Windsor Castle, Bath, Stonehenge!

Last night after getting home from our long day out, I was craving some chocolate! Thank goodness for cake slices!!!

Girls Best Friend

So today was pretty much awesome! A big difference from the last few days, it was actually sunny out. That could have something to do with the fact that we weren't in London. Where were we if we weren't in London do you ask? Well we went and did a day trip/tour from London to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge.

My day started at 6:50am, which I find it weird to wake up pretty much when people back home aren't even asleep yet. Anyways...I got all ready for the day and head off to the tube station. I had to go to the Victoria Coach Station, which was only a little tube ride away. It really amuses me the people that are on the tube that early in the morning...they pretty much have been the ones out all night stumbling down the escalators. Rather amusing I must say. I got to the Victoria stop, and had to get my coffee because it was wayy to early to just deal with my instant coffee. Naturally I searched for a Starbucks, but there was none to be found. I had to have Costa coffee, which wasn't bad but it wasn't Starbucks. I asked the man behind the desk how to find the Victoria Coach Station, he told me how to get there and that it would only be about a 1-2 minute walk. He was wrong...it was more like a 7 minute walk. I was so worried I had missed it...but thank god there where signs.

I finally got there, and it was a huge cluster of tourists trying to be the first in line to hurry up and get on the bus, as if it would leave as soon as they got on there. We followed the group of people in front of us and the first two busses filled up. They told us to wait again. We followed more people but that bus was full. We ended up being the last three on the bus, but we still got to sit next to each other! How lucky.

We were on our way! Our tour guide (Lesley) was great! She was so sweet and funny. Would totally have her again. We arrived at our first destination: Windsor Castle. It was very cool but I wish we had just a little bit more time. We had 2 hours, and we thought oh hey thats a lot of time! No. We waited in "cue" (line) for about an hour. By the time we finally got through everything we practically had to run through the state rooms and back to the bus. We got to see the royal quarters, and the queen was actually there! Know how I know? No...she didn't invite me in for tea (although that would be a sweet story). The flag on top of the building tells you. If it is the Union Jack (typical British flag) then she isn't there, and if she is it is a yellow flag (in the pictures). We got to tour through the state rooms, but like I said we had to go through fast. Very cool though. We weren't allowed to take any pictures but I snapped a pretty cool quick one.

Picture inside of Windsor Castle (wasn't supposed to do this)

Royal Residence *where the queen stays*

Yellow Flag!

Yellow Flag!

Next we went to Bath. On our way there we saw a lot of country side, it was just as beautiful as I had hoped!! Bath is a little town outside of London, it is famous for the Roman baths. There is a hot spring that they used for many different things. Of course to take baths and keep warm, but they used it as a heating system for their buildings. Very cool. It is a very cool town on top of that. Nicholas Cage lives there!!!  I would totally go back there to spend a whole day. Or weekend. It was all made of stone, the buildings had such a history behind them, let alone the whole town. There were street performers, and we ate at a cheap little sausage stand. It was sooo good.

Fairy Tale houses actually do exist

Coming down into Bath

Nicholas Cage's house is in this bldg.

That door is his house!

That's talent

Street Performers *SO AMAZING!!*

Me infront of hot spring

Roman Baths (all filled by a hot spring)

With the "Romans"

Making a wish!

Bridge

View as we're leaving

Thatch roof houses

Last on the list was Stonehenge. I'm sure everyone knows what that is. All of the theories of how it got there and why...it was rather interesting to hear all of the theories. One was that giants made it, the other that aliens brought them in. So weird. It actually has a lot to do with the summer solstice. It can also serve as a calendar. Really cool. Too bad we didn't go in a few days for sun rise on the solstice. She said that thousands of people come to see it. It is just very very cool. Of course us being the twenty year olds we are, had to take all of those stupid pictures of us holding it up, leaning against it, etc, etc. It was so much fun though I must admit! At all of these places we got these tour guides head sets, so useful! You got to learn a lot of each place. I only got the head set for the Stonehenge and Katherine got them for all three and just filled us in. But...she did have an advantage being an art history major...like having our own personal tour guide!!!

Those mounds in the distance have people buried there

Then it was time for our hike home, about a 2 hour bus ride home from there. I would say we had a successful day of course. Tomorrow is work and hopefully Dirty Dancing...take two. Haha.

Roman Baths

XOXO