It’s
finally here! We’ve been waiting for the day we would visit the ancient and
historical sites of Stonehenge and Bath. As the first optional excursion of the
entire 26-day trip, we were thrilled to get on our way. It started with an
early morning, waking up at 7 am to reach breakfast at 8 am, at the moment the
university cafeteria opened. We rushed through our breakfast, electrified with
excitement and ran to the bus for 8:30 am. This is when our journey began. The
bus ride to Stonehenge was 2 and a half hours, concluding in the prehistoric
site’s location west of London. On the way, dense city living melted away to
rolling hills and green pastures filled with various farm life.
Once we finally arrived, it was
amazing to see all of the people lined up to go see Europe’s most famous
prehistoric site. The crowds were buzzing with conversation and “wows” as they
were looking at the phenomenon that is Stonehenge. Stonehenge is famous for its
alignment and shows the strength of the builders of the time period. Also
displayed in the site was the builder’s highly educated understanding of the
astronomy behind the Sun and the change of seasons. It was built in 3000 BC on
the Salisbury Plain, evolving to the form it is known by today by the year 1600
BC. The real mystery lies behind its purpose, which is still unknown to us
today.
First impressions of Stonehenge left
us in awe due to the sheer size of the grey stones and their bizarre formation.
It was intriguing to observe, and we could distinguish the three inner circles
of stones known as (from outermost to innermost): the circle of sarsen stones
with lintels, the circle of bluestones, and the horseshoe of sarsen trilithons.
Also shrouded in mystery were the outlying stones of Heel Stone, Slaughter
Stone, and Station Stone. Despite learning this information, the actual purpose
of the site lies in mystery.
Once again hopping on the bus, we
continued our journey further north to Bath. The route was near mountainous and
lush. The beige stone complimented the lush scenery Rowhouses lined the
cobblestone streets that surrounded another ancient site. Arriving at the city
of Bath was invigorating with the streets filled with lively tourists excited
to see another ancient site.
The Roman baths were filled ancient
water that has not been treated for centuries which is apparent in its greenish
hue. The baths were well preserved and built upon to allow tourists to view the
excavated sites. Along with the baths, there were many artifacts uncovered by
the excavations that were later placed in a museum that surrounds the baths,
giving insight into the daily lives of ancient Bath and its Roman occupants.
After completing the informative tour of museum, we were given the opportunity
to taste the filtered bath water, which tasted remarkably of blood. Hopefully
this water will heal us of our ailments and give us longevity in life, which is
what the Romans believed.
After completing our tour of Bath,
we grabbed a bite to eat amongst the street performers and touristic crowds in
central Bath. Even though it was a long bus ride home, it was worth it because
of the amazing sites we experienced that day.
- Nini and Evan
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