Why It s Better to Start Your UK Holiday in England
By: Benedict Smythe
Submitted: 2008-11-21 13:01:31 | Word Count: 544
After a while of grinding long hours of grueling work, you’re finally a few days away from a well deserved vacation. The question that now lurks in you’re mind is where to spend it. It’s possible that you’ve had your eyes set on the U.K. for quite a while but not really sure where to start. Whether you decide to start there or not, England is definitely a place you shouldn’t miss when you are planning to have a vacation in the United Kingdom.
We’re going to London!
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No trip to England can be complete without a visit to its capital, London. There are countless things to see and mostly are marvels of architecture. One of the landmarks that people often associate with London is the Clock Tower. This is the tower that a lot of people think is the Big Ben. The truth is that Big Ben is actually the bell inside of the Clock Tower. Other man made marvels located here are structures such as The London Eye, British Parliament, The Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Aside from the architecture, London is also rich in culture. One of the attractions tourist flock to see is the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. The guards that are on duty are relieved of their post by another batch of sentries, done by a well choreographed ceremony. This usually starts at around 11am, so if you are used to waking up after lunch, then maybe you’d like to adjust that body clock a little bit.
Stonehenge
Without any idea of it whatsoever, Stonehenge may seem like a boring pile of rubble. The thing is that tribesmen have laid out these stones in ancient times, and it has puzzled archeologists as to how they were able to transport the stones there with the technology of their time (or lack thereof). There have been a lot of theories as to what they used these stones for. Some say that it could have been a ceremonial temple used by druids; some say that it was used as an ancient clock because of its relation with the position of the Sun and the Moon. Another theory is that the whole area of its location (the County of Wilshire) is actually a burial ground and Stonehenge is a temple of their memorial. Regardless of what its purpose is, it’s captivated the minds of scientists and tourists alike.
The Roman Baths
Even people in ancient Rome appreciated the spa experience. The Roman baths, which is located in the city of Bath, was a place of public bathing. It is still well preserved and there are many stories and exciting facts behind it. Gladiators would go to the baths after a fight (an additional initiative to win aside from not dying), and would relax and replenish. They would use certain stones to scrape of grime and dead skin from their bodies that was actually collected and put in containers. The reason for this? Women would actually rub it all over their faces, believing that the glory, bravery, and other qualities surviving gladiators would rub off on them. It may seem unhygienic but it was the norm of that period.
