|
Around the Neighborhood
We are moving across town today but I went for a walk around the Bear Flat area one more time. I ran into a couple who live here. The woman asked if I have been up to Alexandra Park and I replied I hadn't. You have to go she said best views of the city. So up Shakespeare Rd I tread toward the best views of Bath. Boy was she right! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...139e7211a.jpeg At first I thought, this is the cleanest radiator shop I have ever seen. Different kind of radiator. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa85220a8.jpeg Pass the Italian deli where we bought cheese and salami and it lasted for two great picnics https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ee3d59169.jpeg Past the Church just up the corner from the main drag https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...10f7120b4.jpeg Beautiful Terrace houses that go all the way up the hill https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...07321063b.jpeg It's June and everything is blooming https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...21f27e1bf.jpeg Entry to the Park. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e562db410.jpeg Here are the money shots! Bath Abbey is right in the middle of the picture https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...255f06005.jpeg Another shot with the bus station in the foreground |
Those look like normal radiators to me. What is a radiator to you?
|
Day One Rick Steves Tour - Roman baths in Bath...or Bath's baths.
Today we started our Rick Steves tour. Some of you who followed our Croatia / Slovenia tour know that we haven't generally done tours but did one in Croatia and loved it. So we signed up for England. Had a guided tour of Bath in the AM, some of the stuff we've already seen and then went to the Roman Baths. I didn't realize this was such a large collection of artifacts. I thought you went in, saw the baths and moved on, but there is a lot going on in this attraction. Much of the stuff you see has been recreated since the Queen Anne days, in fact I think the discovery of the original Roman baths happened quite late. I took so many pictures I can't post them all, here's a few: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...005178e67.jpeg This "patio" is above the old Roman bath. It is not that old, the statues were done sometime in the 1890's. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c385ae51.jpeg In Roman times this was a huge complex with a temple. Inside the temple would have been a statue of Sulis Minerva. Head of Minerva, body has been lost. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e6b98fdbf.jpeg This is in the East Baths. There would have been heated water surrounding these pillored tiles and a fire heating up the water creating a steam room for the ladies. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c0934f2a.jpeg Original pool, a lot of sides and flooring of this level is the original Roman. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d339da7bc.jpeg This would have been the Temple pediment, only some of that has been uncovered. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...816bd15ca.jpeg Here is a close up of the Medusa like head in the pediment except it's male https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...816f93b85.jpeg Close up of a coin. They found hoards of coins something like 20,000 or more. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a40e93a2a.jpeg As a coin collector it was very exciting to look at these coins. Romans, country men, lend me a dime. People would toss coins and other objects into the waters for good luck https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...beec1c04c.jpeg Large bust of woman with the latest hair do...at that time. |
Just to clarify -- you didn't walk through a 'hedge'. ;) It is Stonehenge and Stonehenge is a henge
|
Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
(Post 17655604)
Day 5 - Recovering from 24K steps
We needed a break today from yesterday. We think we walked about 10 miles! So had a late breakfast. It ends at 9...and they kick you out at 9! We really don't want to do a big walk so we take the bus to Buckingham Palace. It's grand, lots of statues and gates and gardens, but once you've seen it, there's not much to do. Wandered over to St. James Palace which doesn't look like much on the outside but inside it's supposed to be quite fancy. Lunch on Piccadilly street at an Italian place where everyone speaks Italian. No one in London speaks English! OK, that's a gross overstatement, but you hear a lot of languages, it's like you don't have to travel around the World just go to London, they are all there. Tonight I headed out to Regent Street and Picadilly Circus. Some amazing buildings. Will put in pictures! |
Originally Posted by nonconformist2
(Post 17658228)
Those look like normal radiators to me. What is a radiator to you?
|
Originally Posted by janisj
(Post 17658259)
Just to clarify -- you didn't walk through a 'hedge'. ;) It is Stonehenge and Stonehenge is a henge
|
We do call the coolers in ICE cars radiators as well as heaters in houses. It's just that I think most people in the UK's first thought when hearing the word radiator would be those in the house and not in a car - exactly the other way round to you.
|
Romans were thrifty folk so often repurposed bodies of statues by swapping out the heads. So it may well be one body had thirty different heads over the centuries.
