Author: Colleen

Just try to fathom it: 4,000 years!!!

When you move to London, the guests will follow, to be sure.  My present visitors to this fine city of London have inspired today’s post, as when I left for work this morning, they themselves were about to depart for their day-long bus tour of Stonehenge and Bath.  Wanting to see the former attraction, I had recommended they bundle it with something else (as most bus tours do in an array of combinations) to make the venture out into the country truly worthwhile.  Now before anyone gets worked up that I may have just implied Stonehenge would not, on its own, be “worthwhile,” that is not my personal opinion; however, I have known enough people who have shrugged it off as just so, rendering it one of those experiences that truly differs for everyone.  “To each his own” and “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” as they say time and again.

At any rate, no one can avoid being awed by the history of Stonehenge that is communicated so efficiently via the audioguides you are given upon entry (admission is often included in the price of your tour–check to be sure).  Okay, no, you can’t touch the stones, and for much of your circuit round the boulders you are viewing from a bit of a distance, but it’s all in the name of preservation.  In total, this visit takes less than an hour.

You can't bathe here, but try just up the street at the new thermal spa.

As for Bath, this well-preserved bounty of Georgian architecture and Roman history makes for an enchanting daytrip.  The Roman Baths (also usually included in your tour) and Abbey are the primary attractions; otherwise, just stroll along the river, browse the shops on Pulteney Bridge, or make an atmospheric climb to the Circus and Royal Crescent to feed your eyes (and to feed your belly, on a little side street just near the Crescent is delightful strudel bar, Hansel Und Gretel…PERFECT on those cooler, drizzly days to warm you in body and soul).  Do as the British aristocracy once did and “take the waters” to cure what ails you in the Pump Room that adjoins the Roman Baths, getting the resultant terrible gritty taste out of your mouth with tea and scones in this opulent setting.

And then?  Just sit back and relax to the dynamic green landscape that whirs by outside the bus windows as you return to London.

This doesn’t just have to be a recommendation for guests.  When you relocate to London (hopefully with the aid of London Relocation Ltd.), take advantage of all the convenient day tours available–they make for ideal weekend getaways.