We checked the weather last night and again this morning. We even looked outside. Bright blue skies. A promised high of 72!
Liars. The lot of them. I don't know how the weathermen here live with themselves.
As I write this is we are driving back to London and I look very much the pathetic, wet, and miserable creature you would find described in famous literary works. My Toms are soaked through and through. My hair is plastered to my face and the sorry excuse for a cardigan I grabbed with me "just in case" is barely keeping me warm (let alone dry).
It's 2.5 hours to London. Perhaps I'll dry out by then. Methinks otherwise.
At 9am we departed from the Victoria Coach Station with Evan Evans Tours to visit Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, and The Roman Baths (City of Bath). Our tour guide was a man in his early 50's. Short, with a puff of hair and a mustache, dressed quite sharply in a plaid tweed jacket, suspenders, and bow tie :) he was adorable!
As we left the weather looked every bit as promised. However, by the time we arrived at Stonehenge the sky was dark and it began to rain. Anna and I were praying, not so much for good weather, but for breaks in the weather so that we could see the sights and take a few pictures. I must say, for the most part - the Lord graciously answered our prayers. Stonehenge was every bit magnificent as I remembered. We made the walk around the site taking pictures and admiring the structure. It is said to be over 5,000 years old. No one knows why it was built but considering it was erected before the iron age it is quite impressive! The stones were transported from over 230 miles away. We enjoyed ourselves despite the cold wind but thankfully no rain until we got back on the coach :)
Next stop was the charming and very smart (aka high end) town of Salisbury. Anna and I both fell in love with this beautiful city. Words cannot describe its many charms. You'll just have to come and visit! In the center stands the Salisbury Cathedral who's steeple rises and impressive 400+ feet! (it's taller than the London Eye). This gorgeous gothic cathedral is awe inspiring. It was also one of the few cathedrals to be built so quickly - an amazing 38 years! It is said that the restoration being done on the cathedral today is taking longer than it took to build it :)
Salisbury Cathedral houses two interesting things: first, it contains one of the four original copies of the magna carta. It was one of the first documents granting basic rights to men. The second item is the oldest working clock. It only tolls the hours though :) and is very basic but it works!
Another beautiful aspect of the cathedral is the new baptism fount. It was constructed a few years ago and uses the "infinity pool" concept. The water lays flat at the edges. The reflections of the high vaulted ceilings and stained glass widows is amazing. We got to enjoy some sunshine so Anna and I had a quick picnic lunch outside on a bench as well.
Our next stop was 1.25 hours away - the beautiful Gregorian city of Bath. Those of you who are Jane Austen fans will recognize this city from her books (such as my personal favorite - Persuasion). The city is entirely built from a beautiful beige sandstone giving it a warm and uniform feel. It's very quaint and fairytale like. It's one of my favorite places in England. The only hot spring in England is located in Bath. When the Romans conquered Britannia they built baths and a temple to Minerva over the hot spring. This later was replaced by a medieval town and then during the reign of George the 4th the city was entirely rebuilt. At this time the original Roman Baths were discovered. The rich from all over England (and other countries) would come to Bath to "take the waters". It is believed that the mineral waters had healing qualities. There was also a social season of balls and parties for 2-3 months out of the year that was second only to the season in London. Jane Austen lived in bath for 5 years before her fathers death. The house in which she lived now houses a dentistry.
Anna and I toured the baths, speed touring as we call it. We only had 2 hours in the city and had so much more we wanted to see. Those of you who've seen any period drama movies set in Bath will recall two features: there is a block of houses known as the circus which is built in a perfect circle. There is also a larger half circle, the most prominent feature of Bath aside from the Roman Baths (in the BBC adaptation of Persuasion Anne and Captain Wentworth are reubites in front of it). Being the Austen fans that we are we wanted to see both so armed with a map we made our way. It started to rain steadily now and we had no umbrella or jackets. Supposedly it was only a 15 min walk away. Well, we got lost, and soaked, but with some friendly local help we found both places eventually. By the time we made it back to the Roman Baths, we were a pretty pathetic sight. But that didn't stop us :) we took some more pictures of the town and grabbed some tea and coffee to go. Technically we were not supposed to bring any hot drinks on the bus but the driver gave us one look and had pity on us :) this is the same driver that offered Anna an umbrella on our way out and she declined! Nice chap!
So here we are, as I've mentioned, driving back to London. It's pouring outside. Most of my fellow travelers are out cold (including Anna - iPod and all).
We'll need to pack tonight and tomorrow we'll be in warm, sunny Paris! Hopefully, we can finally rid ourselves of this chill that's settled into our weary bones!
So beautiful, kak v skazke.
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