Cornwall Crusader

So, I'm back from my tour with Haggis Adventures. I had a fantastic time! The guides were great, and the company even better. Most people were Aussie, some other Canadians, a family from India, a German and an Italian.
I went on the Cornwall Crusader tour, which took me all over the Southwest of England, through Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall.
We left from London, and on our first day we hit up Stonehenge, Salisbury (where I saw an original copy of the Magna Carta!), and Cheddar Gorge, where Cheddar Cheese comes from, and the Cheddar Man was found.

Stonehenge - It's actually crazy how much we don't know about this, and how ingenious it is. 

Salisbury Cathedral - This is where I saw the Magna Carta, but wasn't allowed to take a picture of it

Cheddar Gorge - It's a very picturesque town. Makes delicious cheese. I had some 'cave-aged' Cheddar, and I could eat it all day. I also had some warm mulled cider which was amazing!

We stayed in Bath that night, but it was only a pitstop, though I did take this picture in front of the Royal Crescent.

On the second day we stopped at England's highest waterfall (Canonteign Falls), climbed a Tor (a rocky hill) in Dartmoor while we made our way to Newquay - a beach town.

View from the Top of the Waterfall

I thought it was hilarious that the waterfall was man made. The Lady of the house decided she wanted a waterfall, so paid to have one made!

The Tor

At the top of the Tor

Included in my tour was a surfing lesson on one of the beaches around Newquay. It was early in the morning, and I was expecting it to be really cold, however it wasn't that bad! Of course, I was wearing a wet suit and boots, so that helped a lot! Unfortunately, nobody wanted to get up early and take pictures of us, so I don't have any of me surfing. I had a wonderful time though, and while I didn't get completely on my feet, I did make it to my knees. I was a bit overenthusiastic with taking my hands off the board.

The beach where I went surfing, and an homage to my blog! I also ate my first batch of English fish and chips on this beach.

So, Day Three! We went to the amazing Minnack Theatre right on the ocean. It had literally been hewn from the rock, and a lot of it done by one woman! An amazing story. While there I had a proper cornish cream tea with clotted cream and jam on scones, jam on first of course, the proper cornish way! Next we went to Land's End, the most westerly point in England. We did a walk along the cliffs which was beautiful. After that we stopped at some random rock clusters/sculptures that have been around for 100's of years, before stopping to eat a Cornish Pasty in St. Ive's.

Above 2 photos - Minnack Theatre

Land's End

Land's End is well known for it's dangerous waters - Lot's of Shipwrecks

Men an tol - they think it might have been an entrance to a burial chamber, also there are lots of superstitions surrounding it

Lanyon Quoit - King Arthur's table

The fourth day was King Arthur day. We went to Tintagel Castle, which the King Arthur legend says is his birthplace. We also went to Glastonbury which is said to be the Isle of Avalon and King Arthur's burial place.

Above 3 photos - Tintagel Castle

Glastonbury Tor - Isle of Avalon, a long time ago this Tor would have been an island certain times of the year!

Our last night was once again spent in Bath. I went to see the Diary of Anne Frank at the theatre there, and on the last day I went to the Roman Baths, for which Bath is named. We also stopped at a town called Lacock, that hasn't changed it's architecture since the 1600's - no power lines, or satellite dishes here! And then our last stop was at the largest henge in Britain, the standing stones in Avebury.

Roman Baths

Lacock

Standing Stones in Avebury

And that's basically a summary of what I've been doing the last week! I've got a couple days in London, before heading up to Liverpool for a couple days, then some farm time!

Also, feel free to comment! As much as I love comments from my parents, everyone else can comment too!

The Countdown is on

I leave Canada for the UK in just 10 days. It's crazy how fast time has gone since I decided to go on this adventure. It really doesn't feel like almost 2 months has passed.
In that two months, however, I successfully finished my second year of university!

I'm getting really excited, but also pretty nervous.
I mean, I have to get to know a new place, and a huge city at that! (And I'm from a pretty small town, there's only one bus..)
I have to try and find a job, and a place to live.
It's a little overwhelming.
I'm sure it'll be fine though, and I've decided that if I can't find a job I'll just visit various relative's and and make my way around England.

In researching England, I've slowly realized how many things there are to do and see are in England. It's ridiculous! And I want to do everything! However, I've also come to the realization that I can't do everything, so I'm going to have to focus on what I want to do most, and then do it thoroughly. That way, I will always have a reason to go back!

Stonehenge

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge

Bath

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset

York

Taken from http://www.york-united-kingdom.co.uk/york-minster/

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Taken from http://wikitravel.org/en/Stratford-upon-Avon

I wouldn't be able to call myself a Shakespeare fan if I skipped Stratford!

Liverpool

Taken from http://www.placesonline.com/europe/united_kingdom/england/liverpool

And what sort of Beatles fan would miss going to Liverpool?!

These are only some of the amazing places Britain has to offer. There are many more cities and towns that I'd love to explore. I've found a website, called Global Goose, that is doing a "Beyond London" Guide, which will be helpful in planning trips I think.

Then of course there are all the things to do and see in London itself! Tower of London anyone? The Globe Theatre? Westminster Abbey? I want to see and do it all!

Another thing that strikes me about the UK is how old everything is. A building that's hundreds of years old is commonplace it seems. Or like, in York, there was a Viking settlement at point, and the Romans built baths there. And of course, Bath is named after the Roman baths!

Yes, Canada has history. But the really old, historic buildings are in Quebec. Here on the west coast, the best you can get is 150 years. That means nothing in England. Try 900 years, or more. It's pretty astounding, to me at least!

Anyways, I've got a busy week coming up. Sorting through all my stuff, deciding what to pack (while leaving everything else neatly in my parents house), buying stuff to bring with me (I want to show my Canadian pride during the Olympics, and have little gifties for relatives who put me up). Also, it's my brother Evan's Prom this coming Friday, and Spencer's 20th Birthday the day after. Definitely an exciting time!