Above: The Neolithic Stone Circle of Stonehenge is only nine miles from Salisbury.
July 7th-8th (Days Six and Seven): SALISBURY AND STONEHENGE
We started out by visiting the Salisbury Cathedral. It is very different from the Canterbury Cathedral but I found it equally impressive. The baptismal font with its reflections was almost mind blowing. We also spent time in the Chapter House and were lucky to see one of four original copies of the Magna Carta that remain. Many of the stores and houses in Salisbury were flying the English flag, in celebration of the English national team, which was playing in another World Cup soccer game. Stonehenge was the first time I encountered the crowds of other large tour groups on this trip. Even so, we were there when it wasn't as crowded as normal. Mark was our personal guide through Stonehenge. You can also tour Neolithic Houses and I found the Stonehenge Visitor Center had well done exhibits. The gift shop was packed, so I skipped it. We then drove on towards Dartmoor National Park and stopped along the way to take a short train trip on the Swanage Railway to Corfe Castle. We had time to visit the castle and have lunch in town. Have you noticed the blue skies so far in the photos from this trip? No rain. We began joking with Mark and Liz that we didn't believe it actually rained at all in England.
MUSINGS ABOUT DAYS SIX AND SEVEN
- The beauty of stone: What I remember most about these two days was the variety of stonework. In the Salisbury Cathedral I was drawn to the different colors of stone used to build the cathedral. To me there was so much beauty in laying stone upon stone to create a giant monument. Then, at Stonehenge, you see stone being used in a completely different way. But they both felt like art to me. I consider our tour guide, Mark Seymour, to be "The Stone Whisperer." His knowledge of ancient stones and the times surrounding it was impressive. I learned so much. His guidance with ancient stones became even more evident when we traveled to Dartmoor.
COUNTRYSIDE OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND
Even with the lack of rain, coming from Colorado, I consider this green and lush.
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Just never ending rolling hills.
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Keep an eye out for the man on the horse!
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A Sketchable Moment
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For these sketches I did pencil drawings on site and then added watercolor and pen later. Actually, for these two, it was on the plane ride back home over the Atlantic. I made about four to five different sketches of Stonehenge. This was an instance too where I strayed from the group to draw. But, I could still hear what Mark was saying about Stonehenge through the listening devices we carried.
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The Neolithic Stone Circle Stonehenge: watercolor and ink
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Corfe Castle: watercolor and ink
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Solo Travel Tips |
Slowing Down |
Stepping Up |
Often times Rick Steves tours meet in the morning and then have a lunch break or an afternoon off. With everyone together at the end of the morning activity, this is an easier time to ask someone if they would like to join you for lunch. I found that people were happy to take me up on my offer. I learned many are cautious about not wanting to seem like they are intruding into your personal space. Asking them shows you are open to company. |
We did not have much free time these two days. Lunch time and dinner time became the times to unwind and I found I needed more time built in. In 2019 the tour will get a free afternoon in Salisbury. I think that is a great change to help people recharge mid tour. |
Day 6 Walking + Running: 8.3 miles Steps: 19,444 Flights Climbed: 1 floors Day 7 Walking + Running: 3.5 miles Steps: 8,415 Flights Climbed: 6 floors |
