I haven’t been doing much traveling during my time abroad thus far, as I have a great deal of travel scheduled for the latter half of April and once 13 May hits, I’ll be setting off on a 6-week backpacking trip around Europe, and I’ve been trying to save up for all of that. However, back in February, I did take a day trip with some friends to Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath. We booked it through a company called Golden Tours, and the cost covered transport to all of the cities and back to London and admission at all of the sites, so it was really quite a good deal. We toured Windsor Castle first, which was absolutely incredible. Each room is grander than the next; it was what I imagine wandering around the castle in Beauty and the Beast would be like. There were entire halls just filled with china or suits of armor, and more chandeliers than I had ever seen.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived at Stonehenge, our next location, and it was one of the more surreal moments in my life. The visitor’s center is quite far from the actual site, so you take another bus from there. It’s the strangest thing—you get off the bus and there’s no sign of civilization as far as the eye can see. It’s just you, the fields, and the sheep (lots of sheep). And the stones. Obviously. And you think, how on Earth did they get these stones out here, and get them into that odd position? And, more importantly, why? But no one knows, of course, and that’s part of the fun. It’s something that everyone should see if they have means, and I’m so glad I was able to do so. Then it was back on the bus and on to Bath, where we toured the Roman Baths, which are these incredible ruins right in the middle of one of the most charming cities I’ve ever visited. My friends and I had a great time wandering the ruins (and tasting the famous Bath water); I just wish we had more time to explore the city itself. I felt like a character in a Jane Austen novel when I was there, which is a truly wonderful feeling (I highly recommend it). I also recommend anyone who studies in London takes the time to visit these cities and sites, as it was great to get out of the city and not just learn about but see and walk through some of the most famous places in England, even for just a day.
Highlights from the week: seeing some of the most brilliant plays I’ve ever seen in my entire life (Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches at the National Theatre with Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane, The Winter’s Tale at the Barbican directed by Declan Donnellan, and Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre with Andrew Scott of Sherlock in the title role). The latter was extra special because I saw it free of charge as part of the Almeida’s “Hamlet for Free” programming—free performances all week for 16-25 year olds as long as master classes led by members of the company and a conversation with Andrew Scott on acting (which I also took part in). The Almeida is doing something truly important for young artists in London with this initiative, and I feel overwhelmingly lucky to have taken part in it. Oh, and I walked through even more British history when I visited the Tower of London on Wednesday. Trying to get everything in before I start doing some real traveling this weekend, and making myself only slightly crazy in the process!
