Over the weekend we had our first day trip to Stonehenge and Bath. I was excited to go and see the enigma that is Stonehenge, but I had no idea what to expect in Bath.

The day was gloomy. More gloomy that usual. The sky was gray and there were no clouds in sight. It seemed as if the world was in black and white.

The bus was scheduled to leave at 8am and our flat is about a 45 minute tube ride to CAPA. So, we decided to leave around 7:00. Unbeknownst to us. a majority of the tube lines were under maintenance for the weekend. We hopped from train to train trying to get to CAPA by 8am. By the time we got there we were exhausted but at least we had a long ride to Stonehenge.

After an hour and forty five minute drive we arrived to Stonehenge. It was still cold, rainy and gloomy. Stonehenge was not exactly what I had imagined. I imagined it on the corner of a cliff, with a waterfall and a body of water underneath and tall grasses blowing in the wind. In reality, Stonehenge is right by a highway! I wasn’t disappointed but I was shocked. The rocks were taller than I imagined and there were more rocks than I had imagined as well.

After Stonehenge, we were off to Bath. I learned that Bath is were the Roman Baths are. Who would have thought?!  The bus ride was long but the view was amazing. I learned that most of England, most of the UK even, is rural. There were farms and open fields for as far as the eye could see. We even passed a military camp where soldiers are trained for border control.

Bath was beautiful. All of the buildings were made of the same honey colored stone. It felt as though I was in a town in fairytale story. I learned Bath was not only the home of the Roman Baths but also home to the youngest gothic cathedral in England. Bath was designed by a man named John Wood. He designed the middle of the city in the shape of a key as a symbol of the “key of knowledge”.

The weekend was full of learning new things about the history of the UK before the monarchy was even established. It was interesting to listen to the folktales and stories that still resonate in people’s lives today.