Stonehenge and Bath

Today I went on a tour of Stonehenge and Bath.  We started out early in the morning, taking a coach 2 hours out to Bath.  I got some reading done for class (see, I do sometimes do homework...) and then took a short nap.  The scenery around Bath was beautiful.  The rolling English country side reminded me a little of home, mostly because of the wide open air, fields, farms, and cows.  We drove into town, passing some Rugby matches and the Pulteney Bridge.  We got dropped off and walked into the central focus of Bath: The Roman Baths. And the Bath Abbey (where the first ever coronation was held!).  We got our tickets to go in to see the Roman Baths.  The Roman Baths are filled by a natural hot spring, the only one in the United Kingdom, and have obviously been around since Roman rule in Britain.  They were said to have "healing powers" brought on by the Goddess Sulis, and has been a popular place for people to come bathe and seek healing.  The water of course was steaming, which I thought was pretty cool.  I didn't really know what the baths were until we got there, and then I was surprised at the size and vastness of them!  There were multiple pools filled by the springs, and a whole temple built around them.  It was all very cool.  Unfortunately, we could not drink the water of the spring (it was closed for some reason), but I've heard it tastes disgusting, like sulfur.  After that, we were starving and got some lunch.  We also found this little fudge place where they had caramel apples covered in chocolate chips and marshmallows.  I got one and it was delicious, and one more thing to check off my fall items list!  We tried to visit the Abbey, but since it was Sunday, it was closed until later afternoon due to services.  So we went into a few gift shops and got souvenirs, then explored the more modern shopping district.  When we met back with the tour guide, he showed up the Cross Baths, another set of baths, and the only spa that operates off of the springs.  We saw the Jane Austen house, the Queen's Park, the Circus, and the Crescent, along with many examples of the Georgian architecture and the golden hue of the famous Bath limestone.  The Crescent is one of the most famous attractions in Bath, and is in many movies and books.  We learned that Nicholas Cage once owned a house there (before he had to sell it for not paying his taxes).  It had a beautiful view of the city below, and a giant park in the middle of it.  There was a drop-off part-way into the crescent called the "Ha-Ha," because it was funny when someone wasn't paying attention and didn't see the wall and would fall over it.  The original purpose was to keep animals from coming up onto the main lawn, and I couldn't tell how high it was until we were on the other side of it.  I can see how someone would fall off! After this, we walked back through town to board the coach for Stonehenge.  It was about an hour drive from Bath, and in the middle of nowhere.  Once we arrived and stepped off the coach, everyone was grabbing for their shirts because there was an awful smell of manure.  This again reminded me of home :) but it was quite strong!  We got our tickets and our audio guides and made our way up to the big stones.  It was a lot bigger than I imagined!  I grew bored of the audio tour, which basically told all the theories and stories about why they are there or how they got there.  I mainly took a lot of pictures and just looked at them as we walked the circular path around them.  It was very cool to see, since it is a world wonder and all, but a little anti-climatic in my opinion, especially since you could see them from the road without paying to go in.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed, and hiked up a field across the road to see some of the burial mounds, or barrows.  We even climbed up one!  Then it was time to go and we got back on the coach for home.  It was a long day, and wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped, but I am glad that I went.  When we got back, we went to dinner and had our weekly movie night (National Treasure this time). And for now, I'm tired, and am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.  Enjoy my weekend blogs, I'm going to bed!