Day 3

Today was another spectacular day. The weather was perfect (once again). It's forecasted to rain tomorrow, but we will be on a train to Paris, so that is no problem.

 

Stonehenge:

My day started with a trip to Stonehenge. We had the rare experience of visiting it the day before the Summer Solstice. For those of you who don't know the history of Stonehenge, there are many theories about how and why it was built. But, one thing is certain: it serves as a perfect calendar clock, because every year on the Solstice, the first ray of morning sun lights a trail that leads directly through the same two standing stones of Stonehenge. So, each year, all sorts of crazy modern day Druids and hippies come out to dance naked in the moonlight and wait for the sun to rise (or so I'm told). No one was naked yet, but there were plenty of crazy people running around. The army was even there putting up a statue of a man on his knees worshipping the coming of the sun (pictured below).

 

(In the last picture with me at Stonehenge, I'm standing in the path the sunlight will travel tomorrow morning.)

Bath:

Next, we traveled to Bath. It was spectacular! Driving up, all you could see was the hills dotted with golden-colored houses and buildings, so the landscape almost seemed to glow. All the homes and buildings must use the local stone for their exteriors, so it really is beautiful. Bath is now the shopping hotspot for the southwest, but it was once celebrated for it's healing capabilities. It contains the only hot springs in England. It smells bad, due to the sulfur content, but it was really interesting to learn about the history of the springs/baths and all the people that were "healed" by bathing in or drinking from the water. They offer you a drink from a fountain when you leave, so I tried it. It's warm and doesn't taste great. But, if it really is medicinal, it's worth the aftertaste. Either way, I was promised it can't hurt.

 

There is still SO much I want to see and do in London, but my time has just about run out. I guess I'll have to try to come back one day. I had a wonderful start to my trip, here. Paris, here I come!