Simply Sofie

It was April 22, 2007, the plane left Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at around 5:20pm. Travel time from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to London Heathrow Airport was approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Since there was an hour time difference between Amsterdam and London, we arrived in London 15 minutes past the same time we left Amsterdam, around 5:35pm.

After we got our luggage, we took the Heathrow Express to Paddington, London but our destination was not yet London, and since Heathrow Express is not connected with the other regional trains, we were advised to buy a separate ticket at the Paddington Station going to Bath.

I was impressed with the Heathrow Express train, it was fast, clean and comfortable. With the Heathrow Express, travel time from Heathrow Airport to Paddington was just around 15 minutes. With the ordinary trains or cars, travel time would be at least more than 30 minutes.

Anyway, we continued our journey to Bath, England. Travel time from Paddington (London) to Bath was more than 2 hours. I’m not sure anymore what time did we leave Paddington, London. I just remember that along the way, the sunset was great.

Atinna, Thess and I arrived safely at the train station in Bath, then walked, while pulling our luggage, from the station to the Pulteney Hotel, the hotel where we stayed for 4 days and 3 nights.

The next day, we got up early, ate breakfast at the hotel, and off we went for a whole-day sightseeing tour in Wiltshire, to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe in Cotswolds.

It was cold, windy and raining when we arrived at the Stonehenge but we managed to go around the monument. It was such a peaceful place, a nice place for reflection, until more tourists arrived, we knew it was time to leave for Avebury.

Stonehenge is a famous prehistoric monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire county. Why the Stonehenge was built until now remains a mystery. Some people say that it was a religious temple, others say it was an astronomical clock, or a Bronze Age burial ground, but in reality, no one really knows the real story of the Stonehenge despite what they found all through these years.

On our way to Avebury, we saw several Wiltshire white horses (hill figures) carved out of the chalk hills.

Avebury Stone Circle is one of Europe’s largest prehistoric stone circles and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was been said that it is older than the impressive megalithic Stonehenge monument.

Leaving Avebury, on our way to Lacock, we saw the Silbury Hill, Europe’s tallest prehistoric man-made mound.

Lacock is a National Trust Village which dates back to the 13th century. Over the centuries, the village remains largely unchanged, the reason why it’s attracting too many visitors. Its history is always linked to the Lacock Abbey which was founded in the early 13th century.

You will probably remember this village even if you haven’t been there if I tell you that most of the ever popular Harry Potter movies were filmed in Lacock and Lacock Abbey. If you know BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, it was also filmed there. When we were there, they were also filming another BBC Production, Cranford Chronicles starring Judi Dench, the lady M of the movie James Bond.

We left Lacock and went to Castle Combe, just to have a glimpse of the Cotswolds, our destination the next day. Castle Combe was voted prettiest village in England.

We left Castle Combe, and when we arrived in Bath, we went shopping a little bit, ate dinner at a nice restaurant, and later on “celebrated” Atinna’s birthday at the hotel. It was fun!

The next day, we went for another whole-day sightseeing tour in the Cotswolds, to Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold, and The Slaughters. The Cotswolds, sometimes being called the “Heart of England”, had been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government.

On the way to Bibury, we had a glimpse at the castle of the duke of Beaufort in Badminton, and of the house of Prince Charles, the Highgrove House in Tetbury. It was where Princess Diana lived when she was still alive and together with Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Bibury is a quiet and charming small village in Gloucestershire, England. On one side was the Arlington Row and on the other side was Bibury being divided by the River Coln. Other attractions include the Bibury Court, Church of St. Mary, Bibury Trout Farm, and the Arlington Mill.

Arlington Row, another property of the National Trust, was used to be a monastic wool store but converted in the 17th century into a row of weavers’ cottages. Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed sights in Britain.

The Rack Isle is a low-lying meadow surrounded by the River Coln and Arlington Mill Stream. Rack Isle got its name from the wooden racks that were used to stretch the drying cloth. Arlington Mill on the other side of the Rack Isle was the place where they brought the cloth produced from Arlington Row.

After Bibury, we went to Stow-on-the-Wold, a small historic market town, also located in Gloucestershire, England. We took our lunch at the Tudor House, relaxed at the Green, and then just roamed around the area.

After Stow-on-the-Wold, we went to the two of the prettiest villages in Cotswolds. Known as The Slaughters, the secluded villages Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter are at least a mile apart from each other.

In Upper Slaughter, we visited the 17th century Manor House, now called Lords of the Manor Hotel and Restaurant, and then the St. Peter’s Church. From there, we walked down to the Lower Slaughter, where the 19th century Victorian red brick Old Mill, with its tall and water wheel, along the River Eye must not be missed. River Eye is a stream which links the two quiet villages. Slaughter was derived from the Anglo Saxon word “slough” meaning muddy place.

Well, the day was not over yet but we needed to go anyway. It was past 4:30pm when we left Lower Slaughter. On our way back to Bath, we stopped by at the Chipping Court in Tetbury. And along the way in Badminton, we had another glance at the castle of the Duke of Beaufort but not on the same road when we saw it in the morning.

We finally arrived in Bath at past 6:00pm. We went around shopping just like the other day, and later ate dinner at one of the pubs.

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a city which is rich in Roman and Georgian heritage. It is famous for its architectural treasures like the Roman Baths, the 15th century Bath Abbey, The Royal Crescent, The Circus, and the Pulteney Bridge.

Bath gave me an impression that it is a quiet place, a charming area to spend holiday despite being a very busy tourist destination being frequented by a lot of people.

The next day, we didn’t get up that early unlike the past two days. It was our last day in Bath. We didn’t go around Bath anymore as it was drizzling a little bit. After we ate breakfast, we packed our things, paid our bills, left the hotel, went to the train station, and waited for the delayed train. I’m not sure anymore what time did we leave Bath, probably before noon, so I also can’t remember what time did we arrive in London.

Well, see you in London then!!!

Note:
This is a follow-up to my blog entry, European Destination 3: Netherlands, last August 10, 2007.