Sunday Bath-ing, June 4th

We woke up Sunday at 8AM tired and sort of smelly, so we decided to do what any Roman would do - go to Bath to indulge in the secret and mystical healing powers of natural spring waters, and to get naked and scrape olive oil off one another's backs.

The Celts believed the natural hot springs found in Bath possessed supernatural powers, and the town became the place of worship for the deity Sulis, life-giving Mother goddess. Like the rest of the known world, the Romans invaded and conquered the land, preserving the town as well as the adoration for the goddess Sulis (identifying Her with Minerva, hence Sulis Minerva) by constructing temples and intricate bathing complexes. If you know me, you know I heart Roman civilization and the Latin language (which I no longer know because I am a puerum molsetum). Anyway, Bath eventually became the site of British aristocracy, famous residents such as Jane Austen, and major movie productions like Vanity Fair (starring Reese Witherspoon) and Pride & Prejudice (starring Keira Knightley - who we, unfortunately, did not meet on the day's excursion).





The beauty of Bath is the city itself; with amazing architecutre and serene, lush landscapes, every step through the city brings you through different folds of history. I've always loved the city because it is so timeless and untouched - I visited Bath after graduating high school in 2003 and the town hasn't changed one bit.



Anyway, after touring the bath houses (which are awesome) Dan, Julian, Matt, Mike and I went upstairs for a taste of Bath water (not like soapy Bert & Ernie bath-water; more like bubbling warm water with a strong taste of sulfur, a hint of fluoride and a pinch of salt). The water is a bit hard to get down so, like most beverages in this country, we decided to chug it. The water is pumped up 22 miles from the ground through a beautifully decorated fountain, in a grand dining room where you can stay for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The decor is complimented with the sweet ambience set by our friend, the McDonald's High Kensington Street Pianist.


After exploring several different, interesting streets and taking in more scenery, we grabbed a pint at the Boatery Pub (the same pub I grabbed a pint/fish&chips with David "Sam" Sarch, the Scourge of Singak and Pat Costello in 2003) and sat by the river. We slowly made our way back to the bus, where I was greeted by the sassy wank of a bus tour guide who deserves a paragraph of his own:

The story of the tour guide starts off at a rest stop somewhere near Swindon (the setting for Ricky Gervais' The Office, the hit BBC show). After Dan, Matt and I constructed very large, very expensive and very delicious breakfast sandwhiches (eggs, beans, sausage, bacon and hashbrowns on a roll), the bus driver walked up to me and gave me a pompous scolding for being late for the bus - which I was not yet late for. Once on the bus, well.. I do have the uncanny ability to fall fast asleep within minutes of being on a moving vehicle (I awoke to the entire boat cruise pointing and laughing at me for drooling all over my sweatshirt last week). I prefer to look at this more as a talent than an offense to my peers and hosts. The tour guide, apparently, views it as a transgression of his guiding skills, as he chose to single me out over the loud speaker and compare me to a zombie from George A. Romero's Land of the Dead. Again, I awoke as the butt of my fellow passengers' hysterical laughing.


So, after what felt like ten minutes after leaving Bath, I awoke in Avebury. The main attraction in Avebury is a series of rocks arranged on neighboring fields in a large circle (much more spread out but similar to Stonehenge), forming the largest stone ring in the world. Unlike Stonehenge, however, you can go up to the rocks, hug them, love them and pick them up (not really). Two of the largest stones are said to lie on the same electromagnetic line as the Pyramids of Giza, and possess some pagan powers. Dan, Julian and I ran between the stones - holding hands, of course - and survived. Dan and Julian then posed near what is called "the devil's chair," on the backside of the larger stone. I opted not to sit on the devil's chair for fear of the local legend that one who sits on the devil's chair for 9 months will conceive - and I CANNOT get pregnant right now.

Then we discovered the most popular enchantment in Avebury: the nearest and only pub, the Red Lion. After getting a couple Old Speckled Hens with Matt, and sitting with Dan, Julian, Mike and the bus tour guide (who did not finish his beer) we were forced to sprint back through the bright green fields as we were almost, again, late for our bus departure.

In the evening Matt and I met up with my friend from home, Kadie, who is staying in London for the summer under very unlikely circumstances. The UK is regarded very highly in the international nanny and au pair circuit, boasting such reputable stars as Supper Nanny and Nanny 9-1-1. Paradoxically, Kadie (whose record includes 10+ years of babysitting experience, lifeguard and CPR certification, swim instructor license and an aversion to cigarette smoking) was recruited via the Providence College student newspaper for a position as head nanny-mistress for the rich Chelsea parents of a 2 year old girl. Anyway, after a week and a half of being stuffed up with a toddler, and little-to-no other human interaction, Matt and I seized the opportunity as a great excuse to go grab a pint.


Afterwards, Matt, Kadie and I returned to The Crofton and joined Dan, Julian, Mike and our friends Jaime and Jess (who also go to BU, but we did not meet until London) on the 3rd floor for the first ever legit (official) Crofton beer pong exhibition. After beer pong, or Beirut for those of you who think you are cool, we played Kings as an excuse to tap into the 2nd case of Carlsberg that we bought for, what I explained to the liquor store clerk was referred to back home as, "mad cheap."