An American in Europe

30 October

Hey, what are those rocks for?

Kris, Mark and I headed southwest on Saturday to go back, way back to 5,000 years ago. Click “read more” to see photos of Stonehenge and our foray into the town of Salisbury.

We took British Rail to Salisbury, and then a bus to Stonehenge.
Photo: Mark holds Kris on the bus

The student admission price of £3.90 includes an audio tour.
Photo: Kris gets audio

Listening to tales of Stonehenge! (It was smaller than we thought. It always looks so huge in photos, but the tallest stones are 18 feet high and weigh 45 tons.)
Photo: AJ Kris Audio

We all look pretty goofy holding these things, haha!
Photo: Mark goofy

Plopping down in the path for a photo!
Photo: Kris sit

The stones are 1/3 below ground, sticking up like “teeth in the gums of the Earth,” as the audio recording put it.
Photo: AJ sit

“Where’s the security around here?” “Yeah, I wonder what would happen if we ran up to it and touched it.”
Photo: Kris hop rope

“Where are the hippies and druids?”
Photo: Mark audio, Kris cam

Lot’s of things can be henges, as the word means “hanging.” So you can have a hay henge (as Mark pointed out) or a pig henge. (His idea.)
Here’s Medill Henge
Photo: Medill Henge

Finally, the sky started to break up. (That’s how it happens in England. It’s really cloudy, and then the sun starts to break through, like Tilex on mildew.)
Photo: Sky breaks up

AJ: “I’m going to set my camera to cloudy day.”
Mark: “Set it to England.”
Photo: Mark the comic

It took thirty tries to get this photo. For all my friends with digicams who care: Exposure: -2, White balance: Sunny. Effect: Vivid. Mountain setting, Zoom: Zero. ISO speed: 200. When the photo is seen large, it looks amazing, especially with all the little people standing around, like smaller stones.
Photo: 30th try

Kris does tree pose (I think?). You go with your yoga, girl. Nevermind the stares.
Photo: Kris Yoga Stonehenge

Those stones were here long before I was, and will be long after I’m gone.
Photo: AJ Deep Stone

Next, we headed back to Salisbury. We chilled in the Ale & Cider Press for about 2 hours, eating and talking politics, dogs, relationships and the usual journalistic gossip.

The lovebirds are on the bridge, in case you can’t tell in a mere 400 by 300 pixels.
Photo: Kris Mark Salisbury Bridge

Feeding the swans
Photo: Swan feeding

I love this town! We strolled around the River Avon, surrounded by quaint buildings and autumn leaves.
Photo: AJ in Salisbury.

Was Salisbury Steak invented here? We never found out.
Photo: Avon River Salisbury

They’ll thank me for this photo one day, when they can’t climb trees anymore. ;)
Photo: Kris Mark Tree

This spire claims to be the highest in England, and inside is a clock that is the oldest in Europe, built in the 1300’s!
Photo: Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury at night!
Photo: Salisbury Night

Britain’s got a thing for clocks
Photo: Salisbury at Night 2

Kris suggested we get some wine for the train ride home. Hey, I’m all for it! This store sold wine on one side, and art supplies on the other. How very, French.
Photo: Wine store Salisbury!

We’re a classy bunch
Photo: Mark pours wine

So we ended up with Port, and I didn’t like it at all! The first wine I’ve met that I didn’t like. Ick! I drank my cup anyway though.
Photo: Kris AJ Wine Cups

"Everybody in Salisbury get tipsy."
Photo: Mark, Kris wine cups

Me with the wine I didn’t like. Cockburn’s Fine Ruby Port.
Photo: AJ Cockburn’s

See Kris's Blog for additional photos!
posted at 01:33:00 on 10/30/04 by ajluvsu - Category: General

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