United Kingdom Trip Day 6: Stonehenge & Bath, England

Good morning. I've got my coffee and a belly full of eggs, meat, and cheese, so I'm ready to share Day 6 of my trip to the UK last year. When I decided to go to England, I had a list of must-see places that were non-negotiable, and Stonehenge & Bath were on that list. So, this is what we did on Day 6. We got up early after traveling back to England from Wales the day before, and headed to Victoria Station to catch our tour bus. After about three hours, we reached our first destination...

...Stonehenge. We only had an hour to visit the ancient site, so I made the most of it. 

It was a stunning day in the English countryside, and the closer I got to the stones, the more awestruck I became.

From every angle, Stonehenge looks different. 

It really was a feast for the eyes.

There were plenty of these informative signs at the site, and this one explains a bit about how the Sun played a big role in the arrangement of the stones.

See what I mean about it looking different from every angle?

Pictures do not do it justice.

The whole time we were on this trip, the three of us would go our separate ways whenever we went somewhere, which made sense and suited me just fine. That way, we could stop where we wanted, see what we wanted to see, and enjoy things in our own way. 

After about 45 minutes, I headed back to the gift shop, picked up a few gifts for people, and ordered an onion pasty at the restaurant. Keith and Audrey eventually joined me at a seat outside. After that, we headed back to the bus for our second destination....

...Bath. This quaint town is close to the Western edge of the country and not far from Cardiff, where we had just been the day before. The whole place is a World UNESCO Heritage site, so nothing can be changed...even the houses that people live in. After we arrived, our tour guide gave us a short tour along the side street to the left here, and told us to meet him at the Roman Baths around 2 pm - the whole reason I came here. 

Again, the three of us split up and went on our way.

This is one of many entrances to the baths.

Bath Abbey towers above the town and is flanked by a town square. Musicians played here throughout the day. I sat for awhile and watched a few while I ate two scoops of clotted cream ice cream - literally the best ice cream I've ever had.

More formally known as the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, this church served as a Benedictine monastery.

A close-up of the door to the abbey.

I haven't been able to find the significance of the year 1576, but in 1574, Queen Elizabeth I promoted the restoration of the Abbey, as it was a shell of what it once was at that time.

After this, I went to Bath City Parade Gardens and strolled around.

It is a beautiful and well-maintained park.

It borders the River Avon, and I got a glimpse of some houseboats.

I was anxious to get into the Roman Baths (what can I say, you all know I'm a Roman history buff), so I wandered around the city centre near the baths. There is still Roman architecture here, and I admired all of it.

This here is the Cross Bath and Cross Spring. Originally a Celtic shrine, it was repurposed by the Romans in AD 60.

Right behind it, at the end of Bath Street, is the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. It was built in 1174 beside the Cross Bath to utilize its healing waters.

Time has degraded these Roman statues.

Part of the Roman architecture that still surrounds the Baths complex.

Finally, we got inside the baths, and I basically made a beeline for the Great Bath.

Here's a view of it from up top.

A quote on one of the many stairwells that stood between me and the Great Bath.

Any crumbled architecture that could be salvaged was put on display.

I finally reached my destination. Much like I did at the Mithraeum in London, I stayed down here for a long time while I took it all in with misty eyes and a full heart.

This day, much like my time spent at the Cliffs of Moher, was one of the best days of my life. I texted my dad from right here to tell him so.

Just look at this. Not as grand as it was when it was constructed, it's still majestic after nearly 2000 years.

This is a "pipe" that led water into the Great Bath from its source.

Ancient Romans and local citizens walked on this stone long, long ago.

You could visit all the rooms that flanked the Great Bath, and other baths in the complex as well. A few of the rooms, like this one, had projected videos on the walls to show you how they were used. People would come here after a bath and get rubbed down by servants.

This was a hot room, or a sauna if you will.

This immersion pool was where bathers would take a cold plunge after their long, hot bath.

This is the East Bath and is closed off from the public, although this window allows you to see it. The East Bath was a tepid bath that was filled by runoff from the Great Bath.

After our time in the Roman Baths, Audrey and I met up again to search for a drink and appetizers.

We found the Coeur de Lion, the smallest pub in Bath.

Inside, they serve Abbey Ales, which are brewed right in the city. I picked this one.

It was a tasty medium-dark ale and went well with the appetizers, which were less than stellar.

This is literally the size of the pub.

Although they do have an upstairs area, which is where the bathroom is, of damn course, but we didn't check it out.

The street next to the Coeur de Lion is The Corridor, an indoor shopping arcade.

We finally had to make our way back to the bus, where we met up with Keith again.

The tour guide pointed out a bit of the gorgeous English countryside as we started on our way back to London, so I made sure to take a picture. Lovely!

We made it back to London after three hours, and after navigating public transport back to the Airbnb, we were exhausted. So, we went to bed shortly after returning so we would be well-rested for Day 7. Stay tuned for that!

I know this post has a ton of photos in it, but I guess you should expect that from me at this point. I had thought about splitting this up into two posts, but I figured I'd never get this series done if I did that. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you're enjoying the new look I've given the blog. It was overdue. 

Until next time.