Friday 1st April Sheila Errs !!

Leaving Barry after a very hearty breakfast we were in fine spirits having spoken to both sets of parents and Anna on Skype, destination Bath. A dull and damp morning, but we

had the radio blasting and we were both singing along to the radio, both of us tone deaf but who cares? We certainly didn’t.  The road signs in Wales are written both in English and Welsh, some of the names are extraordinary and quiet difficult if not impossible to pronounce for the uneducated, but its sure fun trying.

In Wales there are more animals grazing in the pastures, something that we have been missing, it is great to see the animals enjoying the lush fields.   Along the roads there are miles and miles of spring bulbs lining the road it is really very beautiful.

Bath is tucked into the folds of seven grassy hills and is well known for its thermal springs.  It is home to one of the finest Roman bathhouses in the world, with extensive Regency architecture.  The Bath Abbey is opposite the Roman baths.

The city was first established as a spa resort by the Romans in AD 43.  They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avan around hot springs which are the only ones naturally occurring in the United Kingdom.  The City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural venue. There are two universities and several schools and colleges in Bath. 

From Bath we made moved on to Stonehenge which is a compelling ring of monolithic stones.  The first stage of construction at Stonehenge is reported to have started some time around 3000 BC when the outer circular bank and ditch were erected.  Some thousand years later, an inner circle of granite stones were added.  It is thought that these massive 4 ton blocks were hauled from mountains in South Wales, about 250 miles away – a massive task for Stone Age builders equipped with very simple tools.  No one knows exactly how the builders transported the stones but it is thought they probably used a system of ropes, sledges and rollers made from tree trunks.  Salisbury plain would still have been covered by forest during Stonehenge’s construction.  There was a constant flow of traffic and a large number of tourists walking around the perimeter of the Stones, we decided to view it from the other side of the fence, take a few photos and keep moving. 

With the address of accommodation in Oxford programmed into Sheila’s memory off we go.   Traffic was a bit heavy but perfectly ok.  Some 1 ¼ hours later we make it into Oxford, traffic was hectic; there were people, bikes and cars everywhere.  Dutifully following Sheila’s directions we are guided into a car free bus mall which was heavy with pedestrians and busses.  Oops Sheila you erred.  Sheila told us to perform a U turn, no hope in hell.    This got a bit hairy as we weaved our way between both pedestrians and buses, if only there was a video to record the look on our faces and those of the pedestrians, it was not glamorous!  But sadly I found myself defending Sheila as us girls have gotta stick together !!

Once settling into another B&B we walked into Oxford, what a fine city.  It is a great place to ramble The University buildings are scattered throughout the city.  The magnificent buildings with illustrious history and then there is Christ college who has latter day fame for the filming of Harry Potter.  We took a fabulous walking tour of Oxford which was brilliant giving us a snippet of the history of the university and its buildings and an insight into life as a student at Oxford. 

Oxford city in South East England. The city is made prominent by its medieval university.  Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every British architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world.
After the tour we went for a Chinese dinner, my goodness we are doing a great deal of walking but also a good deal of eating and drinking.  I think I will need to be on a diet the moment the plane lands back in Hobart.  But Spock and I have always loved a good fed and a good drink and we are enjoying both here in abundance.