Salisbury.
Mike and I woke up really early for us.. I think he got out of bed about 7am and we left home by 8. We got on the Tube and tried to go east, but there was a strike on the tube and there weren't any trains running on the line that we were trying to take (!!! Chagrin!) So we got another line and got to Waterloo station by 9am.
We had a bit of a problem figuring out how to get a ticket to Sailsbury: the kiosk was well designed, but doesn't take the kind of credit card that we have. (It needs a validation chip or something) So, I empty my wallet of cash and we get two tickets, find our train and have a 1.5 hr train ride. I'm kinda grouchy because of the early waking, so I go back to sleep. I woke up one stop from Sailsbury and Mike and I got off. (Sometime I'll explain the fussing Mike goes through when he gets anywhere: he likes to move all sorts of things around in his bag, his pockets and then rearrange his jacket. This was the biggest reason that I pushed for such minimal luggage.)
He went to the tourist information booth and I went to the washroom. The night before Mike had found a suggested hike in the magazine and he wanted to do it, so he was getting information on how to get to the starting spot and the things we could see when we got there. The biggest tragedy of the day was that I didn't know how much he wanted to go on this walk: I thought our goal was to see the Sailsbury cathedral and Stonehenge. Disaster insued.
We walked down the street and towards the main part of town. The shops we were passing by were very quiet and kind of relaxed, everyday kind of shops. There weren't a lot of people on the streets. Mike found a little wall outside a bookshop along the Avon river, or what we thought was the Avon river at the time, and we sat down and tried to plan our day. I was hungry and in response to Mike's asking me what I wanted to do, I consistently answered lunch and eventually we head off in search of something to eat.
We walked along the river and along twisty winding streets in the sunshine. It was a beautiful day. We came to the village centre and were overwhelmed by the number of people. We went from having a nice, easy walk along some sleepy side streets to walking through pedestrian streets - very narrow - crammed with shops of all sorts. I ducked into a bookshop because Lady Chatterly's Lover was almost at an end and I wanted to see if I could find a copy of Love's Labour's Lost to read. I couldn't and the queue - so quaint! - was too long so we headed out of the store. We entered Fish Row and Butcher Street and a census lady asked if we were 14-19. We told her no. I asked her where we should have lunch and she pointed at a place on the corner, whose windows were full of glass shelves of pastries. It was sunny and the whole place was lit like a haven. (I swear there was a halo and heavenly music, but I may have just been starving)
We went in, and waited for about 10 minutes and then had an amazing lunch. Mike ordered a giant pastry - it was full of beef and burnt his tongue - and, after receiving a lot of pressure from me, jacket potatoes. I had lasanga and it was remarkable. We had no room for dessert and headed out to the market to shop.
About this time Mike is getting a little ancy, and I can't figure out why. I ignore him - entirely my fault - and look for scarves. We bought a purple on for me - everything in my teeny backpack is purple - a red one for his mom and a green one for Mrs Carbino. I walked to a candy seller and bought 3 pounds - as in the currency - worth of fudge. By this time Mike is in a real stink and I'm wondering what's going on: we have tons of time to see Stonehenge, even though we've just missed the last bus. So I ask him and - although we are surrounded by noisy generators - we communicate effictively, if a little harshly, and figure out that the first thing we're going to do is go on the hike that Mike found in the magazine. We strike off and after a couple wrong turns, we find ourselves in the middle of a greenspace that runs along the Avon River and rises so that you can see an awesome view of the city on all sides. We keep walking, along this rough trail and come to a huge, manicured lawn used for 4 or 5 soccer courts. We walk through this and towards the place we're heading to: Old Sarum, an old, Roman castle. We go in, and after telling a very pushy English Heritage man, Hugh, that we weren't in England long enough to get the value of a subscription, we get into the castle grounds. Mike runs around, exploring the ruins and I sit and eat my fudge.
Mike has a map and a bus timetable of how we can get from Old Sarum to Stonehenge and goes into the shop at the gate to confirm the directions and find out where we can catch a bus. After about 10 mins, I head in to find out what's going on. Hugh is giving Mike the poorest, least clear directions and I drag Mike away in the nick of time: Mike's head was about to explode with confusion. We find the bus stop and put on our rain jackets as it starts to rain.
We travel to amesbury on the bus, and past a Secret place. Literally a "Secret" military base. We're in the top of the bus and get no end of enjoyment out of feeling the bus hit the trees that run alongside the skinny little roads. We arrive in Amesbury and have a 45 minute walk to Stonehenge, most of which is through old, winding country lanes, but some of which is along a 4 lane highway, which we have to cross at one point. As we're walking along the highway it begins to rain, the path disappears and the wind picks up. I'm happy about my sturdy shoes and my raincoat. We're approaching Stonehenge from the foot of the hill and it's beautiful. It's much better to approach it via walking than by bus.
We get to Stonhenge with 15 mins before the last bus goes to Salisbury and Mike goes in, walks around and comes out. (I didn't because I've seen it and they don't let you that close to the stones anyway.) We get on the bus and head back in to Salisbury.
When we get there it's cold and rainy. We walk towards the downtown: I'm hungry and have a one track mind. I want one of those pastries we saw in the window earlier in the day. The shop is closed, along with everything else. I manage to get a tea and Mike and I walk to the cathedral and marvel at it's size and what it must have cost to build it. It's amazing. We walk around it and the weather begins to clear a bit.
We decide to head home and go to the train station and after buying a muffin and a bag of chips - I've eaten one every day I've been here so far - we get on the train. Mike has the first book in the fantasy series Wheel of Time on his iPod and he shares with me as we head back into London.
I don't think we had dinner this night. I think we went home and went to sleep.. I believe I had a shower before bed, because I was so cold from all the walking in the rain.
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