The Roman baths
in Bath were the first stop we made on our trip. This was probably my favorite
part of the entire weekend. It is absolutely mind-boggling to think that these
beautiful, 2000 year-old baths still hold water. They’re a must see for anyone
who enjoys architecture, history, or looking at pretty things.
Almost as
impressive as the baths were the streets of Bath. On nearly every street in the
city center, one can hear the sweet melodies of buskers playing guitar,
singing, or even playing the piano.
As a shopping
fanatic, I obviously had to check it out in this city that has been praised for
its shops! The first day, I only spent about £10 (the second day is a
completely different story)! After shopping and exploring the city, we ventured
back to our hostel, the YHA Bath Hostel. My friend and I reunited with the
other half of our group and made tacos in the hostel’s kitchen for supper.
Being one of the first times I’d eaten Mexican food while being here, the food
tasted especially amazing.
We started
Saturday bright and early (thank goodness the hostel had a nice – and free –
breakfast). The school had planned a half-day trip to Wells Cathedral and
Glastonbury Abbey. Wells Cathedral was absolutely gorgeous; I can’t get enough
of visiting gorgeous cathedrals while I’m over here. The ruins of Glastonbury
Abbey were especially exciting for me. For those that enjoy a bit of Arthurian
legend (*cough* me), Glastonbury Abbey is one of the many places that claim to
have had the remains of King Arthur. As the sign on the ground states, “In the
year 1191 the bodies of King Arthur and his queen were said to have been found
on the south side of the Lady Chapel. On 19th April 1278 their
remains were removed in the presence of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor to a
black marble tomb on this site. This tomb survived until the dissolution of the
abbey in 1539.” So for all of you Merlin,
Sword in the Stone, or King Arthur fans, these would be an
exciting stop for you! Our tour guide was also decked out in a costume. So
there’s another plus. We stopped for lunch in the town of Glastonbury, which is
an interesting city to say the least. While looking for lunch, we passed no
less than five magic shops. And I’m not talking about magic wands, decks of
playing cards, and those stupid interlocking rings. There was a magic crystals shop,
a shop called Cat & Cauldron that smelled terribly of decomposing animal,
and Man, Myth & Magik which was sadly closed – it looked the most
interesting. We popped into Cat & Cauldron and quickly retreated. If you
enjoy all things Wiccan (oh dear I hope that’s the right term), you would
definitely enjoy poking around in these shops! If you’re like me…well… there are
some wonderful cafes that didn’t smell
like decomposing animal!
Upon returning
to Bath, we realized we were in desperate need of something sweet. While
walking back into the city center from where the coach dropped us off, we saw a
tearoom advertising what looked like the most delicious cupcakes we had ever
seen. For about the past three weeks now, my friend and I had been craving
cupcakes. The Hands Georgian Tearoom was an elegant tearoom where a pianist
serenaded us while we savored our cupcakes and cake. The rest of the day was
spent continuing to explore the city center….and shopping. I spent nearly £100
in just this one day!
On our way back
to the manor, we made our final stop at Stonehenge. As impressive as it is,
I’ll admit, it can get a little old after looking at it for 20 minutes.
Learning about the people who built it is interesting, however they are still
unsure of its purpose. Popular theory is that the stones involve some type of
ritual. Stonehenge is a great stop to make, but not really something that you
spend more than an hour at. That’s why the school trip was so great! I never
would have gone to Bath if it hadn’t been for this school trip and it is now
one of my favorite cities and a must see for those studying in the UK.
Happy travels,
Kristen Buhrmann
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