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Prashant, 4 May 2008 00:09 hours
 United Kingdom, London Museum ..Stonehenge ..Bath South Kensington.. the museum district of London. The Exhibition Road proudly showcases Natural History Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum on the both sides. The architecture of the British natural history museum is very impressive. The lobby has the huge skeleton of a dinosaur. The columns are dotted with sculptures of wild animals… many of those are ancestors of human beings actually! Stained windows let the nice sunshine in and the entire place is illuminated by the natural sunlight. A well-preserved bark of an ancient tree from texas… predating almost 2000 years… a way of counting the age of the tree! Well, that’s it really! Because, rest is just the stuffed animals, some are make-stuff. Maintenance is poor! Well, the museum shop is good. Good collection of books of wild animals, birds and sapphires of different kinds.
However, Victoria & Albert Museum is worth visiting...perhaps many times. A splendid collection of art, artefacts, designs, sculptures, vintage cloths from around the world. In the middle there is a nice pool and a garden. Last weekend was really a taste of summer in London. So people were kinda rehearsing their summer outing nearby the pool... soaking in the sun!
Monday being a bank holiday, we are having a long weekend now. So, decided to go to a day tour to Stonehenge and Bath. Deepak and Priya- his wife- also joined me. Last few long weekends in London have been very disappointing because of rains or snow! Well, this weekend has started off well.. with very good patches of sunshine and no rains at all! So off we went early morning. The bus was well equipped with a very enthusiastic tour guide who kept us awake throughout the journey! Just 20 km away from London and we were already in the country side! Lush green grass encapsulating the land miles away… canola flowers have blossomed. The sunshine was pouring on them. The bright patched of canola farming was a perfect contrast to the lush green grass! A farm house nested in the huge farmland…cattle grassing… ships involved in a dump grazing at the motorway!
There are multiple theories about the origin and purpose of the Stonehenge. One might get a stroke of disappointment as there is nothing artistic about this structure here. But these theories and arguments have created a mysterical environment here. Local people also relate to formation of such structure and crop arts to UFO. Well..the UFO in this area is UK government’s secret military service which operates and tests new machinery around this area! Anyways, one is really awestruck by seeing these huge stones, arranged perhaps in an order. The arrangement of these stones is such that it has a different perspective each time. . perhaps different ways of looking a one’s life!
Bath is a place were people used to go for bath! How simple is that! Well…it’s not. The tour guide told us a very interesting story of the price of this region who went to Rome to learn magic and came back learning the art of flying. But also carried with me leprosy. So the king refused him the right of throne and gave him the job of looking after the pigs. Interestingly, pigs got infected by him. And everybody abandoned him, except the pigs. So, he travelled in search of oak seed- loved by pigs- and came across the bubbling mddy water area. Pigs – being pigs- entered in that place and came out free from leprosy! The prince bathed in that muddy hot water and lo! He got rid of that deadly disease and claimed the throne. Yeah, the tour guide was quiet a story teller! Anyways, Romans discovered this place in 17th century. They came across this hot spring water area and it became a popular a holiday destination during that era. Well all such places are always ‘blessed’ or ‘cursed’ (depending upon your belief in religion!) by some ‘spiritual’ stuff! So, the priest proclaimed ‘holy’ powers in that water and they built the temple! A Roman temple of Bath! I reckon, people stung by cold bites were just cured by the natural properties of underground hot water! Anyways, the religions also brings with it a magnificent show of art and architecture. And the city of Bath became Roman Bath. All the houses here are built by limestone.. the Roman architecture is so predominant here that you are likely to be mistaken for being in an ancient roman city. Well, the high street shops don’t let you enjoy that thrill anymore!!
Anyways, walking through the huge, roman bath temple gives an insight about the rituals, architecture and beliefs about this edifice. The place is also blessed (really!) by a short stay by famous Jane Austin. There is a Jane Austin center here. Very pricey! She was here for a short while looking after her father. Perhaps here she developed her hate for upper middle class rituals and ‘customary’ culture! However, it was a very favoured destination of the upper class to spend holidays in extravaganza… near the ‘holy’ hot spring water.
Sally Lynn’s bun is another tourist attraction here. This the oldest house in this city. This lady from France stayed here during here lifetime. A restaurant now..famous for buns. Soft sweet buns. Really worth trying it out! Lots of legends are surrounded in this area… many interesting folklores, and stories.
Looks like this long weekend would be ‘blessed’ with nice weather. And, I am looking forward to meet my mates from Europe ..next weekend is not far away really! |
13:17
Stay cool and enjoy the good weather! (touch wood).
