Giant multinational corporations drive the homogenization of cuisine around the world. These massive chains can squeeze out small businesses and endanger the unique culinary customs and traditions. But for all their faults, they have one major upside - consistency. When I had a pack containing everything I brought on the trip on my back and was making the two and a half mile walk to Victoria Coach Station, I knew I could simply walk into Starbucks, scan the app on my phone, and walk out with an iced americano which would taste exactly like the ones I enjoy back at home. So while I know that it's better to sort small independent shops, it really is hard to beat the convenience.
On the topic of chain cafés: probably more of a London thing than Britain in general, but there are a surprising number of Starbucks here. More so than in other European cities that I've been to. It isn't the most prevalent one though. That title goes to Pret A Manger, which is on practically every corner.
I was walking to the coach station to board the bus for the day's tour to Stonehenge and Bath. The station was a little hectic, since many tours and intercity buses were all departing at roughly the same time, but everything worked out. While leaving London, the guide began pointing out some interesting locations such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrods, etc. She also talked a bit about pub culture, and although I've experienced it a bit, one new fact stood out. Apparently, the term pub is derived from public house. In the olden times, when water was not sanitary to drink, light ales tended to be the beverage of choice. Those who were better at brewing would start to sell to their neighbors, to the public, so hence the name. The ride to Stonehenge is fairly lengthy, about two hours, and after exiting London the guide didn't have much to talk about for a while. The passengers went about 50/50 on napping and using phones. I decided to pass the time catching up on some reading.
At Stonehenge, the visitor center is about a mile and a half from the stones. Shuttles continuously run, but the walk is through fields and by the ancient borrows, making it rather enjoyable. Interestingly, Stonehenge was smaller than I expected. Not small, just smaller. The largest stones are over seven meters tall and the "small" ones weigh about three tons. Also, I discovered that the stones were carved in a peg-and-hole manner, making them interlocking. The surrounding borrows seem like small hills, but very special ones, since they are Neolithic burials. Fun fact about the Stonehenge: it only became public property in the 20th century. Cecil Chubb happened to buy it at an auction for £6,600, outbidding a farmer who just wanted the land. I say "happened to buy" since he was actually at the auction to buy some curtains. And I thought my impulse purchases could be extreme… However, after just a couple years, he donated it to the public domain earning himself and his wife knighthood.
From there, we drove to Bath, the location of the only thermal springs in Great Britain. The Celts found it, the Romans built a bathhouse after taking over the area, and it fell into disrepair under the Normans. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the thermal springs were considered medicinal (an English queen cured her infertility there, even though the king hadn't gone with her…). Later the Roman baths were discovered and restored. Many famous authors spent time there, including Jane Austin and Mary Shelly.
Bath is also the home of the Sally Lunn bun, which I learned about from Tasting History. Thanks Max! I thought it would be a small bun which would go well with some coffee, but they turned out to be at least 20 cm in diameter and served with hearty meals. I wasn't quite feeling a large sit down meal, so I found a little café where I picked up a double espresso and a scone with clotted cream. Turns out, when people say British scones are better, it isn't just a matter of the grass being greener on the other side. I've never minded the taste of baking powder on American ones, but without it, the British scones are more buttery and tender. So scones and clotted cream: another item checked off the list and thoroughly enjoyed.
Bath has a very vibrant food scene, with cafés, restaurants, and food shops lining the streets. All sorts of other shops are there also, but they simply aren't as interesting. For lunch, I kept up the British food trend, grabbing a pasty at a stall in the market. Traditional Cornish pasties are meant to be a meal in a pocket. They contain beef, vegetables, and potatoes ensconced in a dough pocket. The pastry's seam is extra durable. Traditionally, this was meant for coal miners whose hands were dirty. The seam was the handle which could then be discarded.
My earlier rant about the loss of culinary culture wasn't entirely fair. Although cultural fusion may endanger the 'purity' of certain cuisines, it can also lead to fantastic new mixes. The pasty I had wasn't Cornish per say. It was filled with a spiced vegetable mix containing a hint of curry. As a side effect of the messy history of colonialism (there's a lot to unpack there, but not in this post) Indian food has a significant market in England. Thus develop blends of Cornish pasties and vegetable samosas, producing a delicious culinary bastard.
Now, getting back to the city. Most buildings have facades designed to create a unified view, practically untouched since they were built in the 18th century. At the center of the oldest part of town is the Bath Abbey, which hosted monks until Henry VIII broke off from the Catholic church. Two local universities happened to be hosting their graduations there, so I didn't get to peek inside, unfortunately. The general vibe of the city is light and relaxed, and I liked it more than what I've seen in London.
The bus ride back was also a trek, but the four or five hours of bus rides in total were totally worth it to see the two UNESCO World Heritage sites.
