Avebury and Stonehenge!

Yesterday I went to Avebury and Stonehenge on a trip organized by the school.

Avebury is home to the largest stone circle in the world. The site consists of one large circle with two smaller circles inside of it. We had gorgeous weather. The beauty of the rolling hills was only enhanced by the blue sky and fluffy clouds. There were also countless grazing sheep on the hills, which for some reason tends to thrill North Americans! There is a quaint little village which has geared itself to be a tourist friendly area with gift shops and museums.

Part of the circle and village.

Me and my gnome with one of the stones!

Following Avebury we went to Stonehenge! Stonehenge was much smaller than the circle in Averbury, but I enjoyed that because we were able to see the circle (or at least what remains) in its entirety. The weather had unfortunately changed between regions and there was even a brief period of snow. Luckily the snow didn't take away any of Stonehenge's glory. Stonehenge is located in the middle of nowhere. Once again standing amidst large rolling hills, the scenery is just as breath taking as the monument. As a child I watched countless documentaries on Stonehenge. Standing in front of the stones, I wondered how so many hours of footage could be collected. By the time I finished walking around the path (you cannot actually touch and walk among the stones), I had numerous picture with each new angle being revealing more of the mystery. Despite simply being stones, there is so much mystery and magnificence that I am no longer surprised at the collection of footage.

Me at Stonehenge!

Angle 1

Angle 2

Angle 3

Angle 4

Angle 5- As we drove away

Just me and 74,000 other fans!

In recent hours, an opportunity presented itself which I could not refuse... tickets to the Wales vs Scotland game in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament.

Last night I went out for dinner with a group of friends. At the same restaurant as us was a group of Scottish men in kilts. My friend decided she wanted a picture with the kilts... it's not everyday you see a kilt in Tennessee! The conversation of course turned to the upcoming Wales vs Scotland rugby game. It was then discovered that the Scottish group had 2 extra tickets... how could we say no?!

Despite staying up way too late to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies, I woke up this morning very excited to the day's events. First came the bus ride to the city of Cardiff (the Welsh capital) which located approximately 1 hour east of Swansea. The bus dropped us off right outside of the stadium adding to my excitement.

Welcome to Millennium Stadium!

When we entered the stadium we took a chance to visit the field level. We were able to watch some of Scotland's warm up and I was quite thrilled to see that many of their drills were the same drills I had once done. There was also a male choir and marching band to help create the atmosphere.

Scotland warming up

When we eventually went to our seats, they were amazing. Second level, dead centre behind the posts.

View from our seats!

The game itself was incredible. Scotland carried the lead through the majority of the game (which was good since we were sitting in a section of Scottish fans). Wales rallied back with an astonishing final 10 minutes of play to win the game 31-24.

A little bit of rugby action...

...and a little bit more!

The whole experience was very surreal to me. I will admit that rugby was a large influence in my decision and persistence to study in the UK. The intensity of the game and the passion in the stands today created an experience I will not soon forget.

Mumbles!

Just a short bus ride away from me is an area called Mumbles. Located on the Swansea Bay, the town has a lovely coastal feel. There is a long strip of sea-front shops, restaurants, hotels and houses. There is also a castle looking over the town. Unfortunately we could not go into the castle, but it provided a great view of the town.
When we arrived, my friend and I commented on how large the beach was as the water seemed to be a great distance away. We decided it was necessary to make the trek out to the sea. The walk took us at least 20 minutes as we tried to avoid the large wet patches of sand (which we assumed was melted snow from the night before). When we finally reached the farthest point, we stopped to admire the view across the bay. When we turned around, the path we had taken was starting to disappear. We later found out the bay has one of the fastest tides in the world! We made it back to dry land safely long before the tide caught us once again.

Oystermouth Castle

View from castle

Low tide prior to our walk

(looking away from the shore)


The tide starts coming in as we reach the farthest point!

(looking towards the shore)

High tide about an hour after we returned to the shore!
(looking away from the shore)

How could I not take a picture of the rugby club?!