Day 5 // Learning about Learning and Bath(s)

London was wonderful (and I cannot wait to go back), but bright and early this morning we packed our bags and set out for our next destination: historic Bath.

But first we made a stop at the Royal Agricultural University.

With around 1,200 students, studies in agriculture, animal science, business, environment, equine science, farm management, food, real estate and rural land management are offered.

It was very interesting to learn about the rich history of the college and hear an overview about academics from Dr. Stephen Chadd, former dean of the School of Agriculture and Principal Lecturer in Livestock Science and Production.

We also heard from Peter Morris, Senior Lecturer in Law. This presentation was quite fascinating to me as he spoke about the impact media has on our lives and the importance of being knowledgeable consumers in terms of fact checking sources.

He also spoke about the importance of bridging the media gap between rural and urban communities.

I appreciated his comments on the importance of beginning education about agriculture at a young age, so that future generations will be more informed consumers.

After hearing from both speakers, we had the opportunity to take a short walking tour of the campus. The original buildings were built in 1845, which was when the college was opened. Once we completed our walking tour, we were able to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

When we finished with lunch we loaded back on to the coach bus and headed towards Bath.

Upon arriving, our first stop was to drop off our luggage at the hotel before going on a tour of the Roman Baths. At the heart of the City of Bath World Heritage Site, they consist of the preserved remains of one of the greatest religious spas of the ancient world. The city’s unique thermal springs rise in the site and the Baths still flow with natural hot water.

We were able to explore the Roman Baths, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins of the Temple of Sulis Minerva. We were also able to see the museum collection (located next to the bathing complex) which includes a gilt bronze head of the Goddess Sulis Minerva as well as other Roman artifacts.

After spending a little less than an hour wondering around the Baths, we met up with a tour guide and went on a two hour walking tour of the city of Bath.

This was such a neat way to learn about the history of the city as well as admire the beautiful architecture.

The last stop on the tour was our hotel, where we were finally able to check in and freshen up a bit before heading out to explore and find dinner. After essentially retracing our steps from the walking tour, we finally found a street with several dining options.

As we were walking we noticed that although it was only about 7 p.m., most shops and restaurants were closed. We finally settled on a place called Slug & Lettuce. It was a "smart chain pub with a cocktail list, a classic British menu and uncluttered contemporary decor." (I may or may not have ordered a bacon cheeseburger for dinner...)

Once we finished dinner, our group began to walk back to the hotel. Maybe it was we are feeling more comfortable with each other since we are several days into this trip, maybe it was the pleasant weather and beautiful scenery or maybe it was just pure happiness and a combination of the two: our group was light hearted and laughed the whole way back to the hotel.

We arrived back at the hotel with a few minutes to spare before our entire group would meet for reflections. Tonight's prompt was "5 Why's." As I listened to my peers answer the question, "Why did you come on this trip?" my mind wondered as I processed their answers. As follow up "why?" questions were asked I pondered what my answers to those questions would be. As a million thoughts ran through my mind, I suppose I will know the answers when it is my turn to answer the prompt.

As I type this tonight and reflect upon the past few days (how in the world is tomorrow already Friday?!), I can't help but feel blessed to have this opportunity and to be here with such wonderful people making such amazing memories.

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"And then I realized that adventure is the best way to learn."