A Weekend in Western England

For our first weekend field trip, we headed West to Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Bath. An absolutely incredible trip, with museums, cathedrals, and karaoke! Our first stop was Stonehenge, which was impressive, but not as big as I thought it would be. Really out in the middle of nowhere though, with sheep grazing in the pasture next to it.









Then we went to Salisbury for lunch and a tour of the Salisbury Cathedral. I love Early English Gothic architecture, so this was wonderful for me. This cathedral is extremely old, and had a much more religious and peaceful atmosphere than Westminster Abbey. I even got to stop and say a quick prayer at the Altar of St. Lawrence!













Then we headed to the YMCA in Bath. After grabbing some dinner at the Pig & Fiddle, we wandered around for a bit, and then spent the rest of the night doing karaoke at one of the oldest pubs in Bath, The Saracen's Head. The next morning, we got a walking tour of Bath, which is a truly beautiful city. We had the afternoon free, so the girls and I did the Roman Baths, and the Costume museum. The Jane Austen festival was also going on, so we saw several groups of people in 19th century dress.





Next adventure out of London will be my vacation in Scotland!

Westminster Abbey

The adventures continue here in London! I'm becoming a little bolder, and trying to experience some of the nightlife, but so far that's just gotten me too close to murder scenes, fights, and drunks on the night bus. But our field trips are amazing. This past Monday we headed to Westminster Abbey, which was incredible to see. I love the architecture, which is Early English Gothic. Besides seeing the more famous spots, like Poet's Corner and the Coronation Chair, I also got to stand in the Monk's Garden (of Da Vinci Code fame). Amusingly, at that point of the tour, two older women began to tag along with us so they could get into the restricted areas. Awkward as it was, no one had the heart to say anything to them.

Great to look at, but there was something lacking in the religious atmosphere. Hopefully I'll get to go to a service later in the semester, when there won't be any tourists.

In other news, I have also been to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Bu

ckingham Palace. I took the Royal Day Out tour, which allowed me to visit the Queen's Gallery, the Royal Mews (they don't let you pet the horses), and the State Rooms of the Palace. There is nothing in the US that compares with this experience. The audio tour gave interesting information about the history of the building, and the State Rooms were very lavishly decorated, exactly the way a Palace should look! The art gallery was smaller than I expected, but there was still an impressive collection of Italian pieces on display. Can't wait to marry the Prince and move in!

Going up in the London Eye

The London Eye is an enormous ferris wheel located on the South Bank of the Thames. Although it looks quite out of place next to the historic buildings and Big Ben, it is very popular with both Londoners and tourists. It is also the best way to see all of London, very quickly.

So, we were feeling adventurous one afternoon. And up we went! The views really were incredible, so it was well worth the money. You can actually see beyond London, although it is difficult to make anything out in the smog...

Fortunately, the Halls of Parliament and Big Ben were just across the river, so I was able to get some great shots.

I've never blogged before, but here goes...

I've been in London for two weeks now, and it's proving to be an interesting experience in so many ways. I've seen Big Ben, been up in the London Eye, and gone to the Globe Theatre. My host family is taking good care of me, and the food is much better than I thought it would be. (Actually, all I can afford are sandwiches, but they're good!)

Aside from the tourist activities, I'm keeping busy with classes. More about those later, but for now, more exploring!