Today was an action packed day. We (Lauren, Sarah, and myself) went on a bus tour to Stonehenge and Bath. We got to learn about all the conspiracies behind Stonehenge and see a few celebrity homes in Bath! All-in-all, I'd say it was a successful day.
Here we have Stonehenge. It's thought to be over 5 THOUSAND years old, and is the most recent stone fixture to be in this spot. The theories for what Stonehenge's purpose is are as follows:
1. A calendar- The positioning of the stones would have told the time of year and, as they are situated on a hill, would have been visible to the entire area.
2. A temple- There is a large platform looking rock in the center of the surrounding rocks that looks like an alter, which is why the professionals think it was used as a temple to worship the sun god. It's located at the top of the highest point in the surrounding area, so it was closest to the sun. Seems plausible.
3. An alien landing platform- This is obviously the most scientific and realistic explanation for these gigantic slabs of rock.
My own personal option? I think the aliens put it here on earth to serve as a temple for the humanoids to worship their intellectually superior galactic creators AND is also a calendar to tell when they will return to earth to collect their mutant offspring. Totally logical.
Now the crazy part about these rocks (as if aliens aren't crazy enough) is that this type of rock (Blue Rock) isn't indigenous to this particular area of Britain. It would have to have been moved over 140 miles from Wales to its current location.
Some clever scientists tried to recreate the process of building Stonehenge with the materials that would have been available 5000 years ago. They built a boat over in Wales and when they loaded it up with some slabs of blue rock, the boat immediately sank to the bottom of the ocean. Now, please tell me how the heck these thousand pound hunks of rock could have been moved without the use of modern technology? Answer: superior alien technology, that's how!
Another view of Stonehenge. There are only so many pictures you can take of a rock formation.
(Editor's Note: the original plan for this post was to paint the different theories right onto the pictures to make them more exciting, but the author's computer hates her and decided to not allow her to be creative with the paintbrush. Damn you, Apple!)
Here we are!
An actual known function of Stonehenge was a burial ground. Scattered around the formation are these mounds that are burial sites for important people in the ancient community. This one in particular must hold a very important person given his proximity to the formation. Most of the other mounds are much further away.
Here we have the heel rock. It just marks the end of the Stonehenge Area.
After we spent an hour looking at these lovely rocks, we headed over to Bath. Let me tell you, Bath is BEAUTIFUL. It is by far my favorite place we have visited thus far. Its an old town and lots of famous people live/have lived here.
Jane Austen's flat!
Oh hey, even Nicholas Cage generates trash! (Besides 90% of his movies)
Sup, Johnny Depp?
(He lives on the top floor)
The Jane Austen Centre. Here's a little Jane Austen trivia for you: Ms. Austen hated living in Bath. While she was here her father died, her best friend was killed in an accident, and she was jilted at the altar. Poor, Jane. Now I know why none of her novels have anything good to say about Bath.
This one's for you, momma!
This is the Bath Museum (or maybe it was the thermal spas. I can't really remember). Either way, all of the buildings are that same honey-colored facade because the first prominent English man who moved to Bath bought the stone quarry and required everyone to buy his stone, thus all of the buildings look vaguely the same. I personally love it. It's got an old, quaint feel to it.
Now that is skill!
Trivia Time: in order to perform for money in the streets of Bath, each person must perform in front of a panel that grants a license to perform on the street. So all of the people who do their thing are legit. One woman we went by is a famous opera singer and performs all over the world in sold out concerts.
Here we have the Bath Abbey. They were preparing for a service when we went inside so we weren't allowed to take pictures. It was really pretty inside though and its know as the Abbey of lights because most of its walls are made of windows.
Another view of the Abbey.
Here is a view of the typical street. There are lots of shops and cafes. I could definitely see myself living here some day. Its just so beautiful and peaceful.
This is the obelisk dedicated to Queen Anne. Whenever a member of the Royal family visits Bath, they erect a obelisk in honor of them. Anne came to Bath in hopes that the waters would heal her inability to bear a son. The waters are known for their healing properties and its not just a farce. The water contains over 50 minerals that are proven to be beneficial to one's health. It tastes terrible because of all those minerals, but I guess if you come down with Leprosy, I'd be willing to put up with the bad taste.
Another street
A nice courtyard and some more buildings.
Alas, that ends our trip to Stonehenge and Bath. I am super glad we decided to do this trip (thanks, Sarah!). I learned so much and I will definitely be returning to Bath in the future. I highly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to visit. Just remember your foil hats incase the aliens decide to come back while you're there!
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