10 June 2019.
Can it be ten days since we returned from our spring trip? Wrestling with jetlag, re-entry, laundry, and catch-up gardening took more than a week but the last segment of our 6-week trip is worth relating.
The weather gods continued to smile on us. I am sure the citizens of Wiltshire would have liked some rain but it suited us to a T to have sunny days and fluffy clouds. We even shed our jackets a few times.
From Wales we headed to Wiltshire, home to Stonehenge and the Avebury Circle as well as the city of Bath and the ancient city of Salisbury, where we made our base for four nights. Should have made it five nights.This is a rich, full area with much to see and mileage required to see it.
It is a challenge to depict the size and the impressiveness of Stonehenge.
We barely stopped at Bath, only long enough to see the Roman bath complex. The center of the city was a madhouse of tourists! We had hoped to return another day to see more, but driving in, parking, and driving out bordered on the ridiculous. We had initially planned on staying in Bath, but although I had been trying to book 6 months in advance, lodging was scarce on this Bank Holiday weekend. So we moved on to lodgings in Salisbury.
Stonehenge was first on the agenda and so much more impressive than I expected! We arrived at opening and the crowd was minimal. Efficient buses ported us to the circle, which cleverly is not visible from the Visitors Center so the monument is revealed dramatically. I thought I would at least be interested but seeing Stonehenge in person is a pretty magnificent thing. We found the VC absorbing until late morning when the crowds became annoying, so we took off for Avebury.
Avebury is gigantic! I had read about it but did not have a good grasp until we actually arrived. The henge is so large there is a village inside the circle. With a pub. A great place for lunch and good timing as we were peckish by now.
Ric demonstrates the size of one of the stones in the Avebury Circle.
Sheep and tiny lambs graze freely around the Avebury Circle.
A principal ceremonial site of Neolithic Britain, Avebury is considered to be one of the largest, and undoubtedly the most complex, of Britain’s surviving Neolithic henge monuments. We walked about the stones, enjoying the company of the sheep, and having the good fortune to visit with a guide who could add to our understanding. How did these ancient people have the vision, the strength, and the patience to build these sites? It would be a fantastic place to visit with an archeologist.
Another day we ventured to the ancient site of Old Sarum. If you’ve read Edward Rutherford’s epic novel Sarum this is a must-visit. How fascinating to see the little hill, the castle ruins, and the foundations of the old cathedral! We happened into Old Sarum the day of a Roman re-enactment, luckily arriving before the throngs expecting to watch staged battles. As I re-read Sarum, it is delightful to picture the site with a better understanding of the topography. For an aerial view, click here.
At Old Sarum, a re-enactor demonstrates what Roman life was like.
Re-enactors practice their Roman battle skills prior to an exhibition.
From the castle ruins one can gaze down on the massive foundations of the old cathedral, The cathedral was demolished in the 13th century and the stones used to build the new cathedral and close at Salisbury.
Not to be overlooked is the city of Salisbury itself. On the Sunday we visited, the Cathedral opened its doors to tourists after services so as the congregation gathered for coffee, we gawked at the magnificence. It is almost impossible to comprehend that it was built over the course of only 38 years in the 13th century. Notre Dame took 856 years; Sagrada Familia was started 150 years ago and still isn’ t completed.
We walked through the close after dinner one evening to find the Salisbury Cathedral bathed in a golden glow.
The Cathedral is set in a magnificent close, the largest in Britain at 80 acres. The close contains schools, Diocesan offices, museums, and private residences, some of which are magnificent mansions. Ric and I thought we’d take a short walk through the close one afternoon which turned into well over an hour by the time we passed through it and around the walls back to our lodgings. It’s huge and worthy of further exploration.
Rick and Jane departed from Salisbury while Ric and I hung out for another day and night intending to do very little. We caught up on laundry and then had time to check out the Salisbury City Walk sponsored by the Visitors Center. It was a great overview and lesson in history and culture. Would that we had done this Day One!
Since the day was divine and we were purposefully unscheduled, we decided to wander after lunch. Finding a path along the River Avon, we were soon diverted through a park and into the Harnham Water Meadows along a meandering path with more views of the cathedral, sheep, and eventually the small town of Harnham. This is the kind of thing we love to stumble upon: an “urban hike” or, if our timing is right, “a path to lunch,” as had we known, we could have eaten in a pub situated in an old mill in Harnham.
This old mill at Harnham is now a popular pub.
So our day off from travel turned into a delightful opportunity to further explore Salisbury and revealed many sights we could have explored with more time. If you choose to stay in Salisbury, give it some time as there is much to enjoy. Good restaurants, too! Check out The Giggling Squid.
On the River Avon, a swan and her (his?) cygnets settle in for the night.
Our last three nights were in lovely London. We’ve been there many times, last in 2017 for two weeks, so this stop was meant to be a relaxing return to a favorite city before our long flights home.
London did not disappoint. No iconic sights this time, though. We met friends from Seattle for wine and tapas, walked for several hours through Kew Gardens, last visited in autumn and a completely different experience in spring. We ate excellent Indian food at Punjab, took another long urban hike through the sprawling Regent’s Park, and enjoyed a final pub meal with a superb pie at The Queen’s Head.
Herewith a few of our dozens of photos from Kew Gardens. There is a Chihuly exhibition in progress, a lovely surprise.
For the entire trip, I averaged 16000+ steps per day on the Fitbit, about 7 miles, as nearly as I can figure. Not bad compared to what we manage at home.
For now, the consumption of chips, crisps, beer, and scones has stopped. No more Parisian baguettes nor croissants for now. Camembert is off the menu for a while. No full bottles of wine at dinner. SIGH.
Back to reality…and planning the next trip: Italy and Switzerland in September!
Girovaga 