Last Days

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These last couple of days have been eventful. Yesterday, I decided to take a boat on the Thames to Greenwich, which is really only like 20 minutes away. Greenwich is most famous for its connection to Britain's maritime and astronomical history. The Old Royal Naval College, right off the river, is a Neoclassical monument by Sir Christopher Wren (who designed St. Paul's), and on the hill behind this is the Royal Observatory, where the Prime Meridian was first decided on and marked down, setting time and easing navigation. Greenwich also is a nice little town, just away from London that you miss out on all the chaos there. A perfect place to linger.

Today I did the unthinkable and actually took a bus tour. I didn't have a choice, though - time has run out, and since I rearranged these last 2 days, it was either this or nothing. But the nice thing with this tour was that it really was just a transport tour. They drove you around, but then you had the freedom to explore on your own. Nice this way I think. So, my all day tour covered nearly 300 miles round-trip, and I went from Salisbury to Stonehenge to Bath to London. Definitely rushed, and the traffic back into London was absolutely horrible. It wasn't as bad, though, as the traffic I remember coming back into Bangkok a couple of years ago. I fell asleep for a couple of hours on the outskirts of Bangkok, and when I woke back up, we had only gone like 10 miles!! That time in Bangkok taught me about patience.

Salisbury was all about its grand cathedral, Stonehenge, which is just up from Salisbury, is obvious, and Bath is a quaint town famous for its Roman Bath and perfect, Neoclassical Georgian town. The best for me, though, was Stonehenge. It's world famous for a reason, and I loved it because it's one of those rare spots on Earth where no one really knows what's going on. We live in a world where we need to know everything all the time. But here, on this great plain, everyone is confused, scratching their heads. It's mysterious, and I love it because it refuses to give up its answers.

Tomorrow I head off to the airport and then back home. Because of an irresolvable scheduling conflict, though, I actually have to fly back out to London in like a week or so. Look out for a few more blogs, probably 3 or so, on my time in Oxford and around. My goal is to basically stay sane for the next couple of weeks. I love travel, but this is starting to kill me.

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Photos

Morning River Cruise
That big building is brand new, and is called the Shard - not the best name.

Boarding
Greenwich is 15 minutes down the river that way.

Old Royal Naval College
Right off the river. Christopher Wren designed this.

Great Painted Hall
In one of the domes at the College. Actually used to be the dining hall for retired naval officers.

The Painter in his Painting
I always love when painter's do this. Sir Thornhill looking at you, saying I did this, aren't you impressed.

Chapel at College
In the other dome. Liked the ceiling mainly.

Royal Observatory
Can just see it up on that hill in the distance.

The Prime Meridian
Runs right through Greenwich. Longitude is east or west of this line.

Feet in Two Worlds
One foot east, the other west. Straddling the Prime Meridian.

Fish and Chips
I love sitting in English pubs.

Salisbury Cathedral
Beautiful place, and the tallest spire in England.

Salisbury Nave
My required photo.

Another Nave Shot
This one is more by the altar. This church was built pretty fast, and I like how you can see this... by the symmetry all through the building.

In the Cloister
Great trees growing here.

Stonehenge!!
About 15 minutes away from Salisbury.

More Shots
Stonehenge predates everything I've seen, even the Pyramids. It was started in 6000 BC.

Another
You can only get so close. Roped off, and you walk around it from a distance of maybe 10 yards.

Farther Away
Literally just sits in a great field all by itself.

Bath's Bath
Not the most original name. Roman's built this to bathe in the warm waters. Abbey in the background.

Better Bath View
Sits right over a thermal crack in the Earth - a lot like Glenwood Springs.

The Thermal Cavern
Awesome - like the entrance to the underworld. Romans built this to funnel the hot water to the bath, and then out to the river.