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Stonehenge Salisbury Bath London
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Superbly situated in southern England's rural heartland, few destinations can match the amazing diversity of Salisbury and Stonehenge - with a history dating back over 5,000 years there is no shortage of places to visit, all conveniently located within an hour or so's drive of each other.
The rain had stopped for the morning so it was a bright sunny day traveling through the countryside with sheep grazing on the hills and big fat pigs in the mud to look at. We drove past the military training grounds for army tanks and also an Air Force flight school.
We visited Salisbury Cathedral and it is one of Britain's finest medieval cathedrals, Salisbury Cathedral is set within eight acres of lawn and surrounded by historic buildings and museums within the spectacular Cathedral Close, the Cathedral is unique in being built almost entirely in one architectural style - Early English Gothic. Britain's tallest spire (404ft) was added a generation later.
Inside the Cathedral has nearly 800 years of history including the finest preserved Magna Carta (1215), Europe's oldest working clock (1386)
After a quick tour and a stop at the gift shop we headed to an old pub call the Cloisters. We had hot chocolate, beer and french fries. Just enough to keep us going. Then we had to get back on the bus.
Stonehenge stands impressively as a prehistoric monument of unique importance, a World Heritage Site, surrounded by remains of ceremonial and domestic structures - some older than the monument itself. Many of these features - earthworks, burial mounds and other circular ‘henge’ monuments - are accessible by road or public footpath.
Stonehenge’s orientation on the rising and setting sun has always been one of its remarkable features. Whether this was simply because the builders came from a sun-worshipping culture, or because - as some scholars believe - the circle and its banks were part of a huge astronomical calendar, remains a mystery.
After walking around these bunch of rocks we were freezing. We headed for the gift shop and the Stonehenge Cafe. We had an Audio tour that told me more than I need to know. Watching over this site is a modern day Druid.
Now, back on the bus and onto the next stop.
The City of Bath England. A World Heritage City. It was a Roman city with the original Roman baths and a spa with hot springs beneath the city
It’s a World Heritage City with an Abbey. Bath has been home to historic writers, such as Jane Austin, artists such as Gainsborough, architects and designers John Wood and Goodridge, inventors, John Oliver. It is basically a tourist town. Lots of gift shops and restaurants. While we were there they were preparing a big event of lighting their Christmas Tree by the movie star. There were many kiosks set up around the Abby selling food and many interesting things. We had a nice lunch and then we were back on the bus after doing a little shopping.
Poor Laura was freezing in the bus and the driver didn't much care. The bus dropped us off two miles from the hotel. We had pleaded with them to drop us off at the hotel because we had old people and big fat people and it was so windy and cold and dark and the people didn't know where they were. But, tough luck, they didn't care, so no tip for those jerks. Laura and I helped the people walk back to the hotel and we stopped along the way for a bathroom and some hot chocolate.
We grabbed some sandwiches and then went back to the room to warm up, relax, and watch BBC TV.
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