Stonehenge & Salisbury

In the morning we rode out to Salisbury plain and the inspiring ruins of Stonehenge. We don’t know who put it there or why, but it’s older than the Celts and filled with mystery. Much has been written about Stonehenge, and I will leave it to you to read more if you wish. I have to agree with Bill Bryson that Stonehenge is a great place to visit, but after about 15 minutes of staring at the rocks and trying to imagine the men who put them there, your mind starts to wander and you wonder if you can get fish & chips near the gift shop. Now me, I opted for a brick of bread pudding. In the gift shop they sell the same rubbish that you’ll find in any gift shop anywhere in the world. Mugs, t-shirts, miniature Stonehenges. (All I could think of when I saw those was Spinal Tap’s Stonehenge model where they pulled a NASA and got their units of measure confused, with hilarious results). And oh yes, you can buy commemorative Stonehenge socks. No kidding.

There is also a city of Salisbury, and a Gothic cathedral wherein you can see the grave and effigy of a cousin of mine, William Longspee, who was a son of Henry II and died in 1226. The cathedral also houses one of the remaining copies of the Magna Carta. (And where was it signed? That’s right, Runnymede. Just seeing if you were paying attention.)