My time in London only became more awesome as for a Christmas present dad gave me a ticket to an awesome tour which included Stonehenge, the Roman Baths and Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace. Now, usually I don't go for tours (in fact this one was my first ever) but it was the only way I would be able to see these awesome sites (lack of my own transport plus cost meant it would have been impossible on my own) so it seemed like a great idea! And it actually was. Ok, yes, just like I expected, I really did want to kill the tour guide by the end of the trip just so that she would please please stop talking. Aside from this however it was a relaxing and stress-free way to see some sites, and for people travelling alone I would recommend it to avoid the hassle and cost trying to go and see everything by yourself!
First stop, Stonehenge. It was a grim and rainy day, but as we were in England, I expected little else. It was a few hours away, so once settled on the bus, I lay back and dozed off (after the horrendously early 6AM start there was little else I wanted to do). I had sternly told myself not to get too excited about Stonehenge as I didn't want the disappointment of realizing they were just a bunch of stones and nothing much to look at. And I'm glad in a way, because I went in with no expectations, and was completely blown away. You don't realize how truly monolithic Stonehenge is until you see it in real life. And then you realize these stone blocks were dragged from quarries miles away and it seems all the more impressive. The dim sunlight shining mysteriously through the foggy plain made it seem all the more mysterious and magical, and if it hadn't been for the awful overcrowding of tourists, I could have easily imagined the builders of the henge appearing out of the mist, dragging the massive stones into place as they must have once done, long ago.
Obligatory selfie picture. I don't do this often, but some places are just so damn cool I want to be able to look back and see that I really was there! All hooded up and feeling distinctly druid-like.
After a leisurely Stonhenge wander (thankfully the tour was organised so that while you had a guide on the bus talking, once you arrived at destination, they gave you a time to be back and left you to it) there was the mad rush to Bath. The city was beautiful and it was a great pity we only glimpsed it passing through on the bus to our location of the Roman Baths. With only two hours, time was short. We hurried from the parking lot into a square with a beautiful church (pictured below) and began queuing at the entrance to the Roman Baths.
A large part of the baths was made up of a museum full of the interesting art, architecture and archaeology found on the site.
My favourite parts was where we could see the underground plumbing and running waterways cleverly built by the Romans to run the baths.
The Baths themselves were extremely impressive, the steam wafting from the water making them look just as inviting as they must have looked in Roman times.
More beautiful architecture and archways
Pictured below is the square with the fantastic looking church that we didn't have time to go into. I had also heard there was a Jane Austin center in Bath, and it was a shame to miss it. It was also in Bath however that I tried my first Cornish Pasty, Apple cider and pork if I remember correctly, and darn if it wasn't awesome (even if it did remind me of the three brothers from Fantastic Mr. Fox!)
A cute cobblestone lane in Bath
And last but certainly not least, a rare photo without any tourists, Stonehenge bathed in the early morning light and looking just as breathtaking as when I first set eyes on it.
