Stonehenge Rocks!!!

Ever since the beginning of this program, I knew I wanted to go to Stonehenge. After looking at the list of excursions and learning that our group was not going this year, I spoke with the director about alternate ways to get there. When I mentioned I wanted to go, he actually discouraged me and told me "nothing's out there." That couldn't have been further from the truth.

Yesterday, I embarked on the journey to Salisbury (home of Stonehenge and the steak) with Ann Marie and Heather. I was planning to journey out there by myself, but a week before I learned Ann Marie would be going with her friend, so it worked out quite perfectly. Our route of public transportation would be arduous, so I planned on waking up very early that morning. However, my alarm clock didn't go off and I ended up at getting up almost at 8am, threw my travel items (camera, lunch, fruit, water, rainjacket) together in a bag and went downstairs to meet the other girls. We began the 5 minute walk to Parker's Pieces, where the bus would pick us up to go to London. It would be about 1.5 hours bus ride to London, then using the underground to get to Waterloo Station, then another hour or so train ride to Salisbury. Our trip to Salisbury went very smoothly, as trains in England run very regularly (nothing like the MBTA). However, unlike the MBTA, the prices for train tickets are very high (About $32 for a round trip ticket from London to Salisbury).

When we arrived, we decided to do the Stonehenge tour bus, since it included the price of admission and more information about the other (doing a regular bus and admission fee was about the same) parts of the town. We boarded the bright red, double-decker "Sightseeing" bus and I made sure to get a good seat on the top level, near the tour guide, Barbara. Barbara was probably in her late 50s or early 60s, and it was impossible for me to discern her nationality. She didn't really have a British accent at all, but she couldn't have been American. Or was she Spanish, and her accent had faded away? It stills remains a mystery. Anyway, Barbara began to inform us about the city of Salisbury, a medieval/gothic planned city. We drove by the hospital where Florence Nightingale, the founder of the Red Cross, was trained at, which was very excitiing! She also pointed out other places of interest, including Salisbury's main cathedral, where the Magna Carta was stationed at.

We were almost at Stonehenge when our bus merged onto another road with rows and rows of cars lined up! I wondered, "What's the traffic all about?!?" I asked Barbara if all these cars were headed to Stonehenge. Laughing, she said, "No, no...don't worry, it is not that crowded. We on a major thoroughfare that is always slow in the summer due to people leaving early from work for holiday." Thank Goodness!! After the bus driver manuevered us through the heavy traffic, the bus took a right onto another road and there it was: Stonehenge!

When most people think of Stonehenge, they think of it as a pile of rocks or rubbish, and wonder why so many make a pilgrammage from so far away. Stonehenge is actually one of the oldest prehistoric sites in the world. It was built around 3000BC, and the great mystery is how the stones were moved (from over 200 miles away) and how they were raised. Who raised the stones up like that? Is it a religious shrine? How on earth did they get the top of the stones on the other two standing ones?. More than all of this, Stonehenge is the first example of the post and lintel system in THE WORLD. That means all our architecture, our buildings, our doorways...every two posts you see with a lintel on the top....all originate from Stonehenge. Knowing the history, the mystery, and the wonder of Stonehenge is key for visiting it.

After I was out of the bus, and our group emerged from the tunnel underground (to go through the street), I first saw Stonehenge. My mouth dropped open and I clapped my hands together in excitement. Some other in our tourists turned and I said, "I'm sorry, I'm just REALLY excited!" Another woman reassured me: "Don't worry, I feel the same way." I began taking lots of photos, while at the same time, trying to stay close to our group leader Barbara. We first had a 20 or so minute informational session at various points of the structure, and about another 30 minutes free to ourselves. I could barely listen as she explained the elaborate pulley system used to stand the stones and the natural energy of the area....Here I was, at Stonehenge. Thousands and thousands of years old...and I'm standing right in front of it. I've seen photos of it for many years, and studied it in my senior year at Holy Cross in an architecture course. But there's nothing like actually being there, standing in front of it; the scale is immediate. You are aware of your smallness, and of its vastness. It's different from writing about an experience or taking photos of it. You are attempting to capture it, but in some way, these methods fall short. You have to go there.

After being awakened from my awe-like state with the realization that our bus would soon leave, we hightailed it to the gift shop, then boarded the bus. On our way back to the center, we stopped at Salisbury Cathedral. There, we got to see some rather remarkable items. The first was the oldest known clock in the world, from the medieval period. It was very odd looking and large, consisting of ropes that lead to the ceiling and various metal wheels. I tried to count when the wheel moved and it seemed as if it moved every 5 seconds. The second very exciting place in Salisbury was the Chapel House, where the original Magna Carta is. Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed there, and it was impossible for me to get one anyway since a guide was stationed right next to it. It was enclosed in glass, and it was literally a poster size sheet of paper (high quality, old paper tho). The writing was miniscule---I could barely read a line without going blind! They must have had very strong prescription glasses!

After leaving Salisbury, we walked around the town (which is very cute and reminds me of Cambridge with its canals, fun stores, and scenery) and grabbed dinner at a nearby pub. I had a mozzerella, pesto, and tomato sandwich with salad and some chips. Due to the recent outbreak of another case of mad cow disease here (thanks Alexa), I am sort of a pseudo-vegetarian here. I find myself eating hummus, peanut butter, cheese, and fish for protein rather than red meats. Red meat isn't that good for you anyway, so I don't feel as if I'm missing out.

After dinner, it was around 6pm, and we knew it would take us around 4 hours or so to return to Cambridge (I don't get why there isn't a direct train/bus from Cambridge to Salisbury), so we decided to head out. I would love to spend some more time in Salisbury, but part of me feels fulfilled visiting Stonehenge. I don't know when I will get to visit England again, as I am hoping to visit Austria next, so I was so pleased to make Stonehenge part of my experience here. It rocked.