Some of the girls I'm living with and myself wanted to see the countryside and explore the hole in the wall towns like a local. So, what better way than renting a car? And- since I was the only one who could drive a manual (thanks Dad!), I got to be the chauffeur!
Thankfully, we only got honked at once in central London and made it to our first stop, Stonehenge safely! The humorous thing about Stonehenge was how close it was to the main road. You're driving, hills all around you, and then- bam! Randomly assorted stones pop out of the horizon.
Next, we made our way to Bath. We stayed in Bath Backpackers (recommended by a good friend of mine) and were able to walk around the sunny city and go to the Fashion Museum (where we tried on corsets!). That night, we saw Richard Herring, a comedian, doing his act entitled- The Hitler Mustache. It was amusing and in the words of my friend Jordan- the show was making fun of Hitler and a mustache, how can it not be funny?
The next day we toured the Roman Baths, for which the city is famous for, and I was amazed to see how well preserved they were. After being in Rome this past summer and seeing ruins there-that truly resembled ruins- it was quite surprising to see intact pools, columns, drains, etc.
Traveling through the rolling hills on our way to our next destination, Stow-on-the-Wold, was beautiful. The cloudless skies and empty roads were a welcome change from the stone and brick we were used to after a month in London.
When booking the trip we made the choice to splurge a tad and get a bed and breakfast in Stow-on-the-Wold. GREAT decision :) Our "house parents" recommended restaurants and other villages to visit, Chipping Camden and Burton-on-the-Water (also known as Little Venice).
The next day we went to Stratford Upon Avon, home to, you guessed it- Shakespeare :) However, I must say that Stratford was overshadowed by our final stop before heading to London, Gloucester Cathedral. Whats so wonderful about this cathedral you might ask? The halls of the cloisters just happen to be the halls of Hogwarts (Harry Potter's school!). The courtyard, doorways, and other bits were also used in the films. Very Very Exciting :)
This weekend was a great escape and I would easily say that driving in the UK has been my favorite thing I have done so far. So, the next time you plan to travel to England make sure you rent a car :)
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