We were out of the house at 7:05 this morning to get to Victoria Coach Station for a bus trip to Stonehenge and Bath. The station was a zoo and we imagined getting squeezed onto the bus in six seats in six separate rows, but a little deft maneuvering got us near the front of the line and our seats were fine.

Stonehenge was much different from the last time I was there. It’s still a huge pile of rocks in a circle. I’m the only one who knows exactly why it was built but I’m not going to tell and ruin all the fun everyone has trying to guess the purpose. What was different was how to get there. The last time, my bus took me right to it. We walked through a short tunnel and we were there. Now the bus parks about two miles away. You have to spend twenty minutes in a line to get a shuttle bus to get there. Then when the shuttle bus brings you back, you are forced through a 200% over capacity gift shop just to be able to get back to your bus.

This was one of the main things Cora wanted to see. I just asked her what she thought and she said “it was great”. Grant gave a thumbs up. That’s better than I thought. I figured he’d say “boogers and poop! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!”

Next was Bath. I’ve been telling Nancy for seven years how nice Bath is and she really didn’t care. Then Laura went and told her the same thing and suddenly it’s a must see. Bath was also Emily’s favorite place on their trip.

We went to Pulteny Bridge and had a meal at the first real pub we’ve seen this trip. To me it’s not a pub unless you order your meal at the bar. David and family went on a guided walking tour while Nancy and I toured the Roman Baths. Then we went walking while they toured the baths. We had some real nice views of the Cotswolds from the bus.

Seven years ago I walked the 104 miles of the Cotswold Way with Earl, Lois, Ross, Bob and Sandy. The finish is a Bath Abbey and when we got there we looked for the finish marker. There was none. You just kind of walk the trail and wander away. In 2012, they put a marker in. So for Earl, Lois, Ross, Bob and Sandy, here it is.

Cora is getting to be quite a tube expert. Last night when she heard we were going to Victoria Station, she said “So we go to Oxford Circus and change there for the Victoria Line” We asked how she knew that and she said “When the train gets to Oxford station, they announce ‘change here for the Victoria Line'” Tonight we got off the Circle Line at Paddington and asked her what was next. She knew it was a change to Bakerloo and led us all to the next platform.

Got an email from my cousin Marjie in Scotland who said our laundry experience is not standard. She said “I have a washer/ dryer that does a 30 min wash! Spin after that on a separate spin/ drain highest cycle and tumble drys in 20 mins and im talking about about 6-8 good sized bath towels or a lot of clothes.”