Yesterday was an absolute joy. Although we had to get up bright and early in the morning (thank goodness we had sunlight almost all day long!) to meet the bus at 8:00 sharp (the driver and tour guide
did not wait for latecomers), the early morning was well worth it. We started out going to Stonehenge, which has been a longtime dream of mine. I can't remember when I first learned about Stonehenge, because I feel like I've known about it forever, and I was extremely excited to be able to go see it with my own eyes, especially after having seen the Georgia Guidestones for the first time this summer. Sadly, the monument was cordoned off, and we couldn't get any closer than maybe 15 yards away from it. I completely understand the rationale behind it, but it was more than a bit disappointing to me. After all,
I would have treated the monument reverently and not just screwed around with it like some people might have. Not being able to touch the stones was pretty much my only disappointment of the day, though.
As soon as I can "steal" the pictures of I took off other peoples' cameras, I'll post some of them. I feel like I got some really good shots of the henge.
"Henge" by the way, is an ancient word that roughly translates to "temple," so the name "Stonehenge" is just a fancy way of saying "stone temple." Henges could be made of any material, though, and throughout history there have been smaller stone henges, wooden henges, and earthen henges. I suppose you could say that modern-day churches and worship centers are typically "concrete-henges," but that'd be getting a bit silly, wouldn't it? ^_^
After we spent our hour or so at Stonehenge (I would've liked to have stayed a little longer, but it was windy and cool that morning, so it was nice to be able to get back on the bus), we loaded back up and traveled to Bath.
Bath is a very old city that has been famous for thousands of years for the warm water that seeps out of the ground there. In ancient times it was believed to have healing properties. When the Romans invaded England in the early years AD, they built an elaborate system of baths there (hence the name of the city!), and Bath became a popular resort town amongst battle-weary soldiers on the northern frontier and the elite. When the Romans essentially abandoned England Bath fell into disrepair, as the Angles and Saxons who replaced them weren't terribly keen on bathing (apparently a common idea at the time was that bathing in warm water opened up the pores, and having open pores made one more susceptible to infection. Ironically, Anglo-Saxons considered bathing to be
unsanitary!). In the 18th century, Beau Nash revived Bath as a resort and spa town, and helped to bring in a whole new clientele of aristocratic and moneyed individuals to the area (The 1700's saw the beginning of a powerful mercantile tradition in England, resulting in the creation of a fledgling bourgeios middle class that had money, but no aristocratic background). Now Bath is considered a World Heritage Site, and the Roman baths and the restored Nash-era city are protected sites.
After the tours, we were free to explore the city 'til 3:30, and a group of friends and I ate lunch at the Parrot and Rat Bar. I was terribly amused and commented on how it sounded like a pirate bar...then Wes pointed out a sign above one of the windows that said "Pirate Bar." Needless to say, that took the wind out of my sails. *rimshot*
The food was good, though, and relatively cheap if you knew what to get. The tavern offered a 2-meals-for-£7.50 deal, so Elise (a new friend from Marymount. She was standing next to Chelsea when we were taking pictures at Stonehenge, and I accidentally bopped her nose when I turned around once. That's how we met) and I split split that deal and both tried the fish and chips. The fish was pretty tasty, and the chips were curly fries! They tasted pretty good in the tartar (tartare?) sauce that came with it for the fish. I don't think I even
used the ketchup on the table. I did play with the mustard a little, though (I know, I know...).
On the way back to the meeting point after lunch, we passed a street vendor in one of the squares selling handmade "roses" 10 for £1, so I bought some for Chelsea, since she'd given me some of her brownie for dessert. On the way back "home," I think
everyone on the coach fell asleep.
After meeting this morning, I had an interesting conversation with a man named David. Hammersmith very kindly offers tea and coffee for refreshments after meeting, and I'm fairly sure they're complimentary, although they operate under one of those "donations appreciated and strongly encouraged" systems, kind of like coffee at FBC on Sundays. While I was drinking my cup of tea (complete with saucer!), David and I started talking about all sorts of things. He began by asking me some questions about my impressions of the difference between US and UK portrayals of the US, and from there we talked a bit about politics, spirituality, faith and practice, and the impact that sick family members have had in our lives. He seemed particularly interested in my ideas about things, which I guess was because I'm nearly the only person about my age at the meeting. There are "young" families at the meeting, but the parents are all older than me, and the children all younger (I'm not extremely good at guessing ages, but the oldest youngster at Hammersmith looks to be about 14). Apparently when I was sick last week, a young woman who'd just begun university visited the meeting, but I don't think she was here this week.
The folk at Hammersmith have been nothing but kind to me, though, and I've had some very interesting talks with some members over tea in the past few weeks. I'm glad I found this community to be a part of, even though it's just for a short time.
I've been thinking about lots of things recently, and I've tentatively started writing again. It's amazing how much inspiration for fiction lies in the real world.
Thanks all for now. I have to spend some time reading for class. Tomorrow is my interview. Wish me luck!
PLUR!
So those are a few shots of Budapest, both of them taken in the late morning/early afternoon. ( :
