Confession: I am obsessed with hot water. Soaking in it. For hours.

When my friends ring their first question is: Are you in the bath? Because I often am, at all times of the day or night. My criteria for choosing a hotel or renting an apartment is always: Does it have a bath? And a good hot water system.

One of the reasons I left Australia was the lack of water. Some fatalists say the country will be uninhabitable by 2025 due to the current, persistent drought. And having a bath has certainly become a luxury in a country where some places have had no rain for more than three years. Melbourne’s water storages are at around 30%, Sydney’s around 60%. Keep this in mind next time you travel there and turn on a tap!

Meet a Roman at the baths o