A Jaunt to the English Countryside

Sorry it's been awhile, I haven't actually led a boring life for the past month, its actually been too busy! A couple of weekends ago I went home with one of my friends from here to her house in Swindon (that's about an hour west of London). It was so lovely to be in a home with beds and a mom cooking etc etc. Just being away from school for a couple of days was so relaxing. And what's even better is that Alex has a car so we got to drive all around the countryside! We spent a couple of hours walking around in Swindon (really a lovely little city, full of parks an stuff) and then went to Banbury Castle. This is a couple of miles outside Swindon in the Marlbourough Downs. Downs are just lovely English rolling hills. And it's not really a castle, but the site of where an Iron Age fort was built many many many years ago. Looking out over the hills was like looking into a storybook. Just stunning.
That night we went to a town called Weston-Super-Mare (yeah, the English have weird city names!), which is on the sea. It was so nice to see the water and be in a little seaside resort. The next day we got to go to Avebury (not as famous as Stonehenge, but stones sticking up in the same style and age) and also to Stonehenge! At first Alex didn't want to stop, but we were prepared to hijack the car and pull it over.
All in all, it was relaxing and lovely to get out of the city for a weekend and just forget the hustle and bustle of city and student life. Little things like being able to drive a car was so nice to have for a short time. Watch out....next time we go, Alex promises that I can drive her car!

I got to play with a dog name Bruno for a lot of the weekend! He reminds me of my old dog, Fritz in that he's big and slow and lazy but so lovable.

Alex and I at Banbury Castle

I think we look like cave paintings. With the Marlborough Downs in the background

Doesn't this look like a picture out of Pride and Prejudice?!

The Avebury stones. These were awesome because you could actually go up and touch them. Unlike Stonehenge which is roped off. The town here is too quaint--little thatch roofed houses and pubs

at Stonehenge! (for the second time in my life)