Spas of my life

I was just reading about exotic spas around the world in one of the magazines that James brought me back from the airport lounge yesterday. Allegedly the word "spa" may originate from the Latin "sanitas per aqua" which means "health through waters" but according to Wikipedia this is highly unlikely and it probably comes from the town of Spa in Belgium. It wasn't just the Romans who believed in the healing and restoring power of "taking the waters"; many civilisations throughout history have had similar rituals, such as Scandinavian saunas, or Turkish hammams.
I have a great fondness for spas, perhaps linked to my general love of swimming and hot water in particular - I love a nice hot bath! I also love swimming outdoors, in a pool or the sea. Here are some of my favourites.
My earliest spa experience was swimming in the actual Roman baths at Bath, an amazing experience with green steaming water and real Roman columns. It made a big impression on me, and I was lucky that I visited in the 1970s because the pool is no longer open the the public.
When James and I went to Turkey in the 1980s we swam in Roman pools there, and also in the heated springs of Pamukkale, it was great. James unfortunately cut his foot at a "pool of healing!" 
In Tuscany we went with the children to visit the hot springs at Rapolano Terme, great fun for all of us including white mud with which we daubed ourselves. It was very sulphurous.
Also with the boys we went to Miette Hot Springs near Jasper - the view of the forests around was absolutely fantastic, and Banff Hot Springs which also had an amazing view although the spa was smaller and more crowded than Miette.
In Scotland we have visited the Gleneagles spa with the boys quite a lot and we have especially enjoyed the outdoor hot tub there. It's great to be in there when it's raining; the rain all falling into the hot water around your shoulders. It's my ambition to be in there one day when it's snowing! Turnberry Hotel is also good but Gleneagles is better.
And then in England I have visited Nirvana with Jennifer; she treated me to a day there for my 40th birthday. It was so luxurious, if I lived near there I would want to go every day! And of course good old centre parks - I like the spa at Whinfell Forest very much and although it can be crowded it has everything you need to relax.
When James and I retire it would be great to have a holiday when we would tour "The famous spas of Europe" and travel around trying out all these grand establishments like our Victorian ancestors. Well, not like James' and my own Victorian ancestors of course - I'm sure they would have loved to go to a spa but they were too busy struggling to make ends meet by working down coal mines! I mean rich Victorians!
Talking of aspiring to better things, Ally made me laugh today when he overheard me telling James that he is too snobby to want toasted cheese for lunch - he replied "I just have higher standards!" Instead the boys had steak bakes from Greggs - I'm not convinced that steak bakes count as "high standards" so I had a banana sandwich instead!