Tag: photodesigne

Antique – San Telmo, Buenos Aires

Antique – San Telmo, Buenos Aires

San Telmo, Antiques

San Telmo, Antiques

San Telmo es un barrio de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Está comprendido por las calles Chile, Av. Ingeniero Huergo, Brasil, Av. Paseo Colón, Av. Martín García, Defensa, Av. Caseros y Piedras. Limita con los barrios de Monserrat al norte, Puerto Madero al este, Boca al sureste, Barracas al suroeste y Constitución al oeste.

San Telmo (San Pedro González Telmo) es uno de los barrios más antiguos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. En sus orígenes, fue habitado por las familias aristocráticas de Buenos Aires, hasta que la epidemia de la fiebre amarilla de 1871, los obligo a mudarse al norte. Fue entonces que estas familias propietarias de las casonas de San Telmo, comenzaron a alquilarlas a los inmigrantes trabajadores. Junto con el cercano Monserrat fue el barrio más negro de Buenos Aires, llamándose “Barrio Sur“, en oposición al “Barrio Norte” de San Nicolás. Todavía pueden escucharse ritmos afro-rioplatenses como el candombe en sus calles.

Una curiosidad del barrio es la Casa Mínima, la casa más angosta de la ciudad. Esta casa tiene un frente de 2,50 metros de ancho y 13 de profundidad. Se trata de una propiedad residual de una propiedad mayor, construida entre fines del siglo XVIII y principios del siglo XIX

San Telmo es una de las zonas mejor conservadas dentro de la siempre cambiante Buenos Aires, y se caracteriza por sus caserones coloniales y sus calles, muchas de las cuales aún están empedradas con adoquines. Entre las muchas atracciones que se pueden visitar en este barrio, se encuentran numerosas iglesias antiguas (como la de San Pedro Telmo), museos, tiendas de antigüedades y una feria semipermanente de antigüedades Feria de San Telmo en la plaza principal, Plaza Dorrego.

También se realizan actividades relacionadas con el tango y el Candombe, destinadas tanto a los habitantes locales como a los numerosos turistas que visitan la zona.

Los sábados por la tarde y los domingos durante todo el día, la calle Defensa se convierte en paseo peatonal donde se disfruta de artistas callejeros, titiriteros, magos y estatuas vivientes.

San Telmo (“Saint Pedro González Telmo“) is the oldest barrio (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antique shops line the cobblestone (adoquines) streets, which are often filled with artists and dancers.

San Telmo’s attractions include old churches (e.g. San Pedro Telmo), museums, antique stores and a semi-permanent antique fair (Feria de Antigüedades) in the main public square, Plaza Dorrego. Tango-related activities for both locals and tourists are in the area.

Known as San Pedro Heights during the 17th century, the area was mostly home to the city’s growing contingent of dockworkers and brickmakers; indeed, the area became Buenos Aires’ first “industrial” area, home to its first windmill and most of the early city’s brick kilns and warehouses. The bulk of the city’s exports of wool, hides and leather (the Argentine region’s chief source of income as late as the 1870s) were prepared and stored here in colonial times. Their presence led to the first residential settlements in this area: that of Africans, slaves and free, alike.

Separated from Buenos Aires proper by a ravine, the area was formally incorporated into the city in 1708 as the “Ovens and Storehouses of San Pedro.” The neighborhood’s poverty led the Jesuits to found a “Spiritual House” in the area, a charitable and educational mission referred to by San Pedro’s indigent as “the Residence;” the 1767 Suppression of the Society of Jesus led to the mission’s closure, however.

The void left by the Jesuits’ departure was addressed by the 1806 establishment of the Parish of San Pedro González Telmo (or “San Telmo”), so named in honor of the Patron Saint of seafarers. The move failed to replace lost social institutions, however, and San Telmo languished well after Argentine independence in 1816. The Jesuit Residence, restored as a clinic by Guatemalan friars, was shuttered in 1821, and San Telmo saw no public works for the next 30 years except a Black Infantrymen’s Quarters and the construction of the dreaded Mazorca Dungeon by Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas.

San Telmo began to improve despite these challenges, particularly after Rosas’ 1852 deposal. The establishment of new clinics, the installation of gas mains, lighting, sewers, running water and cobblestones and the opening of the city’s main wholesale market led to increasing interest in the area on the part of the well-to-do and numerous imposing homes were built in the western half of San Telmo. This promising era ended abruptly, however, when an epidemic of yellow fever struck the area in 1871. The new clinics and the heroic efforts of physicians like Florentino Ameghino helped curb the spread of the epidemic into points north; but, claiming over 10,000 lives, the crisis led to the exodus of San Telmo’s growing middle and upper classes into what later became Barrio Norte.

