Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge

            On Sunday I went on a day trip to Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor.  I woke up at 6:30 and headed over to Kings Cross where I met up with the tour bus.  Only about 25 minutes after leaving central London we arrived in the town of Windsor.  Windsor is a small, very wealthy and beautiful town and is most famous for being the home of Windsor Castle.  Windsor Castle is an official residence for the Royal Family and the Queen usually stays there on the weekends.  It is the largest castle in the world and it is the oldest continuously inhabited castle.  Anyone who goes to England should try to make a trip out to Windsor castle as it in one of the most impressive places I have ever been.  It is truly absolutely gigantic and beautiful and one can spend the entire day inside the castle without seeing everything it has to offer.  After walking around the castle, we then proceeded on a walking tour of the town.

The Long Walk- Windsor Castle

The crooked house of Windsor. 

            The coach then proceeded to the city of Bath, which is about t two hours away from Windsor.  When we got to Bath I went on a tour of the ancient Roman Baths where rainwater moved through limestone aquifers at a depth of about 10,000 feet blow the surface of the earth where it is heated and sent back up the surface at a temperature between 150-200 degrees.  The audio guide at the Roman Baths was very informative and well put together.  After the tour I went to the impressive Bath Abby, which had some of the most magnificent stained glass windows I have ever seen and monuments all over the church.  The rest of my time at Bath was spent walking around the city, watching street performers and having lunch.  Bath was a very old, historic and beautiful city, which I hope to go back to at some point.

Inside the Roman Baths

Inside Bath Abbey.

Impressive.

            The third and final stop of our trip was to the mysterious Stonehenge.  Since a kid I remember reading about and seeing pictures of the famous site.  The actual site of the Stonehenge is pretty much in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing in sight except for huge green fields and sheep.  Although the rocks were not as large as I thought they would be and overall the site is pretty boring and underwhelming, I must admit it is fascinating and provokes many questions.  All that is known about the Stonehenge is that it was built around 5,000 years ago and the stones were taken from mountain bases in Wales.  However no one knows how the massive rocks were transported from Wales before machinery and transport systems and it is still unclear as to why the rocks were built.  Some say it has to do with astronomy, while others argue it is for a calendar or has religious significance.  The only fact about the site is that it will remain a mystery forever, as there is no way of proving how it was built or why it was built.  Stonehenge was a pretty cool place to see overall and I can now cross it off my bucket list.    

Rocks

I used iphone to try to make them interesting.

            Overall the day trip was a great break for all the work I have to do back here in London and it was cool to see so many famous sights in a matter of a few hours.  I had my marketing group presentation today and all I have left to do is my 8-page paper for my EU class before Spring Break on Thursday.  I will update my blog in about a week and a half after my adventures in Prague, Rome and Copenhagen.  Talk to everyone soon!

- Rees

This one if for you, Harry Potter nerds.