Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath

The other weekend I went for a fast-paced bus tour. This was my first time on a proper bus tour aside from school trips, at least, I can't remember being on any. I normally opt for going without background information and instead taking things at my own pace.

Which is a little hard to do sometimes when you don't drive.

Melissa (from Orangeville) had wanted to go on the tour during February's half-term. I wasn't able to attend as I was going to Prague, and it turned out that she hadn't gone out during half-term at all. I'd been wanting to go back to Stonehenge anyway, so I asked her if she wanted to go still.

I then invite my friend Sarah (from New Brunswick) as I thought it'd be the sort of thing she'd like to do. Then I remember that Sarah and I both separately met Charmine (from near Barrie) so I decide to invite her out, thinking that she and Melissa would get on well.

Charmine then brings along Aleks (from YORK!) whom she's met here in London, and then later brings along a newly arrived Canadian named Aleisha (from Vancouver - she was lucky enough to be in the city during the Olympics!). So what started out as a two-woman party turned into 6. All Canadians, all but one who I know, and two who I knew BEFORE leaving the damn country. That's just a small-world coincidence really now. haha. I thought it was hilarious when Charmine mentions this girl Aleks and I immediately go "ooooh crap I know this name from somewhere!" only to discover that we both lived in Mac.

The day commences nice and early, hitch-free.

The first stop was Windsor Castle, where we discover that the Queen is home as that was the flag that was flying. I think I was the only one of us not trying to spot-the-Queen (I was overly conscious of the time and quite frankly, totally forgot she was home even though I kept taking pictures of the flag, not sure how that worked out!). I liked Windsor better than I thought I would, as it's not really my cup of tea. Was mega-rushed though!

In true Canadian fashion though, we were the first to arrive back to the coach out of a fear of being late. (This became a pattern for the trip, and we were always the first to arrive back!).

Our second stop was Stonehenge. Most people I know think there is barely even a reason to go there once, let alone twice, but I enjoy it. So I enjoyed it a second time! Although I got a kick out of how many people were taking pictures of the sheep in the fields (I then opted to take a few pics myself, because I felt like being a sheep myself I suppose!... when in Rome.... oh wait, that's the next stop!)

The next stop was what I was looking most forward too - going to Bath. I've been wanting to go visit the city for a while, and while I knew that we weren't going to get much time there, it would at least give me an idea if it was somewhere I'd like to go for a weekend. It is. It's on my list of cities to visit.

I loved the Roman Baths though, although I'd have loved it more if there weren't so many people there (what a shame, but it can't be helped really, so I spent as much time as possible pretending other people were invisible!)

I did, however get yelled at! Someone sad on a stone for a picture, so I thought it was ok and did the same. And got yelled at to get off the stone. I felt humiliated and really sorry, because really, as I'm sure you all know - I'm just NOT someone who does things when there's a sign or something telling me not to, but I hadn't seen one (and an employee of there was talking to my friends and I as the tour guide was talking to us, so if he mentioned it then I hadn't heard!)

Actually, this is a funny story. While those of us in my tour group were waiting with our silly little plastic entrance coins, I went to fix Char's hood cause it'd been driving me crazy. This guy (an employee at the Baths) comes over and starts straightening Char's coat out and sure did make me feel silly. I just cracked up thinking about it, and alas, I've lost the words so you'll just have to imagine an old man with a funny British accent straightening out Char's hood like a butler.

I also successfully resisted the urge to touch the water, even though I saw other people do it anyway. I really wanted to.

Really. I did really really want to.

I was the only one out of the 6 of us who didn't doze at all on the trip. It just doesn't seem to work.