Paul's Stonehenge

Only a mere five days of freedom for Noah, getting spoiled by his auntie and uncle and running us ragged across London, before his dad joined in the fun. Paul arrived on Saturday, and our good friend Matt arrived the very next day. (It was a wee bit crowded in the Wellesley Flat). So, on Sunday Paul and Noah ventured northwest of the city to the Royal Air Force Museum to see several hangers full of aircraft whilst Derek and I headed across town to pick up Matt (and his life, stuffed into only 2 giant duffel bags and a large backpack--Matt's just started Med School in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, a city up near the Scottish border. He came to London about 2 weeks early to hang out with us and see some sights before heading north to settle in--which we'll write about in our next post!)

Needless to say, it only took a slight amount of persuasion to get everyone on the train to Salisbury and out to Stonehenge the next morning. We were all pretty psyched--there's a lot of hype surrounding it, and for good reason:

A nice shot using the handy panorama setting on Matt's camera.

Now, I'll just take a moment to say that all three of our guests are avid photographers; Noah, for example, likes to take at least two or three pictures of each subject. Figuring the excitement and splendor of Stonehenge into the equation, we knew that there would be billions of photos taken by the end of the day. So Derek and I left our camera at home, knowing we'd never be able to accomplish with our menial skills the same ingenuity as the the other three. The day became a competition, of sorts--to see who could take the best photograph of the stones, with the fewest people or cars, with the best clouds, etc. etc. The three guys were seen sprawling about the grounds, trying to get just the right angles. It was amazing to watch.

Matt and I chillin' by the stones.

Note the "tongue" sticking out of the top of the stone...

Here's a few very interesting things about the stones (and there are many interesting things about them). For one, one of the types of rock used at Stonehenge is only found in the Preseli Mountains in Wales, nearly 200 miles-as the crow flies-from Stonehenge. They think these rocks--many of which weigh about 4 tons--were carried both across land and on rafts along the southern coast of Wales and up several rivers to get to where they are today. WHY? (No one really knows). Another interesting thing is the constructors used mortice and tenon joints and the tongue-and-groove technique to stabilize the rocks (see the pic, above).

Derek and I in front of the magnificent structure.

A nice angle, found by Noah

It's a bit sad, but true: while some of the structure has probably eroded naturally, parts of the stones have been chipped off and taken as souvenirs--or even for practical purposes. What's left is still pretty amazing, though.

A nice shot of Paul & Noah.

Paul has an amazing knack for taking pictures in crowded places without getting any people in them (and it was, indeed, very crowded).

Keep in mind, this isn't the view you'd have seen in 1500 b.c. when construction was completed (so they think); instead it would have been surrounded by a thick forest.

If you're interested in more of the history surrounding Stonehenge: http://www.britannia.com/history/h7.html

After we had finished at Stonehenge, it was back on the bus for a bouncy ride to Old Sarum, a Norman Castle Ruin. Archaeological evidence suggests this site--resting atop a hill about 2 miles from the current city of Salisbury--dates as far back as 3000 b.c. Historians claim the site was first occupied by neolithic peoples, then by Iron-Age early Britons, then used as a Fort by the Romans, expanded by the Anglo-Saxons, further expanded and altered by the Normans, and continued to be used for various reasons--sometimes a palace, sometimes a prison--until about 1220 when inhabitants essentially packed up and moved a couple of miles south.

Laura lounges on the soft grass in the middle of Old Sarum.

Derek ponders the fascinating history of Old Sarum; Matt, Laura, and Noah rest on the ruins of the castle's battlements and chat about their Norman ancestry.

Noah gazes out across the ruins of a cathedral, built around 1075, which lies just below the hilltop castle ruins. As you can see, it was an absolutely fabulous day, weather-wise.

Laura, Noah, Derek, and Paul graced by the gorgeous British countryside.

The Haunch of Venison

Of course, after all this we were rather thirsty. A friendly employee at Old Sarum recommended this pub called "The Haunch of Venison." We knew by its name alone we'd have to pop in for a pint.

Sláinte!