Leaving behind hundreds of properties, a few of the larger lots were converted into needed parks, the largest of which is Lezama Park, designed by renowned French-Argentine urbanist Charles Thays in 1891 as a complement to the new Argentine National Museum of History. Most large homes, though, became tenement housing during the wave of Immigration in Argentina from Europe, between 1875 and 1930. San Telmo became the most multicultural neighborhood in Buenos Aires, home to large communities of British, Galician, Italian and Russian-Argentines. The large numbers of Russians in San Telmo and elsewhere in Buenos Aires led to the consecration of Argentina’s first Russian Orthodox Church in 1901. Growing industry to the south also led a German immigrant, Otto Krause, to open a technical school here in 1897.

San Telmo’s bohemian air began attracting local artists after upwardly mobile immigrants left the area. Growing cultural activity resulted in the opening of the Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art by critic Rafael Squirru in 1956, as well as in the 1960 advent of the “Republic of San Telmo,” an artisan guild which organized art walks and other events. San Telmo’s immigrant presence also led to quick popularization of tango in the area; long after the genre’s heyday, renowned vocalist Edmundo Rivero purchased an abandoned colonial-era grocery in 1969, christening it El Viejo Almacén (“The Old Grocery Store”). Soon becoming one of the city’s best-known tango music halls, it helped lead to a cultural and economic revival in San Telmo.

The 1980 restoration of the former Ezeiza family mansion into the Pasaje de la Defensa (“Defensa Street Promenade”), moreover, has led to the refurbishment of numerous such structures, many of which had been conventillos (tenements) since the 1870s. As most of San Telmo’s 19th century architecture and cobblestone streets remain, it has also become an important tourist attraction.

San Telmo ist ein Stadtteil im Südosten der argentinischen Hauptstadt Buenos Aires. Der Stadtteil hat 25.969 Einwohner auf einer Fläche von 1,3 km² (Stand von 2001). Die Bevölkerungsdichte entspricht somit 19.976 Einwohner pro km² und liegt damit über dem Durchschnitt von Buenos Aires, der ca. 13.500 Einwohner/km² beträgt. Von 1991 auf 2001 nahm die Bevölkerung um fast acht Prozent ab.

San Telmo wird dem “Sur”, dem Süden der Stadt, zugeordnet, der als Gründungskern von Buenos Aires angesehen wird. Das Viertel liegt auf der Verbindungslinie zwischen dem ehemaligen Hafen in La Boca und dem historischen Stadtzentrum, dem Bereich des heutigen Microcentro, und entstand durch die Niederlassung zahlreicher Händler an dieser wichtigen Route.

Beschreibung

San Telmo ist architektonisch stark geprägt durch Altbauten aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. Neubauten vor allem aus der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts, die andere Stadtteile wie z. B. Palermo stark prägen, finden sich hier seltener, da ein großer Teil des Stadtteils unter Denkmalschutz steht.

Nach einer Zeit wirtschaftlichen Niederganges hat sich San Telmo seit Mitte der 1990er-Jahre zunehmend zu einem touristisch geprägten Stadtteil entwickelt, in dem sich u. a. zahlreiche RestaurantsTangoshows speziell für touristisches Publikum befinden. Auf der zentral im Stadtteil gelegenen Plaza Dorrego findet jeden Sonntag ein großer Antiquitätenmarkt, die mit täglichen Feria de San Pedro Telmo, statt. Weitere Sehenswürdigkeiten sind der Parque Lezama, das Museo de Arte Moderno, das Historische Nationalmuseum von Argentinien und die Casa Esteban de Luca, das ehemalige Wohnhaus des Dichters der ersten Nationalhymne, das heute als Historisches Monument geschützt ist.

Während San Telmo selbst wie viele innerstädtische Stadtteile von Buenos Aires mit wenig Grünflächen aufwartet, grenzt es im Osten an die Reserva Ecológica, die größte zusammenhängende Grünfläche der Stadt.

Wikipedia


 

5ºLago Escondido – Ruta 7 Lagos – 7 Lakes Road

5ºLago Escondido – Ruta 7 Lagos – 7 Lakes Road

Este ambiente se encuentra rodeado de un bosque de coihue y de caña colihue y en su centro el Lago Escondido que es, tal vez, uno de los paisajes más conmovedores con sus fantásticas aguas verdes.

