The Roman Baths in Bath

We spend another day in the studio and I only leave at one point to

get groceries.  We are binging on English television which means some Top Gear, some Rugby, some Doctor Who and random game shows that are interesting.  There’s some cartoon kind of show that Oscar gets to watch, because we're giving ourselves 

 permission to avoid going out and doing things.  John has to remind me that we budgeted in time to do nothing for a reason.  It’s hard to be sitting in a foreign country though and not seeing things.  I feel obligated in some way, but finally succeed at what I do so well at home: sitting on my ass and doing nothing.  The next day we find that there is supposed to be a window of time when the rain stops around noon and the afternoon to try and go on the Bath walking tour.  So, we get dressed and

 head out on the bus to the center of town and Oscar is bribed with the McDonald’s we passed for lunch if he behaves for the Roman Baths.  There are a couple of times when he wants me to move more quickly through the museum that I have to remind him that a happy 

meal is on the line, but otherwise, he is great for the whole thing.  Not only does he get his own audio guide with kids’ numbers to put in, but the adults can choose between the museum dry answer and some information from Bill Bryson  

who I think of us a travel writing genius.  If I could write like him in this blog, I would have quite a following by now.  But I’m clearly not Bill Bryson unfortunately for you lot.  There is not a lot of stuff, but how they have taken what they have and brought it to life is 

amazing.  There are videos and recreations of the baths as they were, with characters and people moving about that keep Oscar interested.  You don’t just hear about what the Romans were doing here, there are reenactors here, in costume that you can talk to, hologram 

   images of people doing what each room was assigned for like massage, cold room, sweat baths, changing rooms with NUDITY!!!!  Oscar wants to go talk to the reenactors as soon as a he sees them and we learn that one is a slave waiting for his master to come back.  He talks with us for a  while and then his master who is a centurion comes and talks to us too.  We’re

getting to touch the water and wander around the ruins at the same time.  The shop and the information, the layout and technology is awesome.  And for the first time, an audio guide doesn’t annoy the shit out of John.  It was covered and out of the rain and warm because of the steamy water throughout.  We all loved it.  Even Oscar who more than earned his Happy Meal.