AIU London: January 2011

So, this past weekend I was brought on an adventure to Bath and Stonehenge with Tony our Cultural Activities Director and AIU students!! On Saturday we departed at 8:30am and we were off to our first stop, Stonehenge. It took us about two hours on our big coach bus to arrive at Stonehenge. On our ride there, Tony explained that there are three theories as to why these huge caveman like boulders are in the place that they are and how they are laid out in such a distinct position. These large stones weigh between 1 and 45 tons, that's quite heavy! Construction is believed to have been started by 3,000 B.C. and finished by 1,100 B.C. Theories:

A Religious Site
Sir John Lubbock, the famous mid-19th century archaeologist, was perhaps the first person who made the most credible research on Stonehenge. Based on the bronze objects that were found in the nearby graves, he dated the Stonehenge as a Bronze Age Site and correctly inferred that the site was erected in phases over a long period of time. He compared Stonehenge with other similar stone structure around the world and concluded that the Stonehenge was a place of worship.

Astronomical Observatory
Astronomical basis to the Stonehenge, was first put forth by Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer, a renowned English scientist and astronomer. However, persuasive evidence of astronomical association for the Stonehenge was given about half a century later by an American astronomer, Gerald Hawkins. He found 165 points on the monument that were linked with the solstices, equinoxes and the solar and lunar eclipse. Supporting his theory is the fact that, at the dawn of the summer solstice, the sun, the center of the Stonehenge ring and the two stones - the Slaughter and the Heel Stones are all in a line.

There are still researchers and archeologists trying to figure out how the stones got there but it seems the most common conclusion would be that:
"The bluestones were rafted from Wales by sea and river. The sarsens were dragged from the Avebury Hills by haulage teams, probably aided by oxen. The stones were then tipped end-first into pits dug into the sub-surface chalk The lintels for the trilithons were raised on wooden cribs or by using earthen ramps."

Moving on, we then left the mysterious land that Stonehenge resides and took a 45 minute drive to the quaint and cozy town of Lacock. Lacock happens to be the perfect example of a small English city. A couple famous movie scenes have been filmed there. Ever heard of Pride and Prejudice, starring keira knightly who plays Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen, who plays Mr. Darcy? We got to see "Mr. Darcy's house", which was a large mansion made of a special limestone that the city of lacock uses to build their buildings. There is also a smaller house that was Harry Potters and Lacock Abbey, a beautiful church that was used in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. After walking around the little town with only a couple pubs, galleries and lovely homes we ate at the Red Lion and had fish and chips...yummy Haddok!!
Shortly after eating we explored a bit and I went inside a ceramics gallery. The artist, a man with a grey head of hair and beard began talking to me and my friends Connor and John. He said that he could tell us where we originated from and so we accepted the challenge. He told me, "Ok, you have freckles, red hair, and you burn in the sun, and the shape of your face also gives it away." He then continued on to say that the Irish in me would be from Northern Ireland. He said if you go there they'd love you, haha! He also mentioned it doesn't matter how much you are of something...people just usually end up looking more specifically like they are from one, two or three countries..and usually there is one that is really obvious. I thought he was pretty bright, I am mostly german, but I look mostly irish! This artist told us that he had a famous great great grandfather in politics in London. Then he explained how the grandfather was Winston Churchill, which I still question if he is actually correct because that is someone who influenced London greatly. Not to long after, we all hopped on the bus and headed to the city of Bath, which took another 2 and a half hours. When we arrived we brought our baggage into the YMCA and then explored the beautiful city of Bath. All the buildings were still made of a particular cream colored limestone. It definitely confused me a bit, but I liked it that way, it gave the city a feel that it is complete. Let me tell you this city is shopping central...so many places to eat and shop!! Before dinner we met up with Tony for a drink a traditional English pub. We encountered a very drunken Englishman. He slurred his words and kept telling John, one of the students, that he was so lucky to be surrounded by so many women. Ha, sure was true that there were a lot of women because only two guys and Tony came on the trip, so they were definitely outnumbered. After a delicious pear cider, we all headed to a unique and authentic Indian restaurant, located on a second level of a building. I had some chicken dish that was sweet tasting. Everyone was so full after their Indian meals. Later, some students and I headed to Balouchis another pub and had drinks.
Sunday morning we got to go to the Fashion Museum, which housed clothing that defined each year or decade, it was really inspiring! There was a ballroom attached to the museum. Inside it were intricately detailed light blue walls and gold trim, along with breathtaking crystal chandeliers. The special story behind this room is that the author Jane Austen described this ballroom famously in one of her books, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. In the afternoon we headed over to the Roman Baths. This was unlike anything I had ever seen before, almost indescribable. As I walked through the exhibit inside the museum areas where the artifacts were held, there were windows to look out and see the peaceful steam rising from the roman baths. The water actually comes from a natural hot spring deep down in the earth and has been there for centuries. the Romans once walked on the same ancient stone pavements around the steaming pool. Much of the roman temple and other baths on this property were actually excavated and I had to go down stairs to see the other areas, such as the sacred spring, different bathhouses and finds from the excavation. I also found out that this is the only natural hot spring in the whole UK, pretty crazy!! In my photos you will see what I mean when I say that this place was indescribable and beyond words. The only words I can even compare are peaceful, tranquil, heavenly, mystical and enchanting. By 3pm on Sunday it was time for tea!! We got to have tea at The Pump Room. I chose the english breakfast tea, it was delicious! So, shortly after tea we had to get back on the bus and head home to islington. It was such a memorable trip I will never forget and a trip that opened my eyes to some more of God's wondrous creation!
Photos in next post from the trip coming soon...

So, the last couple of days I've been pretty busy with school and off-campus class activities. This week with my History of London Class we got to see St Bartholomew's Church, this is one of the oldest churches in London dating back to 1123. A fun fact, Benjamin Franklin served as a journeyman printer in this church for a year. To find out more about this church check out this website: http://www.greatstbarts.com/

I also got to see where John Bunyan, the author who wrote The Pilgrim's Progress while imprisoned for preaching is buried, at Bunhill Fields. Parliament at the time was trying to stop Puritans from preaching in public in about 1660, so Bunyan was arrested. William Blake the famous poet, painter, printer and illustrator of his own books, is also buried in the same cemetery. The cemetery of Bunhill Fields, was where all the nonconformists were buried during the reformation. There were restrictions on non-conformists during the reformation and after the Civil War. Another trip around London was in the artsy community of Old Street and Shoreditch. This is the place to be during the nightlife because there is a lot of student living in the area. In the daylight, we walked around though and got to go inside a real circus school that used to be a power station. So, it already had high ceilings, perfect for long cables and the rings! These students major in circus performing and then try and find jobs in the business, like cirque des sole! There also is an area called Finsbury Square and this is an important place due to the fact that it stopped the westward movement, so it would move back East, as far as the development of the area goes. We got to see where Shakespeare's original theater was, though the location was fenced off so we couldn't see. Yesterday, I got to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum and see the Jewelry Collection. The V&A Museum has one of the widest and largest collections of jewelry dating back to the 17th Century!!! I had Fish and Chips today and thought I'd show you all how massive it was!!