We slept really well especially since we both took sleeping pills at 12:30am. Today’s adventure is a trip to the English countryside including Bath and Stonehenge. We must take the underground to Waterloo Station, the largest railway station in Europe. We are traveling with The English Tour Bus Company and are in the competent hands of Colin Welsh. We are in a Mercedes Sprinter van seating 14 people. Most people are from the US but there are also people from Canada and Australia. It is a beautiful day and no rain is predicted.
Colin tells us about Waterloo Station. Apparently the Eurostar train from France to London used to come into Waterloo Station. The French authorities thought that was not much of a welcome to the French since it brought back bad memories of the battle of Waterloo and how Napoleon lost to the English. So the Eurostar station was moved to St. Pancreas and all was forgiven.
Colin also told us about London’s mayor, Boris Johnson. Colin said that he was educated at Oxford but sometimes acts like too much of an everyman guy. But he said that at the London Olympics in 2012, Mr. Johnson, a slightly rotund man, ran a zip line and got stuck in the middle. He was dangling for a while and the harness cut an unflattering silhouette on London and international TV. Poor man…
We drive through London as Colin tells us about the different neighborhoods. We get a little primer on rugby and the local ale company. He tells us about a high-end neighborhood where people cannot add height to buildings so they are digging lower and lower below the buildings for new apartments. Sometimes they excavate so much below the ground’s surface that they cannot get the excavating machinery out and must cement over them.
The first interesting country-side place we pass is the village of Windsor. I realize this is the picturesque area I saw from the plane as we headed into Heathrow Airport. And of course it is the countryside home of the queen. Colin tells us that the queen acts somewhat like she is a regular resident of Windsor. She is the only English resident who is not required to have a driver’s license. Apparently she drives frequently and has been known to go rogue (off road) if she is annoyed with other vehicles or pedestrians (including nearly hitting a family taking a walk along the road).
We take a beautiful drive through the Southern Cotswold English countryside. The countryside is a patchwork of pastures with hedgerows defining each family’s land. Colin tells us we must report if we see cows standing or lying down. Lying down means there is rain to come but standing means clear weather. We see both so we must be ready for anything! We see quintessential cottages with thatched roofs. There are “dry stone walls” that were made by fitting the stones so closely and perfectly that no cement is required. Although Colin points out that sometimes the top row is cemented to prevent theft of the stones.
As we look out to the hills we see distinct mounds that look like hills on the hills. Those mounds are barrows or burial mounds and date originally to the Neolithic and Bronze ages and as late as the 6th and 7th centuries. There is so much to learn about prehistoric history here in England. That could be a complete trip to England!
The tour company has intrigued us–they say they will be taking us to a “secret place.” That place turns out to be Lacock Village. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance. The buildings date back to the 14th through the 18th centuries. The pub was dated 1346. The village is used for movies because of its unspoiled appearance. One house and the church’s cemetery was used for a Harry Potter movie! Colin asked if there were any Harry Potter fans and we eagerly raised our hands. Some smart-ass woman wondered aloud how we would not be embarrassed to say so. Cheeky bitch! (That’s London talk!)
Next stop: the village of Bath, a village that Rick Steves says “is a joy to visit.” Bath is a World Heritage Site known for its hot springs, Roman period baths, Medieval heritage and stately Georgian architecture. Bath has more protected historic buildings per capita than any other town in England. The city became a spa with the Latin name Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”) about AD 60.
Colin gives us an overview and we set off to have lunch and, if time permits, a little exploring on our own. We decide lunch is a priority and stop in to the Roman Bath’s Kitchen. We have a very nice meal of steamed mussels (Christine) and baked cod with chorizo (Howard).
In addition to the ancient baths there is the picturesque Pulteney Bridge crossing the River Avon. It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides. The structure is based on the Ponte Vecchio (Florence) and the Ponte di Rialto (Venice) and was completed in 1774. There is a very picturesque wear on the river right at the Pulteney Bridge.
Stonehenge was our next stop. Amazingly the renown Stonehenge is just one of MANY henges (an area with a ring bank with a ditch inside) in England. In fact, there is a newly discovered henge near Stonehenge: (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/07/stonehenge-archaeology-ritual-arena-neolithic-monument). But Stonehenge is the only henge with cut and placed stones and lintels. We were overwhelmed by the structures and very happy to have seen them.
So back to our sweet apartment. We arrived after 9pm. It was a long, wonderful day. We thought the tour was very well worth it!!