|
Glastonbury and Wells
Today we hopped on the bus Gus and headed to Glastonbury and Wells. I know very little about either location, I've seen Glastonbury Music Festival on TV many times. I didn't know anything about Arthur and Guinevere being "found" here and that Glastonbury has a Woo-Woo reputation. First stop was the Abbey Ruins. I found them to be quite spectacular and when we heard it was basically Henry the VIII that lead to their ruin it was kind of interesting how something so grand could be destroyed. It's not unlike Isis blowing up sites in the Middle East, just 700 years, Henry was 500 years earlier https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13676b1f7.jpeg Welcome signhttps://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...997f470d7.jpeg They live up to their reputation, you see this when you walk into town. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4fceb80f8.jpeg Downtown Glastonbury. There are tons of shops selling crystals, and mandalas and dragons etc. Could probably pick up a Hobbit or two. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aad2ca36a.jpeg Entry into the ruins. At one time in history, the large opening on the left was walled of and you couldn't get into the Abbey this way. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...815d8cb31.jpeg Lot's of ruins, the Cathdral was massive only a footprint remains. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...376fe73de.jpeg More shots of the front of the Abbey https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3c115a8f.jpeg Inside looking out https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3484dd5ef.jpeg The Abbot's kitchen survived https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ddac38106.jpeg More tuins https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...39eaa2f00.jpeg As you walk along you come upon two or three little doors in the grass. When opened you can see some of the original floor https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20fbe706e.jpeg Here lies King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Actually some people think it's Jimmy Hoffa |
Wells Cathedral
We were supposed to go into Wells Cathedral on the tour but they were shooting a commercial. We asked one of the guys what they were shooting and he said, "It's for Lurpak, but don't spread it". Which would have been hilarious if any of us 26 knew that Lurpak was a British butter brand! Walked around the outside of the Cathedral and then down the Vicar's Close, the oldest continuously occupied complete street in Europe. (according to our tour book). We did get into the Bishop's Palace and Gardens which was not the Cathedral but pretty interesting and the garden's are beautiful right now. Drove back to Bath where I stumbled onto an open mic for songwriters at the Grapes. I've included a picture, it was interesting, 7 or 8 musicians around a table and they moved the mic to the next person. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...74a1b84c6.jpeg Wells Cathedral with scaffolding on the right. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4f799368a.jpeg Big historic clock outside of the Cathedral on the east wall https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1e9953068.jpeg Long shot of the Cathedral https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dda7438e9.jpeg Crossing the moat into the Bishop's Palace https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c681dfead.jpeg Entry to the actual palace https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4183bd1b2.jpeg The Bishop's Chapel https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e2b78ccf1.jpeg Gardens https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3f54b228d.jpeg Kind of a cool shot https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8d7d9c461.jpeg Another picture of the moat and tower https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82c980c33.jpeg Singer / Songwriters in Bath |
Today's Journey: Avebury and Oxford
Elvis has left Bath. Spent 6 nights there and enjoyed them all. Our first stop was Avebury which iyears s interesting in a number of ways. First the overall area is way bigger the Stonehenge. Also over the years a village has built itself around the stones. It's believed there were two sets of circles here but most of the stones are from the outside circle. The other interesting thing is that the area is covered in sheep, that was really cool. We did most of the circle and are heading to Oxford. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8fab5da52.jpeg Entry sign from the car park. Hopefully you will be able to see some of the map https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...72145639b.jpeg The Henge around the stones. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4c577cc41.jpeg Sheep everywhere in and amongst the stones https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...677d75d09.jpeg Some of the sheep were closer than others https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8bbe14b1.jpeg One interesting stone. Although most of the stones are smaller than Stonehenge, there were a few large ones. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9ed5c51b0.jpeg Coming down the hill at the end of the tour |
To be completely pedantic Lurpak is a Danish brand, not British. But I doubt that will help any of you!
|
Did you see the point where the swan rings the bell on the moat outside the Wells bishop's palace to be fed?
|
Originally Posted by bilboburgler
(Post 17658414)
Did you see the point where the swan rings the bell on the moat outside the Wells bishop's palace to be fed?
|
Oxford.
After our tour of Avebury, we headed toward Oxford. We had lunch in a market at Gloucester Green Town Square, just down from the Ashmolean Museum. The museum looked nice but it wasn't on the schedule today. Lunch was fun because we sat at a communal table and got to talk to 3 students at the university. After lunch we took a tour of Oxford. Oxford is like the movie set for every film I would want to be in. Ever corner has a very old building that looks like something in a fantasy movie. We took a tour of St. John's College. Learned that each college is primarily a residential building with a chapel, cafeteria and some halls for tutorials but the majority of classes are held somewhere else on campus. In the States I think we generally call the students dorms a Hall. I didn't get as many photos as I should have to do Oxford justice but here are a few. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bec0e4dc0.jpeg Inner courtyard of St. John's College https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4df39b7eb.jpeg Big entry way with the Charles the First at the top https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e5e34f10.jpeg The chapel for the college. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...789437f4c.jpeg The Martyrs Memorial for a three priests that were burned at the stake in Oxford in 1555. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f96213115.jpeg This is the Bodleian library, the main research library for the school. My library card didn't work. Elitists! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb72ae15f.jpeg Wait, this is the Bodleian Library with King James holding a bible, maybe the last picture is part of the library also. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b64f5b2c.jpeg Christ Church College https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...487a64410.jpeg Some random building that looked really cool. |
Round building is Radcliffe Camera.
|
Originally Posted by MmePerdu
(Post 17658724)
Round building is Radcliffe Camera.
|
There is no Campus. I received about half my tuition in college and half in the technical part of the University.
The Bodleian is everywhere, it is in the basement under so many buildings while the "stacks" the partially automated racking system goes from cellar to cellar for miles. The Bodleian is one of three or four libraries that has to receive one copy of every book published in the UK and of course has many more copies and a bunch of rarities. The bit I used to use is about half a mile from the Camera. Camera basically means "Room". The Monument is also called the "Sunken Cathedral" as if it just sank and that is a spire still sticking up. |
Originally Posted by bilboburgler
(Post 17658754)
There is no Campus. I received about half my tuition in college and half in the technical part of the University.
The Bodleian is everywhere, it is in the basement under so many buildings while the "stacks" the partially automated racking system goes from cellar to cellar for miles. The Bodleian is one of three or four libraries that has to receive one copy of every book published in the UK and of course has many more copies and a bunch of rarities. The bit I used to use is about half a mile from the Camera. Camera basically means "Room". The Monument is also called the "Sunken Cathedral" as if it just sank and that is a spire still sticking up. |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:35 AM. |