Bath Wrap

We are wrapping up our two day stay in Bath. This area is a jumble of history - Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Stonehenge. As our bus tour guide said at one point today, "Now let's go from prehistory to history" as we visit Lacock Village with all the houses built between 1300-1600. Despite the many types of people, one theme that seems to bind this area together is spiritualism. The things people do for religion - Bath Abbey with it's vaulted ceilings and stained glass, Roman Baths with temples and carvings, Stonehenge with stones of many tons hauled many miles and then precisely aligned. People need to find meaning, discover meaning, or simply have meaning in their lives. Perhaps this final way is the best way to describe it. There was no compartmentalizing of life and belief. And belief fueled these powerful and physical testaments. I was impressed by their efforts, but felt some absence of belief. The guides would all say "imagine what it was like 1000/2000/4000/6000 years ago." I tried imagining but mostly just pondered what strange beasts we humans are. Anyway, as Lucy has tried to impress upon the students, we need to activate our lens. Focus and discover something of these cultures and bring it back to your experience. What then do you learn from your culture? I'm not sure I have found my lens.



One thing Sara did was describe foods, so I can take a food detour for a moment. Not that this feels like a lens, but I have been disappointed with my last two pub lunches. Based on my experiences in Ireland, I had high hopes of our lunch stops. However, I guess I haven't chosen well. Fish and Chips was mushy and tasteless, and Pork Pie has stone cold and fatty. In both cases the chips were okay, but it's hard to make a meal with french fries. I had better success with dinner in a Tapas restaurant, but that's not English food exactly. These dining out experiences do allow me to reflect on my culture, however. First, in my early morning search for coffee I kept looking for people to be carrying paper coffee cups (to clue me in to where to go). But this wasn't to be. People like coffee - and tea - but not on the run. So, why do we like to have our hot beverages on the go like that? Second, was the absence of giving tips to waiters. They are paid through the bill, and service has a different approach. It's slower. You will sit forever unless you ask for the check. They don't seem to want to get you fed and out to be able to seat more customer. Again, a reflection about our expectations about service and the commercialism of the restaurant biz.