Splish Splash I Was Takin' a Bath

Well, I wasn't taking a bath per se, but the Romans definitely were--a few hundred years ago. This past weekend, my good friend Chad and I visited Bath and Stonehenge in southern England for a two-day-getaway. All of our friends were off to either London or Scotland, so we thought a weekend trip away might be a good idea as well. And we were right! Not expecting too much from a city of which I knew very little, other than it was 'beautiful,' I was blown away by the surprisingly intricate Roman architecture in the Roman Baths and the mystifying placement of the rocks at Stonehenge. The city and sights were nothing less than amazing and were certainly a nice change of pace from the charming, yet predictable English towns adorned with cottages and repetitive tourist attractions.


Well, first of all, if traveling on a budget in Bath, I would highly recommend staying at the Y.M.C.A. Hostel. Rarely pulling out the high maintenance card, when it comes to hostels or hotels, I would much prefer a hotel where I know who is staying in my room over a hostel with twelve other strangers. But, for one night, our hostel was not bad at all. The rooms and facilities were very clean and the staff was extremely friendly. I felt very much at ease with the hostel situation and actually enjoyed my stay in Bath.


Once entering the Roman Baths, which was our first stop, we learned all about the intricate design and functionality the Romans used in planning the complex. Besides being breathtakingly beautiful, the baths blew me away with the draining system and flow of the natural spring through the artful construct. Without modern machinery, the waters are still flowing and draining as they were designed to do. Not all of the original building is in place, however, the parts and pieces that still remain are in working order and are mesmerizing to see.

To break up the history lessons, Chad and I went on a comedy walk around the city of Bath with a tour called 'Bizarre Bath.' The guide was hilarious and for an hour and a half, we didn't venture too far, so the walk wasn't strenuous. Bizarre Bath was a great way to end the evening and was a nice alternative to sitting in a comedy club or watching a film in a silent theatre.

On Sunday, we left with the Scarper Tours' recognizable purple bus to Stonehenge. After about an hour's drive out of the city of Bath, we pulled up to a circle of huge rocks. I expected Stonehenge to be in the middle of a field with nothing around it but acres of green grass. In actuality, the circle is very close to a motorway. To enter the sight, you have to walk from the opposite side of the road after buying a ticket to see it up close and being led through a tunnel to get literally meters away from Stonehenge--which is in a field on the sides not by the motorway and have sheep surrounding it as well. The sheep were a pleasant surprise and broke up the monotony of the huge rocks. The ticket and the bus ride were worth the time and effort to see what most people only get to view in text books. After learning about Stonehenge in my art history two years ago, I didn't imagine I would ever get to see it in person, but I did!

I feel so blessed to be in England and having the ability to see things I only thought I would only ever read about. Even more than that, I am experiencing these trips with fabulous friends and meeting really cool people who I may not have met otherwise.

Peace.