Bathing in the Splendor of Ancient Stone

Gosh, I love British Life and Culture class. This past Saturday was the double trip to Stonehenge and Bath! It was a long day, but it was really a lot of fun. Possibly what made the trip especially fun is that I spent it with my great group of friends here that I have come to know a lot better over the past couple of months. These were my second visits to both places (last year being with the London Theater Seminar), but I enjoyed them both so much better this time around!

Me at Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a windy, odd place. What are these rocks? Who put them there? Why was this construction built? Millions of theories are abound and no one knows its true intended origin. Most assume it seved as a sun dial. Due to excessive wind, I had no patience to listen attentively to my audio guide. Luckily our proffesor Philip was an awesome tour guide and offered tidbits about the rocks that were rather interesting.

The funny thing is, my friends and I were drawn to things other than the rocks. My sheep-obsessed friends took pictures of the animals within their enclosure, while I was drawn to the sky. Rays of sunlight were gleaming through clouds in a way I had never seen before. Well, I have seen that effect on those spiritual greeting cards, but this was real and amazing.

clouds and rays

After most of our group bought out the entire stock of bargain Stonehenge calendars in the giftshop, we were on our way to Bath. The city is approached from above, and a great aerial view was awarded to anyone who wasn’t sleeping on the bus. This city is beautiful and golden. All of the buildings are made of golden Bath Stone, giving it a unified and splendid appearance. Even Burger King is made of Bathstone! Philip gave an informative walking tour of the city, and we walked as far as the Royal Crescent. Regency architecture at its finest!

Bath Crescent

Afterwards, we toured the Roman Baths rather too quickly due to time constraints. Last year I got to spend more time touring the Baths so I didn’t feel out that I missed out on too much. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Pump Room restaurant was closed so we were unable to taste the Bath water, which is not so yummy so I’ve heard. However, it is believed to have healing powers.

Roman Bath

All in all, a great day! Next week we are seeing Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” by the Royal Shakespeare company, and then we are touring Parliament and the Globe theatre. Tomorrow, my friends and I are travelling to Dublin, Ireland, for St. Patrick’s Day!
Well, top ‘o the morning to you!

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