Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Lacock

Today we went to Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Lacock. Upon first arriving at Stonehenge, my Education tutor (which is what they call a professor over here), Andrew Buttersworth, explained to us some of the significant things about the monument that we shouldn't miss. I couldn't upload the video, but I'll find some way. Then we walked all the way around it and took picutures standing in front of it and with the sheep that were grazing in a field near by. I found it very interesting at the beginning to think about how they got the stones there and what the significance of them might be, but after that they just became a pile of stones that we were taking pictures next to. I know it sounds awful and kind of demoralizing to put a monument of such magnitude into such literal terms... but come on, it's a pile of rocks. They are really old rocks, and at some point they were very important rocks, but now they are mostly important to the crows who nest in them.
The first picture is of six of the Linley Ladies: Me, Tessa, Jess, Melissa, Annie, and Saina (left to right)... and I promise you that there are a lot of stones behind us, we just seem to be sort of covering them all up.

The next is of me, taking a really touristy picture. I know, I know, but we were there, what was I

supposed to do, not take it?

After Stonehenge we moved on to the town of Salisbury for lunch. This is the part where I have a funny story for you all. We walked by this pack of swans (according to Annie, they are all

owned by the Queen) and made our way to the Salisbury Cathedral. We were told that there was a really nice little café in the refractory where we could get lunch.

Now, the bus had been earlier than it was supposed to be this morning, but I had gotten up early, showered, dressed, and packed my bag for a full day. I had Pride and Prejudice, my iPod, my wallet, my phone, some lotion, a raincoat, chapstick, a pencil, a banana, a bag of apricots, and a ham and cheese sandwich that I made before breakfast. We got to the little refractory and I ordered a hot chocolate and went to sit down. Everyone else came back with their lunch and I pulled my ham and cheese sandwich out of my bag. At that very moment I realized, with shocking clarity, that I am my mother. I'm sorry, Mom, if you read this and are startled or offended by my observation, but I was slightly startled myself, although not in a bad way really. I had just saved

myself about eight pounds, and the sandwich was absolutely delicious. So, thanks Mom!

After lunch we looked around the Cathedral, we saw the Magna Carta, the tombs of great Bishops, the little chapels built in the honor of royalty, and the stained glass windows. I would love to say that it was beautiful and perfect and that I have never seen anything so grand in all my life, but I was feeling in a particular mood as we passed through and so I don't think I was particularly seeing the building with the same eyes that everyone else was. All I could focus on

was the fact that on every grave stone of a woman it said something like "Here lies Jane (insert last name here), wife of (some royal guy) who did some important thing and died at the age of 74." Now why is it that none of the man's graves say anything about them being husbands or what their wives did for a living. I know, I know, it was the culture and the time and whatever other excuse we can think of, but being in my particular mood, it just continued to make me agitated until I decided that I had better leave before I felt the need to say something about it to a clergy member. Again, I am my mother.

The stained glass was really cool though, probably the best part. This particular window, I was told by Andrew (the guy in the first video) was made in 1980 and is a little more abstract that it's neighbors. There is supposed to be a crusificion scene in the middle panel, with a cross and everything. The light from Jesus's head is supposed to be shining on the graves of all the people who died in prison because of crimes of conscience. Mary is supposed to be draped at the foot of the cross. Now, I don't know if you can see any of that, but it's not very clear and looks really cool from the ground in front of it, I'm just saying.

From Salisbury, we drove to Lacock (pronounced Lay•cock). Lacock is a Medieval town that was supposedly overlooked by modern renovations and is, therefore, the perfect site for filming movies. The house in the last picture is where they filmed the house of Harry Potter. We had a Sunday roast at a charming little inn in town and then headed back to our houses, where I am now attempting to read as much of Pride and Prejudice as humanly possible before class tomorrow.