This past weekend my study abroad program took us to Glastonbury and Stonehenge, like I hinted in my last blog! Overall it was a relaxing weekend filled with great sites and lots of sleep.
Friday
We left on a bus from the University of Exeter campus in the early afternoon. The bus was a little smaller than expected (think church van sized) but somehow all of our luggage fit into the back. Riding out to Glastonbury was beautiful—it never ceases to amaze me how much green space there is in England.
Once we arrived in Glastonbury, we took some time to get checked in at our B&Bs. Now usually the group stays in one hotel while on trips, but my professor thought we should all have an “authentic bed and breakfast experience” while abroad and suggested we book our own rooms.
After checking in and eating lunch, we prepared for a hike up the Tor. From a distance, the hill looks huge and we were all quite scared of what the hike would bring. However, we needn’t have worried: the weather was glorious and the hike less strenuous than imagined. All of the huffing and puffing up the hill was worth it the second we reached the top. Viewing the countryside from that height was amazing!
Saturday
With no planned activities for the day, my friend and I woke up and headed to Glastonbury Abbey. Building on the site started in the 7th century and was continued until the reign of Henry VIII when most of the site was destroyed. The ruins are beautiful to look at, though I couldn’t help but feel sad at all that had been lost!
The group met up again in the afternoon to head to our next location—a hotel within a few miles of Stonehenge. Being a huge Beatles fan myself, I was psyched to stay in the hotel they stopped in while filming Help!. My prayers were answered when I got to sleep in the Beatles suite and photo shoot hilarity ensued.
Sunday
Waking up at 5 am is never fun, but going to Stonehenge is a pretty good reason to get out of bed! We left early so that we could watch the sunrise from within the stone circle—a unique experience now that they’ve roped off the stones to tourists. The sunrise itself wasn’t great, but the experience was phenomenal!
This week will be a boring one in Exeter, but expect a tour of my campus next Thursday!