The Final Stretch

After two weeks in London, everyone seems to finally be comfortable in the city for the most part. We know where to go to get cheap food and we can actually get around using the underground fairly competently. So, it only seemed logical that we leave London for a few days and get our comfort zones. This morning at 8:00 we departed on a coach bus for Bath, taking a short pit stop at
Stonehenge.


I've seen pictures of Stonehenge in my history books since I can remember actually reading my history books. It's the type of history that most people hear or learn about, but not everyone is able to actually see and experience. I feel very blessed to have come so close to such an impressive and significant historical site. Of course, we weren't able to actually touch or walk directly next to the massive stones that make up Stonehenge due to concerns for the preservation of the monument. Nevertheless it was a beautiful sight to behold.

Stonehenge was constructed over a large period of time; archeologists date the construction from approximately 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The stones have since endured some damage from thousands of years of weather as well as human destruction. Back when the monument was first constructed, many people believed that the rocks used to form Stonehenge possessed healing powers so they would chip off chunks of the rock for themselves. Luckily, the largest stones weigh in at a whopping 25 tons and stand at least 13 ft high so a few chips didn't do too much damage.


As one of the most famous landmarks in the UK, I'm glad we ventured out of London to experience such a magnificent place. After walking around the entirety of Stonehenge and enjoying a delicious lunch at the visitor center we continued our journey to Bath. Our first stop once we arrived was our hotel where we were able to check in and hang out for a bit before exploring the city. Around 4:00 we began a walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. We were able to see a number of places that English author Jane Austen lived during her time in the city of Bath (approximately 5 years). She wrote two novels during that time - Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. 2017 actually marks 200 years since the death of Austen, so it seemed fitting to be here learning about a small portion of her history. We were able to tour the Assembly Rooms, a place where Austen and people of her station might have come during the 1800's to dance and socialize. My favorite room in the entire building was the ballroom, a massive space. I could picture hundreds of people in the candle-lit room dancing and having a wonderful night. If only our generation could have such elegant gatherings...

After making our way to the location of the Roman Baths and the actual assembly rooms that Austen would have most likely attended, we had a short bit of free time to explore the area. A group of us found an amazing patisserie full of delicious treats from France. The colorful macarons seemed to be calling out my name so a friend and I went halvsies on a pack of them. We couldn't eat too many right away, though, because or last stop of the day was dinner at Sally Lunn's as a group. Sally Lunn's is best known for being one of the oldest eating houses in Bath, established in 1680. The atmosphere there was very quaint and the food was absolutely delicious. All in all, Bath has been treating me pretty well so far. Can't wait to explore a bit more tomorrow morning before we continue on our expedition!