AVEBURY!
...so we're on the road again. This is still Wales, Chepstow Castle to be exact. We stopped here to visit yet another Tourist Info office to get lodging in Salisbury for that evening. This is a good opportunity for you to check out the "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" sign in juxtaposition with a medieval castle...you don't get to see that on many other web sites I'll wager!
We spent a little while wandering the town of Chepstow in search of an ATM (our main source of cash while in the U.K.). We had spent our last farthings on the B&B in Llandago. Daniel and I were "positive" that Rosemary would take credit cards, Beck wasn't so sure...she was right. We ran across this several more times on the trip...how can you run an overnight lodging place without taking plastic, it's so, er...un-American.
Alrighty, another "must-see" spot checked off my itinerary. Avebury! The more clever of you will have noticed that we have been traveling back in time. London was mostly 1500-1700's...Tintern Abbey, the 1200's...the Roman ampitheater, 80 A.D....and now this, Avebury! Brace yourselves, these stones were set upright approximately five THOUSAND years ago!!! Inconceivable to the American mind...I just had to give 'em a big hug!
The stones are set in a large circle completely surrounding the small town of Avebury. Off of this circle extends an "avenue" that runs what looks like about 1/2 mile. Here we are walking down the middle of that "avenue" towards the Long Barrow which is a couple of miles away...quite a feeling knowing that you are walking where our ancestors have walked for millenia. In this picture Becky is caught doing the reading/expounding/grooving thing...hehehe.
What's this? An ancient Druid emerging from the entrance to the Long Barrow? Nope, it's c'est moi...
A shot of Daniel and I inside of the Long Barrow...this was originally filled with bones when first excavated. Archaeologists make no hard statements about what went on here...lot's of "could have", "maybe this happened" sort of stuff. I like it when experts tell you straight out they are only guessing.
When we arrived (there is no gate, ticket taker, etc.) and walked into the barrow we startled a couple of young druid worshippers who were kneeling in one of the side chambers. I espied them secreting something in the walls just before they left. I whipped out my mini-maglite to see what it was but to no avail, it was hidden in a deep recess...offerings is my best guess.
This is a picture of us leaving on the footpath from the barrow and a good perspective to get an idea of the surrounding countryside...we are now on the Salisbury plains. Not quite as flat as Daniel's plains of Kansas but more of a gently rolling hill country. The large hill to the left of us there is Silbury Hill and is completely man-made about the same time the stones were erected. It's composed of mostly chalk with a topsoil covering and is the tallest man-made artifact in Europe.
...the walk back to Avebury became another one of those "forced march" thingies we can't seem to resist doing...it was miles. Here we have the lovely Rebecca in an ungainly pose climbing over yet another one of those "quaint" stiles.
...so in the center of the town of Avebury is a still functioning, old Saxon church. We were all alone in this ancient, holy place...so what does Daniel do? I'm not sure whether he was trying to crack me up or what, but...well, the picture says it all, doesn't it?
This one is for the Sacramento Kalals. We saw many huge, wonderful, historic, unique (pick your adjective here) organs on our trip...but it was here in Avebury's old church that I thought of you guys and said, "Hey, I need a picture of an organ for Bob and Adena"...and here it is! It's not huge, etc., etc., but I thought it charming.
...next up, Salisbury, "Right!"
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