July19-Breakfast and Bath

This morning we walked across the street for yet another delicious English breakfast.  Here’s a sampling of what it was like to sit with 19 choristers.

•          After everyone had their food, we explained what was needed in backpacks for the day which included water bottles, a book if reading on the bus while driving is an option, your camera and maybe a sketchbook (optional).  We also said that chapel shoes and clean socks should be left near their doors for easy access when we return to the hotel after visiting Bath. We asked, “What will you bring in your backpack when we leave for Bath?  First response: “Chapel shoes!”
•         In response to the questions of what you should do with your water bottle— “Put it in your chapel shoes”. (The correct answer was fill it up and put it in your backpack.)
•        Mr. Bruner was explaining that, “We are not heathens and will change into a fresh shirt today.” Hands shoot up.  “What’s a heathen?”
• Much  discussion and sniffing of marmite, a beloved English spread/condiment.  Thus ensued a discussion about yeast, eating dough, and whether raw or baked cookie dough was preferable.  Eventually someone asked, ”So is marmite something you add to cookies?”

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On the way to Bath, Carter points out how ancient people carved large drawings and symbols called hill figures into the chalk-faced stones surrounding this area.  We pass a large white horse (Carter says it is the Westbury White Horse and only about 300 years old) and we also pass a geometric pattern  carved into a hillside but I am unable to get a picture before it passes.  Google images provides one here:

Carter says we’ll have chances to see many more on the way to Stonehenge.

We instantly love Bath.  One of the boys notices the abundance of row houses and says it looks sort of like the houses in Daly City but more. We exit the coach and head to the river where Mr. K notices the weir (a series of successive dams intended to regulate the flow of water) and reminds the boys about a piece they have sung called Sally Gardens that has that word.  We take a group photo, which takes much longer than you would expect.  I finally say, “Look over here, please, and pretend you are having a good time.”  And they smile or not as you can see.  Then they do it jumping.  There’s a snack and sunscreen time.  Nearby is a labyrinth and they walk it in unusual ways.  Some sit down in the middle and eventually all join in.  I repeat the directive to look this way, look over here etc.  It is unseasonably hot, they’re distracted and we walk to the Roman Baths.

We each are given an audio headset.  There are tours for children and for adults in a variety of languages.  The boys are fascinated and we learn about the life of Romans and how they used the baths for socializing, cleansing, praying and for throwing curses written by scribes into the waters.  The best curses named a specific individual the gods could curse. If the person being wronged wasn’t sure of the name, or suspected more than one individual, all could be named.  Scraps were found when the baths were excavated.  We saw how water moved in and out of the baths and toured different rooms and areas including a place for sacrificing animals.  There were maps and video clips of armorers (people who were in charge of the armor used by Roman soldiers), gossiping women at the baths and ordinary people who came to enjoy the waters and relax or exercise. “Kind of like The Bay Club, (a high end fitness club in San Francisco) a boy in my chaperone group observed.  There was a large pool that the tour guide asked everyone not to touch, as the bright green water wasn’t safe.  Dozens of tourists dipped their hands in and I saw more than one adult tasting the water.   We stood nearby and safely took pictures of each boy in my chaperone group near the water.  Boys wanted pizza for lunch but because it took 45 minutes to come out, we were unable to go to Bath Abbey before we had to meet the bus. Or get ice cream.  About ten minutes into our drive back to the hotel, a boy noticed he had left his camera at the restaurant.  Carter called but they “didn’t find any camera.”  We turned the bus around, went back and Carter spoke with them to no avail.  Back on the bus to our hotel where boys grabbed black chapel shoes and socks and walked in processional order to the Cathedral.  The camera would later be found, still in the hotel room where it was left.

After the service, we walked to a local park and the boys played hard in the playground and blew off some energy, which turned out to be great because we waited an hour for our pre-arranged dinners.  There were appetizers and lots of interesting conversations and laughter and joy in being together. Finally the food arrived and some of us left early to get back to the hotel before dessert. Boys showered and had lights out.  Another memorable day in England.

The River Avon and and the Pulteney Weir in Bath.

Let's try this again.

Maybe if they put their hands up that will look good.  Or maybe not so much.

I said let's try jumping up when I count to three...

I went in to the bakery so they could try an English scone but they only had three so I was forced to buy jelly donuts.

"Walking" the labyrinth.

Or fooling around on the labyrinth which seemed to be equally enjoyable.

Look over here.  At the camera.  Over here.  Do you see me standing here?

An ancient soaking tub at the Roman Baths.

Varun takes his turn posing for the folks at one of the great pools.

Jack buys a catapult at the gift shop and shoots wadded napkins at the target while we wait and wait for our pizzas.

This is what the target looks like on the other end of the catapult's path.

Callahan and Matthew try a more balanced approach to play.

The playground may never be the same.  Well, it will but the memories will linger.

Alex takes a swirl around the playground.

On the way to Poultry Cross, our meeting place  to connect with the choirmen who, for some reason, didn't want to go to the playground after Evensong.

Poultry Cross. Look over here.  Where I'm standing. Whew!