Bath Study Tour: Beautiful Sites and Delicious Treats

            Our second weekend in the London CIEE program was spent not in London, but instead in the quaint city of Bath. This planned study tour was both exciting and slightly overwhelming, having been in London for less than two full weeks and still experiencing a slight shock due to the sheer size of the city we were to be in for next few months. The study tour, nonetheless, turned out to be an incredible opportunity to bond with other students and see amazing sites I otherwise would not have visited. On our way to Bath the bus stopped in both Salisbury and the Stourhead National Trust property, both of which I doubt I would have set aside time or money for on my own, but both of which were incredibly interesting and beautiful. The Salisbury Cathedral was truly breathtaking, and the estate at Stourhead was grand in every way. Arriving in Bath we exited the bus into a true downpour, but even still the idyllic feel of the town could be felt in the gusting winds. Our accommodations were very nice and ideally located, and the complementary breakfast is to this day one of the best breakfasts I’ve had on my semester abroad, as I am a very big fan of breakfast sausages and warm croissants. Our full day in Bath was packed with organized group activities, which while sounding daunting and like far too much time as an oversized group, turned out to be wildly interesting and very well organized. The walking tour of Bath was incredible, covering every site I had wanted to see while in the picturesque city, and the Roman Bath tickets were a great experience and a must see while there. While these activities took up much of the day, the perfect amount of free time was also set aside for us to take a break from the large group and wonder around, trying tea and various snacks. A few of us ended up sitting in a café on the Pulteney Bridge eating clotted cream - which sounds so strange but is actually delicious – and scones, along with a nice pot of steaming tea. Such an idyllic location for a true English afternoon snack! Making our way back to London, CIEE took us to Stonehenge, a place I have always been intrigued by but where I likely would not have made it on my own. While it seems like just a few massive rocks in the middle of nowhere, the mystery surrounding it and genius in its design was fascinating and fully worth the excursion there. The group lunch afterwards made the whole thing that much better, as we all sat around enjoying Yorkshire pudding and sausages. The Bath study tour was an amazing time to make friends on the program who I otherwise may not have been able to connect with, and the very cute city turned out to be one of my most favorite locations I’ve visited thus far.