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Published: June 28th 2017
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Geo: 51.3814, -2.35745
Three locations, three people. Dan joined Nat and I today for a bus tour out of Victoria Coach Station. It was a relatively early start, getting up at 7 and getting on a coach at about 8.30. Dan met us at the coach station polishing off the remains of a Subway breakfast. It would be about our most expensive day to date, but it was the best way to get to three out of the way destinations, hassle free. Well, relatively hassle free anyway. Our tour company, Golden Tours was disorganised and a bit of a dssappointment. Seven years ago I did the same tour with the same company. Back then, it was cheaper and more efficient. It was hectic on arrival and people appeared almost randomly rushing for buses. There were people from other tours on our bus. Our tour guide was hard to understand with avoice as elegant as a rusty chainsaw, or nails on a blackboard. Her other talents included hissing, butchering the English language, boring people to sleep, monotone and making long speeches with a switched off microphone. Anyway, I digress, that aside, we still saw everything wed hoped and it was an enjoyable day
out.Our first stop off was Windsor Castle, dating back to William the Conqueror in 1066. It was packed, and of course we didnt have pre booked tickets so a hefty line awaited us. Once inside, it was to prove an impressive fortress. Highlights included Queen Marys dollhouse, and of course a walk through the Royal Staterooms. Windsor is of course one of the Queens official three residences, and she was here for our visit in a sectioned off area. This was to be Natalies favourite place of the day. Dan took a perculiar facination to the bathroom of Marys dollhouse.Our next stop was to be the city of Bath. The main drawing point here was the infamous Roman baths, from wence the city got its name. We arrived mid afternoon, a short walk past the Buldny Bridge and the Bath Cathedral to the Roman Baths. The bridge is the scene of Russell Crowes demise in the recent Les Miserables movie.The baths were impressive indeed dating back around 2000 years. The site was chosen for volcanic currents that give a natural heating to the pools here. The site was full of various archeological findings and historical relics. We had just enough
time to grab a sausage lunch on the way to the bus before heading to our next and final destination for the day.Stonehenge. A place of marvel and mystery, some 4500 years old. For all the study done on uncovering its purpose, we still know so little about it. Rain was falling lightly when we arrived late in the afteroon, around 4.30pm. We had about 45 minutes to wander around the monument and marvel at its essence. Who built it, how did they build it, why did they build it and how did they assemble the stones from miles away for its construction? It was likely a temple of sorts. What is certain is it was associated with the rays of the sun, stones placed in alignment with the light of the seasons. Its half past six now, Im on the bus back to London. Dan and Nat are battling to stay awake. Tomorrow morning we are bound for Newcastle on a megabus. Were looking forward to meeting Joe and Maureen and spending some time in Durham. We hope to see Scotland, and soon enough, we will be bound for Iceland and Norway. Today was cold, and its soon to
become much colder.
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At least you got to see Bath first and not after Stonehenge.