Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Tuesday, November 1 - Salisbury and Stonehenge

Our trip is almost coming to the end. The weather seemed to have turned cold over night. It's foggy this morning with a slight mist in the air as we make our way to the train station to Salisbury. Just an hour and half from London's Waterloo station is the historic medieval city of Salisbury surrounded by picturesque countryside the jump off point to Stonehenge.

 

 

Upon arrival we make our way to the town and came across a wonderful place for take away lunch before catching the big green tour bus. Eating on the bus with fork and knife from a lunch box is rather challenging while the bus is winding through country roads. (Not recommended)

 

 

We arrived at the visitor's centre with a slight heart burn only to find out there is yet another shuttle to take to the actual stones. The wind is howling by now in the open fields and you can see who is dressed appropriately and who is not.

 

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. Stonehenge's ring of standing stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC,although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC.

 

It's a bit amusing to see bunch of people getting excited about taking pictures of large stones but it is what this place is all about. Gary is all hyped and obsessed with taking perfect pictures with the hundred pounds of gear he brought. I took a picture of him taking picture of the sheeps and the highway just behind the Neolithic stones. Perhaps there's a Starbucks nearby???

 

After all the hype Gary decides to re-arrange one of the big ones on his own.

 

Just before heading back to London we said a prayer and lid a candle to give thanks for our wonderful trip at the Early English Gothic Salisbury Cathedral built 1220-1320. The evening lights were lit up making this a picture perfect postcard.

 

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment