“WHY are we looking at ROCKS? We drove all this way just to stare at a bunch of stupid rocks?!?” – Tom, age 9.
Yes, indeed. I’m happy to report that the children are really embracing their hands-on history lessons. We’re so proud.
While chatting with the medieval knights at Warwick Castle (as one does), they recommended skipping the over-commercialized, plexi-glassed, tourist mecca that is Stonehenge and head to Avebury instead. So we did. Because when a knight holding an 5 ft sword tells you to do something, you kinda do it.
Avebury was impressive and worth the drive, despite a certain disgruntled middle child. Yes, they are ‘rocks’ but they are also the largest stone circles in Europe, dating back to the Neolithic age and that’s like a really, really, really long time ago. There were just a handful of people at this beautiful UNESCO Heritage Site and we were left to wander around at our own pace. There were sheep and dogs and a farmhouse selling Cornish ice cream. Lots of room to run after hours of being cooped up inside our car. Pretty great, actually.
We spent the better part of the afternoon at Avebury. It was Shane’s birthday too, so I spent a bit of time by myself, missing her, missing my friends and family and wishing I was closer. Having a few moments of quiet while leaning up against a Neolithic stone, Whatsapp-ing my besties back home on the free wifi made me happy. Only the martini was missing. Shane would get a big kick out of the irony. And a bigger kick out of the martini, no doubt.
After Avebury, we continued on to Wells (England’s smallest city – city being defined as any place with a cathedral) to meet up with our former next-door neighbours who now live there. We got caught up over a delicious dinner and loads of wine while the kids played xBox and soccer. So, so much more fun than staring at rocks, they all concurred. Sigh.
The next day, William took us on a tour of Wells. He was an amazing little tour guide. It was market day under the shadow of the cathedral and so, so beautiful. Nearby is “Vicar’s Close”, said to be the oldest surviving residential street in Europe, dating back to the 14th century. It looked like a movie set, actually.
After meeting up with Paul and Luke, we headed towards Glastonbury, well known for its music festival. It’s also rich with history (is there anywhere in England that isn’t?). It’s King Arthur and Guinevere country and was believed to house the Holy Grail at some point. I wanted to be all serious and ask appropriately intelligent historical questions, but I was too busy looking for Monty Python around every corner.
Aside from music and history, a visit to Glastonbury seems to be part of the ‘must do’ pilgrimage trail for those interested in mysticism, spiritualism and neopaganism (and that’s a lot of ‘isms’). It reminded me of Nelson, BC crossed with Haight Ashbury. Lots of hippy-ish people wandering around with dreadlocks and flowing clothes. Crystal stores everywhere, witchcraft and Tarot readings and potions and herbs and incense and candles. And smoothie stores. LOTS and LOTS of smoothie stores. Totes Nelson.
We also managed a hike up the Glastonbury Tor, described somewhat optimistically by Paul as a ‘mini-Grind’. It was amazing. 360 degree views, perfect weather and naked people bathing in the healing White Springs at its base. We tiptoed into the dark, damp cavern built into the side of the Tor to see the healing pools. In keeping with the “Glastonbury-ness” of it all, the White Springs signage warned visitors of slippery floors, dim lighting, and faerie portals. We intrepid Newlands drank from both springs whilst artfully sidestepping said portals. The water, declared Lucy, was “deeee-licious”. http://www.whitespring.org.uk
Truthfully, though, the hike up the Tor with Paul and boys was one of the highlights of our trip so far. The kind of thing we’d have never done without ‘locals’ to show us. We’ve been so lucky to have connected with friends, old and new, at nearly every turn. Not sure what we’ll do when left to our own devices…
We’re now in St. Ives for a week, slowing it down and recovering from our manic pace. All five of us are loving it here. We’ve got history, we’ve got beaches, we’ve got castles. But most importantly, we’ve got xBox. We might be here a very long time.
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