Avebury, Glastonbury,
Wells, Bath, and Stonehenge
This
past weekend (mostly) everybody at the Ithaca College London Centre got the
wonderful opportunity to explore the English West Country. We began our trip
bright and early in the morning, all stuffed into a single coach bus and
started on our way. Nearly everybody fell asleep immediately upon arriving on
the bus because they just couldn’t seem to keep their eyes open. I, on the
other hand, couldn’t even think about closing my eyes because I was so excited
about taking in the brilliance of the English countryside. While everybody else
caught some ZZZs, my eyes were glued to the window watching all the illustrious
rolling hills zoom past. I couldn’t help but feel like a character from a Jane
Austen or Bronte sister novel, traveling far and wide to go see some distant
relative or go to some illustrious Victorian ball. I highly recommend listening
to some British music, while riding along, (i.e. Bowie, Adele, or the Beatles),
to further heighten the experience. If you’re too tired to stay awake,
certainly fall asleep on the bus so you are well rested for all the stops along
the tour. Just be forewarned that you’re missing out on some of the most
picturesque English landscapes that simply shouldn’t be missed.
Avebury
Our
first stop was at the Avebury henge; Stonehenge’s lesser-known little sibling,
if you will. What Avebury lacks in grandeur in comparison to its world renowned
older sibling, it certainly makes up for it in charm, (and sheep!). The massive
rocks are actually quite far apart and make for a very nice walk through some
farmland. It surprised me to see an entire herd of sheep lazily grazing through
the grass right by the Avebury henge. They seemed much less impressed with the
boulders than we all did, but they were quite welcoming, with some being
friendly enough to allow us to pet them. The best part of the experience is
that you can actually walk right up to the colossal stones and touch them.
Getting up close and personal allows you to see just how impressive the stones
are, and just how impressive it is that our Neolithic ancestors were able to
move them. Standing near them certainly
made me feel small, but it made my mind wander to enormous possibilities about
what they might represent and why they were left there.
Glastonbury
We
all hopped back on the bus and headed off to our next destination. Only a short
hour later we arrived in Glastonbury, a quirky town that reminded me a bit of
Ithaca. A lot of the locals wore dreads in their hair and hippie-sandals on
their feet so I couldn’t help but feel like I was taking a stroll down The
Commons. We all got a tour of the ancient, and now ruinous, Glastonbury Abbey
which was nothing short of magnificent. The fact that the Abbey was in ruins
almost made it more meaningful and impressive, because it’s not every day that
you see such a prolific monument in such a crippling state. Our tour guide was
named Luke, and he looked as if he had been plucked right out of the Middle
Ages with his long beard and ancient English garb. He even told us many people
believe Glastonbury to be the final resting place for the famous King Arthur,
(you know, the guy who invented the round table), and his wife Guinevere, but
it was up to us to decide whether we believe in that myth. After the Abbey,
many of us climbed up to the Glastonbury Tor which is 512 feet in height and
offers a breath-taking view of the entire town and the surrounding fields. I
couldn’t help but feel small standing on top of the Tor, as if I were a small
ant on top of a big hill. If ever given the opportunity I highly recommend the
short hike up to the peak, because it is something I don’t intend on ever
forgetting. It started to heavily rain on all of us as we walked back down the
Tor, and even that couldn’t tamper with the beauty of the scenery.
Wells
After a lovely
afternoon in Glastonbury everybody packed back into the bus and we rode off to
Wells. Our main point of attraction in Wells was the Wells Cathedral, or the
Cathedral Church of St. Andrew. After seeing the battered remnants of the
Glastonbury Abbey, the Wells Cathedral seemed like a stunning example of
preservation and history. The architecture was quite impressive, with flying
buttresses and ornate stained-glass windows everywhere you looked. The
Cathedral even houses the second oldest working clock in the world, which still
chimes on the hour. Again, I found myself feeling quite small in comparison to
the splendour of the Cathedral, with its high vaulted ceilings and large
sacrificial altars. But my appreciation for religion, and the amazing
architecture it brought into the world, grew tenfold.
Bath
Once we go to our destination we
immediately checked into the YMCA, (it really is fun to stay at), and settled
in for the night. We were all free to explore the nightlife of Bath, and a lot
of us had a really fun time at Belushi’s Pub. It was a Friday night, so the
place was quite crowded, and we were able to chat with people from all over the
UK. Beer was drank, pool games were played, and everybody headed to bed in a
great mood, eager for the day ahead of us.
At
what seemed like the crack of dawn the next morning, we were all awake and
ready for our tour of the Roman Baths. The museum at Bath is quite extensive,
with a great audio-guide companion that tells you all about the ancient city’s
history. I learned that Bath is such a beautiful blend of ancient Roman and
Celtic culture. What impressed me the most was Roman engineering, and the way
they manipulated the space around the hot spring to use to their advantage. I
drank some of the natural water from the spring, which tasted of minerals and a
bit like blood. I wouldn’t let this discourage you from giving it a taste
yourself, and besides, it is thought to have healing powers, which we rightly
needed after the night at the pub before. It was amazing to realize that I had
migrated to a place that millions had migrated to before me simply because
there was a hot spring in the ground. It helped me grasp just how extensive the
history is here in England, and just how small I am in comparison to it.
Stonehenge
After
our comprehensive history lesson, we headed to our final destination:
Stonehenge. We actually parked our bus some distance away from the rocks and
walked ourselves all the way to the site of the henge. It was very exciting to
see them suddenly appear so small on the horizon and watch them grow larger and
larger as we approached them. Walking to Stonehenge helped me realize how far
the people, (or aliens), had to walk in order to set up the monument. Once we
finally reached the boulders it felt amazing standing only a few feet away from
one of the most recognizable sites in the world. Something I had seen in
pictures countless times before was now suddenly right in front of my eyes.
Standing in the wake of Stonehenge, I found myself feeling small again. These
massive stones all hold some sort of massive meaning behind them, and I
couldn’t wrap my brain around what they stood for and how they’ve stood for it
for so long.
London
We all got on the bus one last time
and headed back to the London Centre. The whole trip had exhausted us of our
energy and we were happy to be back in familiar territory. From Abbeys and
Cathedrals to ancient rocks and hot springs it was a trip that I wouldn’t trade
for anything in the world. The weekend seemed to remind me just how small I am,
but I can’t help but feel like I’m actually much bigger after experiencing it
all.
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