So excited to share that this weekend I went on a field trip with my USAC program to Bath and Stonehenge! On Saturday we went to Bath and it was simply breathtaking. While at Bath we visited the Roman Baths, and learned about how it’s Britain’s only hot spring water and I even drank from it! It was warm and didn’t taste very great but I believe it was part of the whole experience so that was cool. During our time at Bath we passed by Bath Abbey, which is the last medieval church of England. It has had worship in that same site for thousands of years but this Abbey church dates back to 1499, and it is very beautiful to say the least. Another of our destinations while at Bath was the Jane Austen Centre; which is were Jane Austen herself lived in. I learned that Jane was very much inspired by Bath and wrote about it in her novels. During our tour, we also got to learn more about Jane’s life and those around her. ย They informed us that after Jane’s fathers death, she among with her sister and mother had a lack of financial support and therefore had to constantly move around within Bath. They relied much on what her brothers gave them as allowance.
On Sunday we went to Salisbury before going to see the stones and we went to Salisbury Cathedral. The Cathedral was astonishing with the marvelous stained glass and architecture. I was shocked to learn that the Salisbury Cathedral was built in 1220 because it was in such a great condition to be more than 750 years old. There we also saw one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures let me just share what it felt like seeing it. I was amazed! The calligraphy was so beautiful and intricate, I cannot believe how much writing was done in it either. The Magna Carta dates back to AD1215, so to see it and be so close to it was surreal for me. After that we visited Stonehenge, I was fascinated to actually see with my own eyes and to be physically in front of the Stones. Although the weather was not favorable, very windy and rainy, I had a fun time taking pictures with my friends and just being in awe over the Stones. The highlight of my time in Stonehenge was when I tried to take a selfie with Stonehenge. It was incredibly windy and rainy so it was hard to see, and I was trying to take a picture in which it would look like I was holding Stonehenge. Anyways, it was a complete failure the first time but it was quite funny and memorable, but I did get it right at the second shot.
My weekend was truly incredible. At each place we went to, I felt like I had travelled in time and I was in a different Era of England altogether. I have come to love the fact that England cares a lot of it’s history and culture and makes a huge effort to preserve it’s history, I truly felt that at each place. It made this an unforgettable trip and I am so thankful that I was able to experience with my friends. Everything was a feast for the eyes and I loved every minute of it.
