Posted by Jason (Karbo deserves a break once in a while)
September 4th, 2013
We took a morning train from London to Havant to visit Karbo's aunt and cousin Steve. On our way from the Havant train station to Karbo's aunt's house, we picked up some fish n' chips from a popular local "chippie." Our first taste of fish n' chips in the UK, and possibly our last due to its sheer size. We must have eaten an entire trip's worth of fried fish in one seating.
We took a morning train from London to Havant to visit Karbo's aunt and cousin Steve. On our way from the Havant train station to Karbo's aunt's house, we picked up some fish n' chips from a popular local "chippie." Our first taste of fish n' chips in the UK, and possibly our last due to its sheer size. We must have eaten an entire trip's worth of fried fish in one seating.
After lunch, Steve brought us to Stonehenge where we got to witness one of mankind's most mysterious and most incredible creations. Some Stonehenge facts: The stones were arranged in their current positions about 4300 years ago and served as a ceremonial site. It took over 800 years to complete, and it involved transporting stones weighing anywhere from 4 to 40 tonnes from as far as 240 km away. Until recently, visitors were able to get up close and touch the stones. We could only admire them from afar and it was still impressive!
After our visit to Stonehenge, Steve dropped us off at Salisbury, where we hopped on a train to Bath. The moment we stepped out of the train station we were blown away by the beautiful architecture that lined Bath's cobble stone streets. The Romans originally built this city of recreation around its many natural hot springs, but it wasn't until the 1700's when Bath really flourished as a cultural centre. The great efforts of those 18th-century city planners and architects are still evident today, and they are on every corner of this impressive town.
Bath is also where we tried Couchsurfing for the first time. At first, we didn't know what to expect from a free night stay at a stranger's home. Although my online correspondence with my potential hosts have all been positive, I was still somewhat skeptical about the idea of anyone opening up their home to strangers...for FREE! Then we met Jess and Red, our Couchsurfing hosts in Bath, and all our predispositions went out the window. They are two of the most generous, genuine, and positive people we've ever met. Jess met us at the train station and gave us a quick tour of Bath. Then we met up with her boyfriend Red and their friends at a nice little pub called Pig & Fiddle, where they bought us a couple of beers. They even made us a delicious dinner that night at home! Jess said she was a guest to some very accommodating Couchsurfing hosts before, so this is simply her way of paying it forward. I enjoyed this idea of travelers helping each other out, and I look forward to returning the favour as a host one day.
September 5th, 2013
Karbo and I walked around and explored Bath some more. We visited the Pump Room, where we tasted the mineral water straight out of the spring and took a peek at the historical Roman Bath.
Karbo and I walked around and explored Bath some more. We visited the Pump Room, where we tasted the mineral water straight out of the spring and took a peek at the historical Roman Bath.
We stopped by the Sally Lunn's House for their famously delicious buns.
24 hours in Bath was too short, but we do plan on coming back for another visit in the future. I definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't been yet!
Back to London to catch the overnight sleeper bus to Edinburgh. Scotland here we come!
Back to London to catch the overnight sleeper bus to Edinburgh. Scotland here we come!