the first stop of the day was the car rental place. david and becky headed to the rental office and then becky carefully guided david home. he tells me he nearly had an accident pulling out of the parking lot. i totally believe it. that whole being-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-car makes right hand turns hard, left hand turns easy (but hard because it hurts your brain), and the gas pedal and brake pedals are under the right foot but lateral in the car instead of medial. soooooo, anyway. there were challenges. he got back in one piece, and from there things went smoothly in david's capable hands.
we said our goodbyes to becky, packed our overnight bags, drove through a million roundabouts (some with a few tricks about them), and finally got on the motorway headed to the southwest to visit salisbury and the beautiful salisbury cathedral. the drive was gorgeous, the distance nice and manageable, and the prize upon arrival was better than expected.
the cathedral.....jaw dropping.
inside, we strolled in the cloisters,
peeked at the tombs and the grave markers on the floor inside the nave,
and felt overwhelmed by all the beauty.
the cathedral alone was worth the drive, but it also happens to be home to the best preserved of the remaining 4 original versions of the magna carta. we huddled into this light-protective case and peered closely at the hand written document that demands the people have a voice, written way back in 1215. i wonder if it made any sense to the kids, but they can be sure they'll be reminded a million times that they saw the original, just a few miles from where it was penned, when they get to their world history class in school.
salisbury was a very cool medieval city, with ancient arches, walls, and old old pubs, restaurants and buildings around a stone paved town square.
we had lunch at the ox row inn, and felt very much at home in this cozy 16th century pub.
after lunch, we strolled through the farmer's market in the town square. this was no ordinary farmer's market. i mean, sure, there were tables covered in beautiful flowers and fresh produce, but there were also stands where you could get your clothing altered, your pictures framed. there was even a vendor selling underpants in plastic bags. good stuff.
but we skipped the shopping, got back in the car and headed a few miles north of town (and straight into the rain) to get to stonehenge. i have wanted to go to stonehenge for as long as i can remember. i was so excited. so. so. so. excited.
we were all pretty jazzed up to see the stones, so we skipped the museum and got right on the bus to the get to the site. as we got off the bus and approached the stones, the clouds broke, the sun came pouring down from the sky, and the full drama of ancient history, wonders of humanity and earth, and the glory of the british sky all converged in the few lovely moments we were there.
the area around the stones is dotted, both near and far and all along the horizon, with neatly shaped evenly spaced burial mounds. it's pretty cool. here is a mound in the near ground, but also a whole line of them along the top of the hill in the background.
after a stroll around the stones and all the marvel and awe at neolithic man's ability to quarry and move massive stones for many miles, shape the stones, level them on uneven ground, and perfectly align them to equniox events, all while wondering at the why? question, the clouds started to recollect overhead. rain threatened a return, and we headed off to the museum.
one last group shot, on our way to the bus.
the drive away from stonehenge was through some of the most breathtaking pastoral countryside. emerald green fields, glimmering in the sun with their fresh coat of rain, and dotted in tiny new lambs and their sheep moms. the rolling hills, the big blue skies, the green and lush.... you know what it looks like? WISCONSIN.
(i realize that these pictures through windshield glare are not that incredible, but the view they represent....just take my word for it. it was awesome.)
the hills got bigger as we approached bath, and the whole place is so darn beautiful it makes you want to cry. i almost did, but i had duties as a navigator that i had to attend to, so i kept my eyes dry. we were driving through the cotswolds, and it turns out that the whole region has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. i'd say they've got that right.
after driving right up a giant hill, we pulled into bath as the rain returned, and the city became the gloomy wet rainy narrow alleyways of contemplative jane austen novels. (also known as heaven. HEAVEN. it made me want to brood over mr darcy under a tree in the countryside).
a peek-a-boo sun shone on our hotel as we arrived,
and after a bit of rest, we wandered the town to peek in the roman baths,
to pose by a blue wall (all ramona's idea, and a good one),
to pose in a phone booth,
and to find yet another old pub for dinner (this one claims that admiral nelson stayed here once).
the food was outstanding (roasted vegetable goat cheese pie with cabbage and mash.....mmmmmm).
but best of all was the cozy hotel bed awaiting us 2 blocks away.
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