Our first over night outing as a group from the center was great! We saw some amazing things like Stonehenge, which actually isn't nearly as amazing as Avebury Henge which we also got to see, Tintern Abbey in Wales, the Cotswalds, Bath, and dear old Durdle Door. I just keep thinking how lucky I am and how blessed I am to be here. I am getting to see so many wonderful things and I am learning so much about life and the world and everything. It's great!
We stayed in Bristol and then took lovely little day trips. Okay - well that's a lie, they were long day trips, but definitely worth it! Our first day we headed to Stonehenge and got some fabulous pictures. It was really fun to go to Stonehenge - it is one of those things that you hear about in school or movies, but never really think about going to. It's a lot smaller than I imagined, but still great to see and think about!
Stonehenge!!
Me and Miss Esme!
Avebury Henge came next and it isn't as popular as Stonehenge, but definitely way better to go to! Our tour guide was hilarious and was one of the best tour guides I have ever had. She was great! She was so eccentric and easy to listen to - the tour was a blast. I don't want to bore you all with explaining what Avebury Henge is - so go ahead and look it up, it's pretty interesting :)
Avebury Manor! LOVE IT!
I was SO excited to go to Bath. It is always, always talked about in Jane Austin's books and I was excited to go and see it! It was definitely different from what I was expecting. I constantly have remind myself that I live in the 21st century, not in one of Jane Austin's novels and things don't look the same at all! I was imaging a quaint country city, which i'm sure it was at some point, but not anymore. It was still a really fun trip and i'm so glad we got to go! The Roman baths were incredible to see! It is so amazing that it was buried under the city of Bath for so long and even more amazing that so much was in tact when they discovered and excavated it!
We had a self-guided audio tour which was great and I learned a ton!
Roman Baths!!
Hot Mineral Water!
According to every Jane Austin character it has healing powers - so of course we had to try!
Wales was probably my favorite part of the entire trip! It was AMAZING! We had to the opportunity to go to Tintern Abbey and explore the ruins there on Thursday. I loved it! The main walls of the cathedral are still standing, but the rest is simply stone ruins. It was incredible to imagine such a large facility especially during the 12th century. Wales itself was absolutely beautiful! I could easily live in a Welch country town and be in complete bliss! We wandered through a little Cotswald town and had a blast exploring. They had a couple great bookstores and little shops. Also a delicious find were some macaroons for only 35p! One of my new goals is to figure out how to make macaroons - we'll see how that goes! We took a hike through the countryside and it was not only great to see the beautiful landscape, but also to get some well needed exercise!
We ended our adventure with Wells and Durdle Door on Friday. It was long day and I was definitely ready to come back to my bed at the center and be in London again. I am so glad we hit up Durdle Door Beach though! It was a less than welcoming hike up the hill, but the view was amazing and it was fun to be on the beach! Then it was finally back to London and a lazy Saturday!!
I am seeing Les Miserables tonight which I am beyond excited about! We had extra money so the entire group gets to go! I cannot wait - I love the movie and I have heard the play is amazing. Tomorrow I'm off to Down House ( Charles Darwin's home) and Hampton Court which is where Ann Boleyn lived, Cambridge on Wednesday, A Shakespeare play on Thursday, and a tour of the Globe on Friday! Jealous? I would be - but no worries, I'll provide plenty of pictures for your entertainment :)
I think I am as close to jealous as it gets. Love the photos and write-up, Jessica. What an amazing opportunity for you!
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