ISCA visit Bath and Stonehenge
Moving away from the concrete jungle of London, we set off into the wide-open space of the West Country this morning. It was a bit like adventuring into a different culture, one of farming, different accents, apple cider and interesting music to name a few, a unique culture. After the fun of the dance and bbq last night, most were appreciative of the long journey in which they could catch up on their much-needed beauty sleep.
Reaching the historical city of Bath, also known as Aquae Sulis, at 11am, we visited Bath Abbey, the central point of Bath, followed by an extremely informative audio trip around the Roman Baths. Goddess Sulis, the goddess of sun and healing, featured heavily in the audio commentary as her healing qualities, like the soothing waters at the Roman Baths, are said to be able to heal even leprosy, as discovered by King Bladud, who, after contracting leprosy was shunned by his father and sent to look after pigs. After bathing in the water he was healed so went on to become king. Hot water (46 degrees C/114.8 degrees F) flows out of the springs at a rate of 1 170 000 litres/ 257 364 imperial gallons) per day. We were even able to have a taste of this heated spring water as we left the Baths. For the intrepid rugby fans amongst us, a trip to the unique Royal Crescent was on offer, a place to take stunning panoramic pictures, followed by a quick stop at Bath Rugby Stadium. Shopping and exploring was next on the agenda including the famous ISCA flag challenge, the challenge being to try and buy a flag from the flagshop of a country that they don’t have in stock.
Moving further back in history, we made our way to the Salisbury Plains to visit the majestic, mysterious 4500 year old Stonehenge, a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, enshrouded with many different theories about its real purpose. Many happy memories were captured. Another long journey returned the children safely back to Charterhouse for a hot meal, followed by swift house meetings and an early night.
