England Part Two: Glastonbury, Stonehenge, & Oxford

Part Two in this England Travel Series is all about the road trip! We hit the (wrong side) of the road for a day filled with mystical sites steeped in history and intrigue. This day was one of my favorites from the trip!

Our first stop were the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, where in 1191 the monks dug to find the remains of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. It is incredibly surreal and hard to grasp that are you standing on a site that is truly magical.

Glastonbury Abbey

The Site of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's Tombs

Glastonbury Abbey as seen from the neighboring grove

Glastonbury Abbey

One shot to give you a sense of scale, this structure was massive!

After the Abbey, we climbed The Tor for spectacular views of Somerset and Wales. Glastonbury Tor is filled with mystery and is one of the most spiritual sites in the country. Both Pagans and the Druids used this place for initiations and ceremonies. However, the only structure that remains is a tower from a 15th century church of St. Michael.

A top down view (not of my own taking) to give you a sense of scale for The Tor, photo credit: Knowledgepicture.com

Climbing to the top of The Tor, you can see a hint of the tower in the distance.

The only remaining structure at the top of The Tor

Panoramic View from the top of The Tor

Compass at the top of The Tor

Our next stop was Stonehenge. Circling the stones was truly a once in a lifetime experience. This is an absolute must when visiting England!

Stonehenge

We stopped off in Oxford for the night and rented a room at the University, Keble College to be exact. The room was really lovely with a king size bed, en suite bathroom, and nice linens with complimentary toiletries. Breakfast is included in your stay. While the food was less than exciting, it was pretty cool to eat with the students in a Hogwarts style dining room.

The Courtyard of our Dorm Room at Keble College, Oxford

The Dining Hall at Keble College

Where We Ate
Waitrose (grab and go for a picnic) - Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1LY, United Kingdom
King's Arms Oxford - 40 Holywell Street, Oxford OX1 3SP, United Kingdom
Keble College Dining Hall - Oxford OX1 3PG, United Kingdom

Where We Stayed
Keble College - Oxford OX1 3PG, United Kingdom

What We Did
Glastonbury Abbey - Magdalene Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9EL, United Kingdom
The Tor (10 minute walk from the Abbey) - Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6, United Kingdom
Stonehenge - Amesbury, Wiltshire SP4 7DE, United Kingdom

General Advice
Driving and seeing the English countryside was incredible. Driving on the wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road is actually easier than you think! Be bold and do it, it will be an unforgettable experience.
The drive from Bath to Glastonbury, and Glastonbury to Stonehenge were only an hour each, which made for a very easy driving day.
You can bring a picnic and eat on the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey. They have picnic tables if you don't have a blanket to sit on.
The Tor is a very steep climb and can be extremely windy. Do not try to drive to the Tor, parking is difficult. Leave your car parked at the Abbey and do the 10 minute walk over to the base of the hill.
Save yourself a lot of time and prebook your Stonehenge tickets. They give you a 30 minute window to arrive, grab the audio tour as well, it's worth it.

England Part One: Bath

The Romans came to Bath around 50 AD, drawn to its natural hot springs. Upon the springs they built spectacular Roman Baths for wellness and healing. And in the late 1600's, Queen Mary came to Bath fighting infertility, and less than a year later gave birth to a son...and a revitalization of Bath itself.

This charming little town was the first stop on our England tour. Check out the photos below to get a sense for the beauty of Bath. Traveling tips and a list of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions are listed at the end. Enjoy!

Roman Baths with Bath Abbey in the background

View of Bath from the top of the Abbey

Bath Abbey doors

Stunning Fan Vaulted Ceiling inside Bath Abbey

Breakfast at Patisserie Valerie

Spring Rolls at Thai Balcony

Entree at Thai Balcony

Delicious Fish Pie from The Garrick's Head

Public Gardens along the river

Roof Top Pool at Thermae Bath Spa (they don't allow photos inside but I snapped this from another rooftop)

Where We Ate
The Roman Bath Kitchen - Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1LY, United Kingdom
Patesserie Valerie - 20 High Street, City Centre, Bath BA1 5AJ, United Kingdom
The Garrick's Head - 7-8 Saint Johns Road, City Centre, Bath BA1 1ET, United Kingdom
Thai Balcony - 1 Seven Dials, Bath, Somerset BA1 1EN, United Kingdom
Turtle Bay - 11 Bridge Street, Bath, BA2 4AS, United Kingdom

Where We Stayed
Hilton - Walcot Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 5BJ, United Kingdom

What We Did
Roman Baths - Stall St, Bath, BA1 1LZ, United Kingdom
Bath Abbey - Bath, BA1 1LT, United Kingdom
Thermae Bath Spa - Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ, United Kingdom

General Advice
The Roman Baths have excellent exhibits with free audio guides. Well worth the two + hours you might spend here.
Do NOT do the Bizarre Bath walk. Ignore Trip Advisor and Rick Steves. We left halfway thru, it was that bad.
Go to Turtle Bay for drinks. Two for One drinks after 10pm - crazy good deal and super fun bartenders.
Skip the 'Twilight Package' at Thermae Bath Spa and just show up on the day-of. You can get the same spa services for a better price just by skipping the mediocre meal. If you want to do anything other than the pools and steam rooms, such as a massage, book in advance. Those spots filled up quickly.
Pay to take the Tower Tour at Bath Abbey so you can climb to the top. Very cool, but quite the work out with very steep steps.

Upcoming Blog Travel Series: England

My husband and I recently took 10 glorious days off from normal life and traveled to England for vacation. We made it through a decent portion of the country by train, plane, and automobile.

I'll be sharing our trip in a series of upcoming blog posts, which will be broken down by each stop on our trip. We visited London of course, but some of my favorite memories were far from the popular tourist sites.

Keep a look out for the posts starting this week. They will be full of great photos, restaurant recommendations, and general tips on navigating your way through this beautiful country.

Cheers!

Love this London shot with a Telephone Booth & Big Ben

Separates for a Spring Work Wardrobe

Let's talk spring work wardrobe this morning. I am loving how retailers are embracing separates these days, I picked up this graphic woven black & white ensemble from Banana Republic a few weeks back.

I love these two pieces together for the office, but they also look amazing on their own. I wear the crop top with black pants for dinner and drinks, it's a very early 60s vibe. I also pair the pencil skirt with a classic white button down or sleek black turtle neck on cooler days.

The accessories shown are two of my classic pieces, a Ralph Lauren Collection bag and my 1960s vintage Cartier Tank watch. While I am typically a girl on a budget, some accessories are worth investing in. Shop a similar look below.

Rugby Stripe Lace Shell & Pencil Skirt from Banana Republic