Ruta 7 Lagos:

El tramo de la Ruta Nacional Nº234 que une a las localidades de San Martín de los Andes y Villa La Angostura reúne en sólo 110 kilómetros lo mejor de la geografía y naturaleza patagónica, convirtiéndose en el circuito turístico regional por excelencia.

Fuente: SanMartinDeLosAndes


7 Lakes Road Map

7 Lakes Road Map

Lugares del recorrido

Descripción del paseo 7 Lagos en Auto

Apenas se deja atrás la ciudad el lago Lácar domina la escena mientras la cordillera se despliega y el bosque de cipreses se abre paso entre las rocas. Está Usted transitando la ruta nacional 234, en el inicio del tramo conocido como “De los Siete Lagos”, que une las localidades de San Martín de los Andes y Villa La Angostura.

A cinco kilómetros aparece la entrada al balneario Catritre, y un kilómetro más adelante el acceso a la ruta provincial 108 que conduce a la Villa Quila Quina.

El bosque de roble pellín enmarca el continuo ascenso, y comienzan a aparecer las primeras casas de pobladores rurales, las ovejas pastando y al frente todo el cordón Chapelco.

El Mirador del Pil Pil es la excusa perfecta para apreciar desde lo alto toda la belleza del lago Lácar, los cerros Vizcacha, Sabana, y Colorado, y buena parte del valle del arroyo que da nombre al lugar.

A menos de mil metros, en el kilómetro 15 precisamente, se encuentra a la izquierda el desvío que conduce al Centro Invernal Chapelco.

El arroyo Partido

Cinco kilómetros por delante, a la derecha, se encuentra un enorme mallín (zona baja fácilmente inundable) y el “Mirador del Arroyo Partido”.

Está Usted ante toda una rareza natural, ya que el pequeño arroyito que trae las aguas de deshielo de la cumbre de Chapelco tropieza con el cauce de piedras y a partir de allí se abre en dos brazos claramente diferenciados. El izquierdo se convierte en el arroyo Culebra que, haciendo honor a su nombre, serpentea buscando las aguas del río Hermoso, para luego continuar su marcha hacia el océano Atlántico; el derecho adquiere el nombre de Pil Pil, y a través de las aguas del lago Lácar desagua en el océano Pacífico.

Continuando el circuito, una espectacular vista del cerro Falkner se despliega ante sus ojos, para luego transitar un abrupto descenso hasta el río Hermoso. Allí encontrará una incipiente urbanización, con servicios gastronómicos y de alojamiento.

Se abren dos caminos: a la derecha el asfalto de la ruta nacional 234 lleva a Villa La Angostura (85 km) y Bariloche (166 km). A la izquierda el ripio de la ruta provincial 63 conduce al Paso Córdoba (48 km), Confluencia Traful (69 km) y Bariloche.

En búsqueda de los siete lagos

Siguiendo por el camino pavimentado, verá la laguna Fría (un interesante punto para observación de avifauna acuática) y enseguida el Mirador del lago Machónico, una postal ineludible del trayecto.

El próximo punto de interés es el acceso al lago Hermoso, cinco kilómetros más adelante. El área de servicios que ha crecido en los últimos años allí abarca desde un bar y pub hasta alojamientos bed&breackfast (cama y desayuno), pasando por cabalgatas guiadas, refugios de montaña, camping con agua caliente y seccional del guardaparque. Hay que desviarse dos kilómetros a la derecha para llegar al espejo de agua, visitando la laguna Pudú Pudú.

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi

Al dejar atrás el parque nacional Lanín, se ingresa al parque nacional Nahuel Huapi, para enseguida admirar la cascada Vulignanco, un salto impresionante que, surgiendo del bosque, se parte en dos con una caída de fotografía obligada.

Apenas reiniciada la marcha aparece con toda su imponencia el lago Falkner, con una sucesión de playas de arena y el pequeño río que lo hermana con el lago Villarino.

El asfalto dice basta abruptamente. Se están llevando a cabo las obras para la pavimentación del tramo hasta el desvío a Villa Traful, lo que aparte de ser una buena noticia implica tener precaución extrema ya que hay máquinas viales trabajando y en ocasiones el tránsito se reduce a media calzada.

