Tag: resort

Key place: BATH, UK | Sally Lynn’s buns

If the thermal baths, for which Bath is famous, began with the Romans, “buns”, which nowadays are a famous English delicacy, were invented by a French woman. Or so it says the shop where these buns were supposedly invented. In fact, the origins of Sally Lynn’s buns are not proven, but the “official” story makes sense. It says that Solange Luyon was a Huguenot, who fled from France to England in 1680 to escape prosecution. Arriving in Bath, she was employed by a baker and there she invented the bun, which was inspired by the French brioche. And, as English people have enormous difficulty pronouncing foreign names, she became Sally Lynn.

A bun is something between bread and cake. It is usually eaten with butter or jam, but it can also come with savoury toppings. Whether the story is true or not, the fact is that Sally Lynn’s buns are unique. Many have tried to copy it, with no success. Therefore, you need to go to Bath, UK, to try it. You can find them in one of the oldest houses in Bath, officially dated from 1482, conveniently located 200 meters from the Roman Baths. Actually, excavations have shown that food has been prepared in Sally Lynn’s place since the Romans. A small museum in the basement tells you the story.

So, when Bath turned into a famous resort in the 18th century, Sally Lynn’s buns were already well established and widely known, fitting very nicely in the new city concept. Everyone would eat there and probably ordered them to be delivered at home, for breakfast, for example. Jane Austen was one of those people and there is evidence that she really enjoyed them.

 

A glimpse of Bath

Visiting Bath is immersing yourself in the 18th century. As you walk through the streets, you can almost imagine carriages pulled by horses, people dressed in the latest fashion of that time… and gossip, gossip everywhere. Gossip about who had married who, and why; who had recently died, and who inherited the estate and the fortune; who had eloped with whom, and whose family’s name had been sent to the mud…

London was still London, of course, and “the season” was not complete without going there. However, Bath was the place to go. At least for those who wanted to be someone, but hadn’t got there yet. The competition with London was fierce, even though it was not even. A lot of investment was made to turn Bath into a great recreational resort. Three centuries later, the buildings are still there, with little changes in the scenery created at the time.

Why invest so much in Bath from all places? Due to its thermal waters. The Romans, those barbarians who tried to invade England and failed, were right after all. Before they were duly expelled from the country, they had time to build a grand thermal public building in Bath, which is still standing and fully operational nowadays. Hence the name Bath (where Romans would take their bath, publicly). Those barbarians knew what they were doing… The waters were indeed miraculous and everyone wanted to bathe in them and become cured from all diseases, real or fictional.

However, did people in the 18th century actually bathe in those waters and really became cured? After all, there was so little time for that, with all that gossip to be had, the shops, the afternoon teas, and the balls (oh, my goodness, the balls!) … It would not be surprising if people would forget about the thermal waters…

 

SPA

It is generally believed (in what it was, in fact, a promotional strategy) that SPA would come from the Latin expression Sanitas Per Aqua [health through water]. This is actually wrong. Spa is the name of a city in Belgium, known for its mineral water springs. However, those who love names that come from Latin will be happy to know that the name of this town was probably given by the Romans: sparsa fontana [scattered fountain].

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, SPA is «a mineral spring; a resort with mineral springs; a fashionable resort or hotel; (…) a commercial establishment providing facilities devoted especially to health, fitness, weight loss, beauty, and relaxation; a hot tub with a whirlpool device». This dictionary also mentions that the first time SPA was used with this meaning was in 1610.

So, a SPA was originally a mineral water springs resort, a place where sick people would go to heal. Healing was made by drinking or bathing in the waters of that place, which possessed special and unique characteristics, beneficial to health.

Romans were known for their love for public baths, where they would socialize and take care of their health. When spreading their empire throughout Europe, they were the first to find the best thermal spots. Since then, people have not stopped seeking such healing places. Probably the one in Spa, Belgium, was the most famous at the time and “mineral water springs resort” became “SPA”, after the town.

Nowadays, the concept of SPA does not differ much from the Roman concept. It is not just for sick people, but for all those who want to stay healthy and fit. Indeed, some Roman facilities would include gyms, like today’s SPAs. Although SPAs may not include water, the majority has at least a swimming pool. And, of course, just like in Romans’ time, people can socialize and relax together, with all kinds of social and entertainment activities included.

In 2021, to honour and emphasise the importance of SPAs in Europe, UNESCO decided to turn into World Heritage 11 towns specially known for their mineral water springs: the Great Spa Towns of Europe. After extensive research, the list is now composed of cities from Austria (1), Belgium (1, which is Spa), Czech Republic (3), France (1), Germany (3), Italy (1), and the United Kingdom (1).