Bath Time

 So as a part of the FIE program, my group was able to go on a guided trip to Stonehenge and the town of Bath. We started out the day quite early, a little before 8:00 am for a bus ride about 90 miles outside the city to head to Stonehenge first.  Stonehenge is listed at one of the 7 Wonders of the United Kingdom as well as one of the 7 Wonders of the Medieval World.   For the summer solstice sunrise, it is a main attraction because there is a stone that lies outside the stonehenge circle that lines up with the the appearance of the sun.

Prior to our visit, a lot of us believed the stones of Stonehenge were place by some extraterrestrial force which, is what created such mystery.  However, our lovely and delightfully witty tour guide, informed us that there were tribes that lived in this area that some how placed them.  The mystery of the complete story is still in the midst because there are still so many piece pieces to the puzzle.  The stones are quite deep in the ground and weigh several tons each.  They were thought to have been taken oven on a boat but the weight would logically just be too heavy for the boats they had at that time.  It is estimated that the Stonehenge structure is about 3500 years old and it was used as a ritual piece.  The remaining structure is only a fracture of the original circle formation.  Research teams have been continuously finding artifacts that have led to new discoveries so it seems the story is always shifting a little.  There is still many legends about Stonehenge which makes this such a tourist attraction still.

After Stonehenge, we also visited Bath to see the Roman baths as well at the delightful surrounding town.  The architecture of the Bath house was very beautiful but the water had a certain green glow.... 

After walking around the Roman Baths and stopping at the gift shop, ( I was trying to decide if I should have "Bath" themed bathroom :D ), we ventured off on the cobble stones of Bath.  There were a lot of traditional retailers but a good variety of the little shops that you just cannot find anywhere.  We stopped in a hat and fascinator shop, (fascinators are more or less smaller clipped in versions of the hats), which carried some of the amazing hair accessories that women in the UK traditionally wear to special occasions such as weddings.  The fascinator fashions and hats were the talk of the town, (who am I kidding, the world!), from royal wedding.  We may even have to consider having some for the next D&M kiosk :).  

Those who know me, know I like to find the diamond in the ruff; the hunt is half the treasure!  So I love any kind of markets or rummage sales, charity and consignment shops.  Just off one of the main roads in Bath we spotted just a small market called 'The Walcot Street Saturday Market.'  They had a lot of antique serving sets as well as jewelry so I picked up a couple of gifts.  Overall, a great day and perfect view of the country side on the ride home!