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Published: June 26th 2008
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We traded in the hustle and bustle of the big city of London for the English Countryside. WOW, what a difference. Salisbury is a quaint market town with a small touristic flavor to it. People flock to Salisbury to check out the cathedral and Stonehenge.
Lynne and I debarked the train from London and began to get our bearings. We went to the Tourist Information Center (TIC) to get a map of the local area and to determine where the hostel was in relation to the train station. We had over a one mile trek with the fully loaded backpacks. I asked Lynne what she wanted to do. She said let's walk it. We winded our way through the scenic market center and onward to the hostel. The final leg was all uphill. Lynne did an AWESOME job of making the trek to the hostel.
The local cathedral is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year. It is the focal point for the town due to its towering spire which measures in at 404 feet—the tallest in all of Britain. It is told that the town of Salisbury was one of few towns that escaped bombing in WWII. This was
because German pilots were using the 404 foot spire as a visual navigation aid to steer them to their targets downrange. The pilots were given explicit orders to keep this important landmark intact. The cathedral is undergoing a massive re-construction and preservations effort that will last until 2015.
Buses and tours to Stonehenge launch from Salisbury. This is a popular destination and people from all over the world flock to this intriguing site. Guidebooks and other travelers warn that Stonehenge will be a major disappointment. I guess some people have set their standards far too high to enjoy and marvel at such sites. Many mysteries and myths surround the Stonehenge area. Archeological, geological and scientific experts have drawn their own conclusions but there is no single definitive answer to whom or why these massive stones were erected here over 5000 years ago. Lynne and I have formed our own non-scientific explanation to the purpose of this magnificent site. We conclude that it is a very complex calendar devise which operates on the position of the sun. Some facts back up our theory. We saw a similar complex in Northern Japan, but those stones were not upright, rather they were positioned
YOUTH Hostel
Home for two YOUNG travelers flat on the ground and aided farmers into when to plant certain crops. Bottom line is that we were both awed with this historical site and marveled at its beauty rather than complain about the number of tourists and the fact that it is situated right next to a busy highway.
Another claim to fame for the Salisbury area is the infamous crop circles. Due to the close proximately to Stonehenge and the fertile farmlands of the Salisbury Plain, people flock to the area to try their skills of covertly creating crop circles. There is much fascination with these mysterious crop circles and many people have developed their own theories behind them to include the presence of aliens. Our theory—Very talented youngsters practicing an alternative form of art.
Now let’s chat about this quaint little market town. The City Center is filled with small Mom and Pop shops. These shops line the streets and specialize in one specific type of product. You can find just about anything in these small little shops. For example, on one side street you can find a small camping store. Right next door is another shop that specializes in other sporting goods. Down the
YHA
Youth Hostel Association in the UK road and around the corner, you will find a store that specializes in fishing gear. Here in the city center, you will find just about everything to include, the butcher, baker and candlestick maker. The small River Avon flows right through the heart of the city center and adds to the storybook flavor of this community. When we think of a perfect little community, Salisbury is right at the top of the list.
Our hostel was the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) Salisbury. This was the coziest hostel we have stayed in so far. The hostel is an old English country home converted into a hostel. It features a massive cedar tree in the front yard and has a beautiful common room. The kitchen and dining room was a nice feature to the place. An English breakfast was included with the rate so we took full advantage of the buffet type breakfast. Two staff members helped us out tremendously. Special thanks go out to Raisa and Liz for all of your assistance. We will keep the detailed list of recommendations and will treasure the artistic drawings to go along with it.
We decided to bypass the City of Bath and
our next stop is Cardiff on the coast of South Wales.
PHOTOS FOR LONDON ARE NOW POSTED
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jackie
non-member comment
YHA
I guess the folks at the YHA didn't see all the gray hair on your chinny chin chin. :) helo! Sut rwyt ti? It looks like you guys are having an wonderful time. be safe can't wait hear more. love you lots.