Es el turno del ripio patagónico; se supera transitando lentamente y dejándose llevar por la magnificencia del paisaje. Aparece el lago Escondido, con sus tonos verdes recortándose entre el bosque de coihues, y el camino comienza a descender hasta el Pichi Traful, que no es otra cosa que el brazo norte del lago homónimo. Se suceden un área de picnic sobre el río, la seccional del guardaparque y un desvío a la izquierda que luego de dos kilómetros lleva al lago y al camping.

El próximo desvío que encontrará, a la izquierda y con abundante cartelería informativa, es la ruta provincial 65 que conduce al lago y Villa Traful.

Continuando por la ruta nacional 234, se encuentra el lago Correntoso, uno de los más grandes del circuito, con gran cantidad de bahías y playas.

Unos metros antes de llegar a un puente con una hostería actualmente en desuso (Ruca Malen) verá a la derecha el desvío al lago Espejo Chico, ubicado a dos kilómetros de la ruta principal, con una hermosa playa y camping agreste.

El próximo lago es el Espejo. Encontrará un mirador natural y un área de picnic y acampe en cercanías de la seccional del guardaparque.

Villa La Angostura

Unos pocos kilómetros más adelante encontrará un nuevo cruce de rutas; allí la ruta nacional 234 empalma con la ruta nacional 231 que lleva hasta el paso internacional Cardenal Antonio Samoré (Ex Puyehue).

Nuevamente en el pavimento, hay que tomar a la izquierda para llegar finalmente a Villa La Angostura. Aparece el lago Nahuel Huapi en todo su esplendor, y se suceden bahías, playas y una cuidada arquitectura que destaca las numerosas ofertas de alojamiento que encontrará antes de llegar al casco urbano.

Villa La Angostura, al igual que San Martín de los Andes, ha experimentado un notable crecimiento poblacional y urbanístico en los últimos años. Ubicada estratégicamente a orillas del lago Nahuel Huapi, entre los cerros Inacayal, Bayo y Belvedere, ofrece en invierno esquí en el Bayo y en verano un abanico de opciones que van desde la pesca deportiva hasta el turismo no convencional o de aventura.

Convertida en la puerta de acceso al Parque Nacional Arrayanes, permite acceder por un camino terrestre al bosque de éstos característicos árboles, circuito que puede complementarse con un regreso en alguna de las embarcaciones que realizan la excursión guiada al área protegida.

Fuente: SanMartinDeLosAndes.gov.ar

xaharax@hotmail.com

 

Over there Llao-Llao Hotel!

Over there Llao-Llao Hotel!

the View is from the Church of the Ruta 237 (please see the Llao-Llao Church picture)

 

Scallion

Scallion

Cebolla de Verdeo – Scallion

A scallion, (also known as a spring onion, salad onion or green onion in many countries) is an edible plant the genus Allium. The upper green portion is hollow. It lacks a fully developed root bulb. They are milder than most onions. They may be cooked or used raw, as a part of salads or Asian recipes. Diced scallions are used in soup, noodle and seafood dishes. Eastern sauces commonly remove the bottom quarter-inch before use.

The species most commonly associated with the name is the Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum. “Scallion” is sometimes used for Allium ascalonicum, better known as the shallot. The words scallion and shallot are related and can be traced back to the Greek askolonion as described by the Greek writer Theophrastus; this name, in turn, seems to originate from the Philistine town of Ascalon (modern-day Ashkelon in Israel). The shallots themselves apparently came from farther east.

Scallions have various common names throughout the world. In some countries, green onions are mistakenly called shallots by non gardeners, and shallots are referred to by alternative names such as eschallot or eschalotte.

  • Austria and Germany: Known as “Frühlingszwiebel“, which means ‘spring onion’.
  • Australia: The common name is ‘shallot’. Grocers and supermarkets occasionally label them as “spring onion” however most refer to them as ‘shallot’. Professional chefs use the names “shallot” and “scallion” interchangeably.
  • Belgium: Known as sjalotjes.
  • Canada: Known as green onion.
  • India: They may be referred to as spring onions.
  • Japan: Known as 分葱 or ワケギ in Japanese (the Japanese transliteration, “wakegi”, is another term for spring onions).
  • Korea: Known as .
  • Republic of Ireland: The term scallions is commonly used.
  • New Zealand: The common name is ‘spring onion’.
  • United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, including Singapore: The most common name is spring onion. In Northern Ireland the name scallion is preferred, in Scotland they are known in Scots as cibies, from the French syboe.
  • United States: scallion or green onion. The term green onion is also be used in reference to immature specimens of the ordinary onion (Allium cepa) harvested in the spring, and the term spring onion refers exclusively to this onion in the United States.
  • Caribbean: Often referred to as “chives”.
  • Mexico: The common name is cebollitas witch means litte onions in spanish.

