On Saturday we got up early and (after a little wait) climbed onto the bus to Stonehenge. It was brisk, but not unbearably cold, and very bright- it had snowed + there was not a cloud in sight. However, because it had snowed, most of the path around stonehenge was closed, meaning everybody there had to cram onto the cement strip on the Northeast side of the site- so think about 250 (or more!) people cramming into the same space, with everybody trying to take pictures of themselves with the rocks in the background- I can't tell you how many people's pictures I must have walked through. However, it did mean I could get a photo of the whole thing without a ring of people walking behind it, so click over there if you want to see the really great panorama I was able to take.
Back onto the bus for the ride to Bath, where we had tea/lunch at the Jane Austen museum and then took a tour of the Roman Baths. We got free audio guides, and I was really glad we had, or else I wouldn't have understood anything that was going on. They were really really cool.
A little description (for those in the know, feel free to skip this bit): There was a central hot spring, called "the Sacred Pool", which nobody was allowed to bathe in, but was the central source for the water used in the rest of the complex. However, apparently the common Roman people used to toss things into is, as offerings or pleas to the Gods, so historians have been able to use the coins that were thrown in to date the usage of the pool- unsurprisingly, it got less popular as Christianity pushed its way through the empire.
There were the various different rooms that were involved in the process of bathing constructed in a linear fashion through the complex and the big central pool that most people take pictures of was the main plunge pool (the big picture above). It was filled/refreshed via the mind-bendingly complex plumbing system set up by the Romans, and is only green now because the roof is missing, so sunlight has allowed algae to grow. However, we're not allowed to swim in it today because the floor of the pool (at 1.3m deep) is a solid sheet of lead (seemed like a good idea at the time to the Romans). That, and the rest of the complex is kind of deteriorating... we wouldn't get the full effect.
The water was very warm + relaxing- I can see why the Romans thought it was a holy thing. I really enjoyed my time in the building, looking at the architecture and daydreaming about staying in a spa.
Back out in Bath, we didn't really have enough time to visit the various museums we had wanted to see, and so sort of wandered around, taking pictures of the various churches + the river Avon. After snacking on some pasties (the pie, not the glittery thing) and buying a new pair of gloves (I lost mine, quelle sad), it was back on the bus to go home and rest, but there were some fantastic views out the window on the way.
Feel free to check out Flickr for many more pictures of my trip, and click below for a video of the baths!
3 comments:
Beth, what a great blog you've got there! I'm a local London guide who takes undergraduates from another American university London programme on trips similar to yours. It's the first time I've seen something like this.
I come from a time before internet, blogging etc. When we travelled it was endless letters home with enclosed photos - and anguished overseas calls from parents demanding to know where we were, why we hadn't written - and what we were up to, of course! Very tedious!
As you say in this short film this is so much more...coooool!! Well done - and keep on blogging, wherever you are!
Penny
@ pennybowden- Thanks a lot! I'm certainly glad to not have to pay for developing all of the photos I'm taking, that's for certain. thanks for your input, and good luck to you.
And to you. Can't wait to see your next contribution!
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