Stonehenge Rocks!

The last day of our vacation we went on a road trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Wow, talk about saving the best for last. We got up at the crack o'dawn, and hit the road with our rather flamboyant, albeit knowledgeable, tour guide Mel. It was very, very cold when we arrived. The wind was blowing fiercely and if the skies were to open up, it would have been snow. The good news about Stonehenge is that you have plenty of room to navigate around the tourists who don't care if you are standing still in your zone, they will push you out of the way to get their "once in a lifetime" picture. The bad news is that you are so far away from the stones, you can't see any detail, or feel any energy. It was still a very interesting place, and the vibe it gave off was amazing. You couldn't help but respect it, the ancient power and years of wonderment where people stood in awe. Of course I was swept up in the history of it all, and also how far we were from the stones that were used to construct the great monument.

Next, we hopped in the bus and headed off to Bath. I could stay a week in this town, there is so much to see and do. We heard the legends of the town (city of pigs, 3 tiered cake, the Georgian city).

Here is a synopsis: City of Pigs: There was a prince who had leprosy and was banished from the kingdom by his father, the King. He ended up near Bath and bought pigs to sell for a living. The pigs ended up getting leprosy too! As he traveled through Bath, the pigs enjoyed the mud and water made by the sulfer springs. Eventually he noticed their skin healed, so he bathed in the water as well. He was healed and his father took him back into his kingdom, where he eventually became king. He founded the city of Bath to commemorate his healing.

3 Tiered Cake- the city was built on 3 layers. The first layer was built by the Romans, second by the monks of the Abbey and the third was the current day, built by the Georgians.

Georgian City- it has amazing architecture built during the revitalization period driven by the Kings George (I-III). It has Palladian, Neo-classical and Georgian architecture. Some of the buildings were built in a crescent shape and there is one street, built by Masons, that is in the shape of a key.

The crappy part about tours is that they set your time schedule for the day. That is the main reason why I do not go on them. However, the only way to get to Stonehenge (other than by renting a car), is through a tour. So, I had to roll with it. We had two hours in bath. Ready...set...go...

We ran through the Roman Baths- there is a lot to see. I photographed everything, so I could look at the pictures later. It was pretty neat- the hot room, the cold room, etc. I can see how the Finlanders in MN came up with taking a sauna and then jumping in water (or the snow, as I used to do in college). It really does feel awesome to sit in heat and I could do it for hours. We spent about 1 hour touring the baths. Then we ran over to the Bath Abbey, where the first King of England was crowned. It was of course a Gothic church and it reminded me a little of Westminister. In all the churches I visited (and there were about 14), I lit a candle, and took pictures.

For the a 360 degree tour- click here Bath Abbey Tour

Since it was 3 PM and we hadn't eaten lunch, we grabbed a quick pasty and walked to a really old marketplace, Bath Guildhall. This shopping venue has been in existence since the 16th century. Now it functions a part tourist trap, part functional shopping arena. You could get your picture taken with the Queen at the tea shop or buy a hammer from the hardware store. Next we skirted around the edge of town, found a loo and got back on the bus. My only regret is that we didn't have time to pop into Jane Austen's house. That would have been the final dollap of whip creamed awesomeness on this 3 tiered cake city.

I took pictures of the countryside all the way there and partially on the way back. It reminded me a little of my homestate MN, with flat farms and pastures. However, the old barns and homes were very much English. I could see myself living in the English countryside; but I don't know how they make any money. Plus I don't think I could eat any of the pigs or sheep that were common. That would be a big ewe (pun intended).