 

Romantic Date

Romantic Date

Last Minutes for a romantic date.

The practice of reddening lips has been with Mankind since the dawn of history. It is part of the gender game, part of Nature’s trap to make man go on reproducing. Historians digging and reading claim that the earliest records of lipstick are from Mesopotamia about 5000 years ago. In those days crushed semi-precious stones were smeared over the lips for the come-hither effect. The Indus Valley Civilization’s ladies also reddened their lips. The ancient Egyptians squeezed out a purple-red colour from iodine, bromine and focus-algin leading to serious diseases. In course of time this came to be known as the-kiss-of death.  Cleopatra did the trick with beetles which when suffered through the pestle gave out a deep red colour. Ants provided the base. Henna was also a favourite with the Egyptians. The shimmering effect came from the scales of fish. In India yesterday as of today, the leaves of a creeper, the paan or betel leaf made lips attractively red. Betel leaves are not only affordable but also spells good health for the gums, teeth and digestion.

From the time of Queen Elizabeth I lipstick became popular in 16th century England. She introduced the fashion of chalk white faces contrasted with lips that were blood red. During those days lipstick was made from bees wax and plants. It was not until World War II that lipsticks really took off – the push being given by the film world.

The lip liner soon came to be introduced. The lipstick and the lip-liner came to be known as the lip-duo. In 1990 another type of colouring for the lip hit the shelves that did not have wax and was made from semi-permanent liquid.

The history of lipsticks has suffered its share of troubles. It was not always universally accepted. In 1653 England pastor Thomas Hall led a movement saying that painting of faces was the Devil’s–Work. Things went so far that the parliament in England passed a law in 1770 against lipstick with the warning that women who seduced men into marriage by means of make up could be tried as witches! In 1800 Queen Victoria openly spoke against it. Somehow lipstick survived in dark alleys and lanes until movies gave it respectability. During the 1930’s Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden set up the first beauty parlours. Hazel Bishop introduced the kiss-proof lipsticks.

Lipstick contains waxes, emollients, pigments and various oils. The wax holds its shape. Beeswax is still in use – it being taken from the honeycomb of bees. Other types of waxes are obtained fromleaves of certain palm trees that grow in Brazil. Candelilla wax is taken from the plant of the same name that is found in Mexico. The plants are soaked in boiling water and sulfuric acid. The wax that rises to the surface is then skimmed off. Other ingredients are olive, mineral and castor oil, cocoa butter, petrolatum and lanolin. Recently other moisturizers like Vitamin E, aloe vera, amino acids, sunscreens and collagen are being used. These soften and moisten the lips while keeping it sheltered from the elements. The colour comes from many types of pigments and dyes.

Lipstick making involves heating, mixing and stirring. The finely ground mixture is heated and then poured into metal moulds. Then it is chilled again. The formed lipstick is now subjected to heat again for about half a second to give it the smooth glossy touch. Lipstick lasts longer if kept in the refrigerator. The lipstick tube consists of the base and cover. The base twists and slides as it pushes up the lipstick. The cover on top protects it from getting squashed and chewed off by the unwary toddler.

The shelves contain an array of lipsticks – matted, frosted, sheer and stained.. Glossy or sheer lipsticks need to be applied more frequently. Matte ones are not shiny but last longer although the lips do not remain moisturized and tend to crack.

The lip-gloss is sold in bottles – it has the same ingredients as lipsticks but less wax and more of oil to make the pout more shiny and glittering.

The making of lipstick is a science but its application is an art. Just like a painter of walls first uses a primer so too it is the rule with lips. Use a lip pencil, which will be a sort of fixative. The general practice to choose a lipstick is rubbing it on back of the hand but the fingertip is more akin to the colour of the human lips. Check on the label and pick one that has not been involved in animal slaughter. The chemical ingredients should also be carefully studied. It is surmised that in a lifetime a woman ingests about 4 to 6 pounds of lipstick. So it is better to know ahead that the stuff is not harmful for the health. Try and obtain samples. Usually manufacturers supply the shops with any number to push sales. The best shade is the one that tunes in with the individual’s complexion and the colour of the clothes of the wearer. The rule of thumb is natural colours are for the daytime and more bold shades for the night. When youth begins to wane then lipsticks with more oils and creams are preferable.

