3 places and some giant stones

When attempting to kick an addiction, they say that quitting cold turkey is the hardest way to go. Taking this advice to heart, I decided ease into recovery from my month long Eurotrip by going on a three day weekend trip to Stonehenge, Bristol, and Bath.

The first stop on my road to recovery was a big pile of rocks, known to the tourist world as Stonehenge. Much like my first celebrity siting, I was surprised to find that Stonehenge was much smaller in reality than what I had imagined. The giant slabs  of rock that lie in a crumbled structure that only alludes to the original arrangement are exactly what is pictured, rocks on a hill. What those photos don't reveal is the highway that extends on either side of this historic site. Apparently, no magical alien construction could halt English road construction.

After leaving the small roadside stop, it was on to Bristol. This English city appears to be a bit rough around the edges, until you travel to actual edges of the city. Outside of the downtown center lies a huge gorge with the city's pride, the Clifton suspension bridge. The natural beauty of the town's perimeter stands in stark contrast to the not-so-natural beauties of Bristol's night life. In this hip, hardcore party scene, the dress code is the highest of high-heels paired with the shortest of skirts and the tightest of low cut tops. After observing the clubbing uniform, I opted for a Saturday night at the movies.

Since I clearly have trouble staying in one place for an extended period of time, I also slipped in a day trip to Bath. As one would expect from a town so named, Bath is squeaky clean and in the summer sun, almost seemed to sparkle. Named after  the ancient Roman Baths that run beneath the city, Bath is absolutely one of my favourite UK cities thus far. The city is layered; founded on Roman ruins, covered by medieval abbeys and cobblestone streets at ground level and topped with modern day shoppers' haven. I returned to Leeds with a few more postcards for my collection and a few more pieces for my wardrobe.

Highlight of the trip: Happening upon a rehearsal for the Bath abbey choir concert. Though it cannot fully do the experience justice, see the video below.