So I need to wrap things up here...

...so this post is going to consist of really short bits of everything I've done since returning from Bath.

Tate Britain
Main part of the collection is paintings by J.M.W. Turner, but they really didn't do the paintings justice.

Tate Modern
This visit confirmed that I don't get modern art. Although I did hear the best description of modern art from a British school kid: "What the hell is this, mate?" (it's the building directly at the opposite end of the bridge).St. Paul's Cathedral
Not my type of Cathedral, too imposing. I prefer Gothic Cathedrals. The view from the top was amazing.Alton Towers
Didn't get to ride all of the rollercoasters here because one kept breaking down when I got in line. But the English keep up their tradition of great inverted coasters.Zippo's Circus
Went to the show again since it was playing a park 10 minutes walking from my building. Had dinner with Norman Barrett, MBE, the ringmaster after the show.Shakespeare's Globe
Saw a great production of Macbeth, although since I stood in the yard (as a "groundling"), my knees would say otherwise. Did the exhibition and theatre tour the next day.Chessington World of Adventures
A much more family oriented amusement park, not many rollercoasters.

Bath, Final Take

One of the first stops on my last trip to Bath was The Raven, a pub I decided last time I was in Bath that I wanted to go to just because of the name. I didn't have my camera when we went, so the picture is not mine:My other stop in Bath was the Abbey again, but this time to ascend the tower since it was such a nice day:

1) Roman Baths2) Behind the clock face. 3) Bath4)BathI also took advantage of the great weather to get some pictures of the city (from ground level):

1) North Parade Bridge2) Great Pultney Bridge3) Park in Bath

My, my, here come the Fuzz. (and a very small library)

Today I traveled with friends to Wells and Westbury-sub-Mendip. Wells was the main goal for the day, but we took a slight diversion to see the World's smallest public library in Westbury:
Then it was back to Wells, the city where Hot Fuzz was filmed. I apologize to anyone who hasn't seen the film, as I will be making more than a few references (and some of the pictures) that only make sense to people who have seen it. I will try to refrain from spoilers. For those of you that haven't seen it, but want to know more about it, you can check out the wikipedia article here or see the movie.

1) Hot Fuzz!2) Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright3) Sgt. Angel and PC Butterman's drinks of choice4) Jacket used in the film5) Wells Cathedral (not used in the film)6) Terry & Sarah recreating a scene from the movie7) Pub?8) The church...with all 4 spikes

{Insert Shakespeare Quote}

Today I made the Theater Major pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon to immerse myself in Shakespeare.

Shakespeare's Birthplace
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
A bit of a hike outside of town, and the path could be better marked. The gardens were impressive.
Shakespeare's Grave

Dublin, Day 2

St. Patrick's Cathedral
The national cathedral of Ireland. Johnathan Swift was once Dean of the Cathedral.
Trinity College
Very interesting tour given by one of the students. The actual Book of Kells wasn't on display that day, but a reproduction was.The next picture is the Bell Tower, under which is a marker noting the spot where the monastery that used to stand on the ground was. Legend has it that when they were kicked out, the monks cursed that spot so any Trinity student that walks underneath will not get their degree. Our tour guide walked around the tower. I walked underneath, but avoided the marker.
The next picture is of George Salmon, who was Provost of Trinity and was opposed to admitting women to the college, saying it would only happen "over my dead body." When the order came from the King to admit women, he said he would do it, but didn't believe in it with his heart. After signing the order, he had a heart attack and died. A month later, the first women attended Trinity College.Dublin Castle
Doesn't look like a castle, it's actually more of a Georgian palace. The original castle was badly damaged by fire centuries ago. Only one tower and a few remnants of the walls remain.Old Jameson Distillery
Very fun tour, tasting included. They ask for volunteers at the end to taste and compare Jameson to a Scotch Whiskey Blend (Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old) and an American whiskey (you can guess the brand). I volunteered and among the three I actually preferred the Jameson, but would still prefer a single malt scotch as my whiskey of choice. The second picture shows barrels of Jameson at different stages of maturation, the darker, the older.
Kilmainham Gaol
An old jail on the outskirts of Dublin, hasn't been used since 1924.It was also here where the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916 were executed by firing squad. They take you to the very spot where this happened. It has also served as the backdrop for many films.