Everything has its red signal of warning. Lipsticks can be harmful. Avoid ones with parabens as these are suspected villains inducing cancer of the reproductive system.  Lipstick sometimes contains lead. Its use makes the stuff cheap. Try the test of rubbing a gold ring on the lipstick. If the colour changed from red to black then shy off from the purchase – it is dangerous.

Some hot red facts about lipstick will be of trivia interest. In 1959 Connie Francis added the touch of culture to lipstick with her hit song “Lipstick on Your Collar’. Shisedo Cosmetics of Tokyo conducted a survey in 1996 in which most of the American women (87%) admitted to leaving lipstick traces on places where they should not be!

Thanks: The Origin Of

 

Post 18: Green Fresh SPA

Post 18: Green Fresh SPA

“contenido excerpt”

 

Post 17: SPA

Post 17: SPA

Spa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer thermal or mineral water for drinking and bathing. They also offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular world-wide, but are especially wide-spread in Europe and Japan. Day spas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments.

Origins of the term

See also: Mineral spa

The term is derived from the name of the town of Spa, Belgium, whose name is known back to Roman times, when the location was called Aquae Spadanae,[1] perhaps related to the Latin word “spargere” meaning to scatter, sprinkle or moisten.[2]

Since medieval times illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate (iron-bearing) spring water (in 1326, the ironmaster Collin le Loup claimed a cure, [3] when the spring was called Espa, a Walloon word for “fountain”[3]).

In 16th century England the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived at towns like Bath, and in 1571 William Slingsby who had been to the Belgian town (which he called Spaw) discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire. He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate, the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters, then in 1596 Dr Timothy Bright called the resort The English Spaw, beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description rather than as the place name of the Belgian town. At first this term referred specifically to resorts for water drinking rather than bathing, but this distinction was gradually lost and many spas offer external remedies.[4]

It is commonly claimed, in a commercial context, that the word is an acronym of various Latin phrases such as “Salus Per Aquam” or “Sanitas Per Aquam” meaning “health through water”.[5] This is very unlikely: the derivation doesn’t appear before the early 21st century and is probably a “backronym” as there is no evidence of acronyms passing into the language before the 20th century;[6] nor does it match the known Roman name for the location.

The practice of traveling to hot or cold springs in hopes of effecting a cure of some ailment dates back to pre-historic times. Archaeological investigations near hot springs in France and Czech Republic revealed Bronze Age weapons and offerings. In Great Britain, ancient legend credited early Celtic kings with the discovery of the hot springs at Bath, England.[7]

Many people around the world believed that bathing in a particular spring, well, or river resulted in physical and spiritual purification. Forms of ritual purification existed among the native Americans, Persians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Today, ritual purification through water can be found in the religious ceremonies of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus. These ceremonies reflect the ancient belief in the healing and purifying properties of water. Complex bathing rituals were also practiced in ancient Egypt, in pre-historic cities of the Indus Valley, and in Aegean civilizations. Most often these ancient people did little building construction around the water, and what they did construct was very temporary in nature.[7]

[edit] Bathing in Greek and Roman times

Some of the earliest descriptions of western bathing practices came from Greece. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed the foundation for modern spa procedures. These Aegean people utilized small bathtubs, wash basins, and foot baths for personal cleanliness. The earliest such findings are the baths in the palace complex at Knossos, Crete, and the luxurious alabaster bathtubs excavated in Akrotiri, Santorini; both date from the mid-2nd millennium BC. They established public baths and showers within their gymnasium complexes for relaxation and personal hygiene. Greek mythology specified that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by the gods to cure disease. Around these sacred pools, Greeks established bathing facilities for those desiring healing. Supplicants left offerings to the gods for healing at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans developed a primitive vapor bath. At Serangeum, an early Greek balneum (bathhouse, loosely translated), bathing chambers were cut into the hillside from which the hot springs issued. A series of niches cut into the rock above the chambers held bathers’ clothing. One of the bathing chambers had a decorative mosaic floor depicting a driver and chariot pulled by four horses, a woman followed by two dogs, and a dolphin below. Thus, the early Greeks used the natural features, but expanded them and added their own amenities, such as decorations and shelves. During later Greek civilization, bathhouses were often built in conjunction with athletic fields.[7]

Main article: Ancient Roman bathing