Grand Excursion

15 June 2013

I have loved spending every second soaking in the intellectual atmosphere of Oxford, but sometimes one just needs a break from the life of study. Today we get just that break.

Avebury is a hidden gym in England. It is a city surrounded by ancient stones, stones that date back to 2000 years BC. Unlike Stonehenge these stones are spread apart, engulfing the city in a several mile radius. Their organization is not quite as unique as Stonehenge, but the fact that there are so many of them, spread so far apart is amazing.

Bath was founded by the Romans, and is named after the Bath that the Romans built here so long ago. Britain was thought of as a marsh with forests full of mists and drizzle… 43 AD 40,000 Roman soldiers accompanied Claudius to conquer Britain and built it’s oldest city still today, Bath. Later it was these Romans who built Hadrian’s wall, the same wall I saw about a month ago with the Alexander family. It is fun to see history literally come full circle. The Romans brought so many things to Britain such as sanitation, public health, education, public toilets, wine, olives, roads, etc… They left because it was so cold, but they sure left their mark. They left in 420 AD.

One of the first known lock systems.

One of the first textile mills in industrial Britain.

Old Tithe Barn, where the first tithes and offerings were held.

Stonehenge never gets old no matter how many times you visit it.

The Cathedral in Salisbury. I experienced my first angelic choir experience here…what an incredible experience!