was a temple for people to worship Sulis/Minerva. A part of the temple grounds were set aside so that people could set up their own altars and make their own offerings in a semi-private area. This tradition continued in the Catholic church where a family could give money to the church and have a separate chapel added to the local cathedral.
When we toured the museum, I saw an altar that was found on the site of the temple. The translation is as follows: To the spirit of the departed, Gaius Calpurnius Receptus, priest of the goddess Sulis, lived 75 year.; Calpurnia Trifosa, his freedwoman and wife, had this made.
It appears that Gaius bought a slave and then freed her and married her. Freed slaves, in gratitude, generally took the name of their master. Thus she took the name of Calpurnia, the female version of Calpurnis.
Nearby, in the museum, was another altar: To the Goddess Sulis, for the welfare and safety of Aufidius Maximus, Centurion of the Sixth Legion Victrix, Marcus Aufidius. Lemnus, his freedman, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.
It appears that Aufidius Maximus (“Big Alfred”) the Centurion (equivalent of a major in the modern military) bought a slave boy and eventually freed him. The slave took Aufidius as his middle name. It appears that some time after Big Alfred got shipped out for a campaign with the Legion, Marcus had an altar commissioned so that he could go pray for Alfred’s welfare and safety.
As one of my teachers would say, the rest is left as an exercise for the reader....
Gaius Calpurnius Receptus
Aufidius Maximus
Hobbit Listens To The AudioGuide At The Roman Baths
Hobbit Contemplates Soaking Her Feet In The Thermal Baths
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