I feel pretty darn lucky to be living in London for many reasons, but being able to see Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Bath all in one day trip is definitely one of them!!
We started our morning in Stonehenge so that we could be there before the crowds came. It was so amazing! I was a little bummed that we couldn't get closer to the rocks but hey, they have been in place since 3,000 BC I guess it would be shame if some idiot was to knock them over now...
Here is what Stonehenge used to look like. Something I learned here was that Stonehenge is only one of a number of henges throughout Europe. Obviously it is the biggest, and the most famous, but these things are everywhere! There are a lot of theories surrounding Stonehenge, and just henges in general, but you can Wikipedia that on your own time :)
This is a little mini henge that I saw while I was in Shrewsbury. It's very small and understated, located in the middle of a schoolyard, and yet it represents a huge historic mystery!
And here is the most hilarious jumping picture I have ever taken. I realize that I am totally embarrassing myself by posting this picture for the world to see but it is just too funny not to share! I think it looks like I am levitating or something. Haha.
This is Dr. Paxman posing with the coach. Elliot took this picture and I know she asked him to stand by the coach but that jaunty pose was all his idea.
Next stop was Stourhead Gardens! This is where they filmed part of the new Pride and Prejudice: the scene where it's raining and Mr. Darcy proposed to Lizzie for the first time. All of us were so excited to see the "Apollo's Temple" where they are standing but, surprise surprise, it was covered in scaffolding. That was disappointing but I got over it pretty quick since this was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen in my life! The weather was perfect, and we spent a couple of hours just wandering around and soaking it all in!
Bath is a place that I have been wanting to see for awhile. This town has been a social gathering place since the 18th century! That is the Bath Abbey in the background, thanks to Elliot for letting me use her pictures since my camera died after Stourhead.
People in the 18th and 19th century would come from all over to drink the water, which had magical healing powers, sit in the hot springs, and enjoy the social scene. Bath has always been a place to observe mixing social classes and Bath society is depicted in a lot of Jane Austen novels.
This is an example of the plumbing that was put in place by the Romans. It was the first advanced plumbing in Northern Europe and although it was improved upon as time went on, the original plumbing was restored during the 19th century.
Elliot has been talking about Sally Lunn buns since she went to Bath with her Mom and her aunts back in September. Apparently these buns are super good and super famous and the bakery shop was closed when they were here the first time. So, as soon as we left the Baths we found Sally Lunn's.
Sally Lunn was a Frenchwoman who came to England and started working in a bakery. She made really good buns and they became famous. The recipe is top secret, and that's the whole story! I must admit, I was kind of hoping for a more exciting story but the buns were really good. Elliot and I got one to share, I promise I didn't eat that thing all by myself.
Again with the mannequins!! This is the original kitchen where Sally Lunn baked her buns (it's ok to laugh, I meant that to sound funny). I don't know why they put the mannequins everywhere...probably for dramatic effect. Or maybe I'm just thinking to hard about it...it just bugs me.
Elliot, Brittany and I grabbed pasties for dinner and raced back to the coach thinking we were late and they were going to leave us stranded in Bath. We had time to spare though so I got to leisurely enjoy my first pasty standing on the sidewalk outside the bus, rather than sitting in the bus and grossing everyone out with the food smell. It was really good! And surprise, surprise, the ride home was really long and uncomfortable. A small price to pay for such an amazing day!!
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