Angekommen

[Ilayda]

Wollte nur eine Vollzugsmeldung abgeben...
Sind also in Bath angekommen. Habe ich schon erwähnt, dass ich Südengland liebe?? Diese ganzen alten englischen Herrenhäuser... *schmacht* Ich glaub, ich bleib hier.

In Bath gibt es ein interessantes Museum: Museum of Costume & Assembly Room. Aus dem Text: One of the finest collections of its kind in the world present the story of fashion over the las 400 years. Free audioguides bring to life the changing styles in fashionalbe men´s, women´s and children´s clothes.

Ich geb mal immer wieder Zwischenmeldungen von mir...

Kind regards
Susanne

[Lix]

*schmacht*

[Maria]

Ebenfalls da sein will. Hier kriege ich ja noch nicht mal eine Nähmaschine organisiert!

[Morbus]

Ihr habt's gut... Schaut Dir nur ja alles gut an, damit Volaire ihren Schneidern demnächst neue Aufträge für schöne Klamotten für ihren Lehrmeister geben kann.

Dann noch viel Spaß "auf der Insel", lasst's Euch gutgehen. Wir sehen uns...

Lieben Gruß,

Björn

[Jerexehy]

Hach!!!

[Ilayda]

My first report from England:
Yesterday we arrived at Dover and we drove through the land to Salisbury. There we stoped and watched the Cathedral of Salisbury. The Cathedral was build in the 12. century and is "frühgotisch - early gothic??". Its tower is 123 meters high and the highest churchtower of england. There are only ca. 10 higher towers of churches in Europe. Very impressing were the columns and the cloister with the monasterys garden inside... And they had a tomcat in the Cathedral. I found this very funny.
Then we left Salisbury and drove to the north. We wanted to see Old Sarum, that was the origin of Salisbury. One of the bishops wanted to live in the plain, and Old Sarum was lying on the top of a hill. But we didn´t find the road to Old Sarum, and so we went on to Bath. Nearby Salisbury lies Stonehenge, but our time didn´t allow to visit it yet.
In Bath we occupied our house and then we had to wait until the rain would end... But nothing happened... *g*
In the later afternoon we decided to drive to the Chew Valley Lake, a great lake just 20 or 25 km away. It is one of the greatest habitat for birds in England. We had a walk for an hour and then returned to our car because we wanted to get home to dinner.
Today we hat rain again - is there any other weather in England?? We drove to Cheddar. There are two big caves and a very impressive gorge. We have made a lot of photos... On the way to the caves we saw a "Lidl"!!!!! And it had opened... it was a wonder... We bought three bottles of Pepsi and toast because we have a toaster in our kitchen...
The caves were wonderful and we all were amazed... At our return we made a stop in Wells. There is one more Cathedral and we went in of course... The Cathedral is also build in gothic style. It has over 120 stone-sculptures. After visiting the Cathedral we ambled through Wells and then we had a lot of work to find our car.
After our arrival at our house we ate and then the children went to bed. So I could write this report.
I hope you enjoyed it and I will go on tomorrow.
Susanne

[Jerexehy]

Mh...well- your report was really interesting and fun to read. I will forgive you the pretty small amount of mistakes I found but I am sure maria will find about a thousand more... (but don't worry,. darling, you know how she is with such things, ay?)...

have a wonderful time! We want to hear every bloody detail...

[Ilayda]

I didn´t say that my English is perfect. I´m just learning. And when I write my report in English, I can learn...  

[Maria]

Anika! Stop spoiling her. You need to be firm with your students. At first I was all like "What the heck, why is she writing in English?" but it's only fitting. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Britain do as...

[Ayla]

Kay ...so this is gonig to be our foreign talk thread..fine...

more talk please

[Jerexehy]

I am lost for words.

[Ilayda]

This morning I woke up and something was wrong. I thought I was back in Germany... it wasn´t raining any more. But when I managed my first surprise, we were very happy and planned the day.
So we went by bus to Bath and made a lot of photos because Bath is a very attractive town. Many of the buildings are conserved from medieval times. Most of them were built of sandstone. The whole town is a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
We visited the "Roman Baths", they were found in the 18th century. The romans came to England in 43 AD and they found a thermal spring here which was admired by the natives, they had a Godess named Sulis. The romans called the temple they built here Aquae Sulis and they adored Sulis and Minerva. Next to the temple they built a bath which was used by all citicens and many people came here from the whole Roman Empire because the bath was famous for the healing effect of the water. About 400 AD the Romans left Bath to recapture Rome and the baths and the temple got to ruins. Then some centuries later the english men used the ruins and builded their homes onto these walls. So the roman buildings were lost until the 18th century.
Now they have a museum here and there are audioguides for Germans, too. So I did understand all of the explanations.
After we left the baths, we strolled through Bath and found an KFC... mjam.
Then we visited the Cathedral... a lot of photos here... and at least we went home by bus again.
But we didn´t see all of the things we wanted to see in Bath and so we will go here one more time...
The museum of costumes is waiting for my visit... And here is a "Circus" and the "Royal Crescent" with the "Royal Victoria Park". But I will give a report when I have seen them.
So, you will read the next text tomorrow evening.
Good night!

[Jerexehy]

...waiting...are we having a dia-show on a biiiig screen when you return, dear?

[Ilayda]

Back from the front...

We visited Stonehenge and Old Sarum today. Because both of them are part of the "English Heritage", we are now members of this organization. Just for two weeks, but the price was 44 pounds!!! But the entrance fee for all places we wanted to see here in England would have been much higher.

First I describe Stonehenge. The stone circle was built between 3000 BC and 1600 BC in three periods. No one knows today why it was built. Some of the stones were carried over 100 km from Wales to this place. Stonehenge is orientated to the rising and setting sun, but you know this already, I expect. Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site, too.
But more important than the facts I heard there was the impression of these stones in the middle of the hills - it was really overwhelming.

After this we drove to Old Sarum and this time we found it... (You remember, at the first day we drove out of Salisbury and wanted to visit Old Sarum, but we missed it - or didn´t I mentioned this detail?)
Now we were able to see these ruins what in the beginning of the Middle Age was the castle of Wiliam the Conqueror in 1070. But before this using it was built in about 500 BC in the Iron Age and then occupied by the Romans, the Saxons and at least by the Normans. In the middle of the 12th century a town grew here and the castle expanded. Also a Cathedral was built here, but the first one was destroyed a few days after sanctification by lightning. The second Cathedral built here was larger than the first one and contained the resedence of the bishop.
But when Old Sarum grew and more and more people lived here, the water wasn´t enough here and so they decided to move downhill to a new settlement, Salisbury.
The stones of the old castle were used for other buildings so all we can see today are foundation walls.
A little information additionally: We found an information panel on which the "great tower" of Old Sarum was explained. There we found a statement what is interesting for us: It is an Norman old word for "place of the noble", it is "dunjon". This place was in the great tower. After the king was settling in his new castle, the great tower was used as a prison and propabely the word "dungeon" is originated from this...
More from England tomorrow...

[Lix]

Dunjon? That explains the french "Donjon"-castle-thingie, too... heh...
I'm still sooo jealous! What's the house you stay in like?