`````````````````````
On February 1st, Alyssa, Gaby, and I took a day trip to Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Gardens. It was an amazing way to kick off my English adventures. And it was only a 2 hour journey in total. We first had to take a double-decker bus from Leeds to Ripon and then a smaller bus to the Fountains Abbey site.
When we had set off on our journey, it was a beautiful, sunny day with very little wind (a scarcity during this time of year). Unfortunately, by the time we got to Fountains Abbey, the clouds had rushed in, as well as some monstrous wind. But we were all excited for our first adventure, and so we followed the signs to Fountains Abbey:
 |
| There was a cute little cottage on our walk to the abbey. |
 |
| Yes, it really did look like this! |
 |
| Almost there! |
 |
| We made it to the abbey! |
 |
| First view of the abbey. |
The abbey was massive! To give you an idea of just how magnificent it was, look at this picture of me in front of the building:
 |
| I felt like an ant next to it! |
 |
| Entrance to the abbey. |
 |
| Entrance archways. |
 |
| Welcome! |
So this next picture is where I got some "good luck." There were quite a few pigeons flying across this open area, and when I was admiring the view in front of me, I felt a splat on the back of my head. I didn't feel anything in my hair so I kept on with our exploration. But as we were walking back to take a break, Alyssa noticed something white and crunchy in my hair.... I don't know about you, but considering that the bird pooped on the back of my head--an extremely difficult location to successfully clean by yourself--I can't say I see the experience in the same light as those who believe it is a sign of good luck.
 |
| The scene of the crime. Be careful of English pigeons! |
 |
| The cellarium, a place to store food, ale, and wines in English monasteries. |
 |
| The view of the abbey from the side. |
After our fingertips and toes felt like they were about to get frostbite, we headed back to the cafe to get some treats:
 |
| Nothing is better than a brownie and some hot chocolate! |
Afterwards, we once more braved the cold for a 30-minute tour of the abbey, led by a cute, old tour guide. I'm loving all of these tour guides! (I don't have photos from the tour since I had already taken my best photos before the tour.)
When the tour was over, we took another trail that led us to the Studley Royal Water Gardens. We only got a glimpse of the gardens (we didn't have enough time to explore it fully, so I hope to go back), but what we saw was beautiful!
We also made a hike up to Anne Boleyn's Seat:
I can see why she made this her special place. Take a look at the view!
 |
| The view from Anne's seat. Can you spot the abbey? |
 |
| Fountains Abbey from afar! |
For our last stop of the day, we went to Fountains Hall. It was a beautiful hall, but we unfortunately were only allowed to see the first floor of the building.
 |
| Fountains Hall |
When we saw this, we just had to:
After looking around in Fountains Hall, it was time to head back to Leeds. We took one last photo before we left:
It was an amazing day that made for some amazing memories. :)
`````````````````````
Here are the links to Alyssa's and Gaby's blogs if you want to check them out:
Alyssa's: http://andstartingnow.blogspot.co.uk/
Gaby's: http://cheersandsouvenirs.wordpress.com/
Until next time!
did you see the little cave while you were walking through the gardens?
ReplyDeleteYes I did! I almost put that picture up too! I didn't go in it though.
Delete