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Published: September 18th 2007
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Kennet and Avon Canal
Uncle Alan standing on one of the old locks of the canal where he races each year I love all the quirky British names and words! Today alone I have been in Madienhead, Reading (pronounced Reding), Basingstoke and Salisbury. On my way to see ancient Stonehendge. 3 trains and a bus each way. It actually goes by pretty quickly though, not more than 30 minute train rides and 10 minute stopovers. But, for how small a country England may seem to be, traveling here is atrocious.
Passing through Reading is quite thought-provoking for me, being that my family breifly called it home about 17 years ago. I have been back since then, but it seems sort of surreal each time.
Watching the school girls travel home to Reading, I can't help but wonder ... what if I grew up here?? I love their fashion and adore their foul - mouthed accents 😊 I've found myself picking up the British accent, even after only 3 days. It's my attempt to experience their culture more, blend in a bit, not stick out as an American sore thumb. I do this everywhere I go, I even had the Danes believing I was a native through my broken Danish last time I was there. I believe that seeing a new country
is always better if you are lucky enough to see it with a native, if not, act like one!
My past few days in England have been lovely.
Countryside Tour
Wednesday, Sep 12th I arrived on Wednesday, and my Uncle Alan picked me up from Gatwick. May I take this moment to thank my parents profusley for letting us girls retain our Danish citizenship all these years. For any of you who know the horrors of London Gatwick (probably my least favorite airport in the world), I'm sure you can imagine my disgust when I noticed the customs line spiriling out of control, into the hallways, hundreds of people stuck waiting. However, my disgust quickly morphed into pity when I realized that line was for the foreigners, and, bless the EU, I mosied on over to the "domestic" arrivals, for people from within the UK and the EU. My line only had 8 people in front of me.'
Milliarder Tak, Mor og Far 😊
Alan had taken the day off from work, and he took me on a delightful tour of the countryside. Alan is an amazing athlete, and every February through April he competes
Overton Hill
The HUGEST Barrow in the land!! in numerous cayak races, ranging from 12 to 125 miles throught the Kennet and Avon canals (names after the source rivers, which join into the Thames near Newbury). These canals were constructed through the 18th century, and are all hand-operated. Some are quite narrow and special boats had to be designed to travel through these canals and under the bridges - so aptly names the narrow boat. Before they had engines, these boats were pulled by horses, which traveled alongside the canals. A lovely idea, until the horse-lines crossed or the slack in the lines pulled tight and pulled the horses into the canal 😞
These days, horses are used in historical canal tours, and it is made certain that they don't face the same fate as their unfortunate forefathers.
Alan and I traveled all the way to the source spring of the canals, operated by a GINORMOUS steam engine.
It's amazing to think of life before todays technology. How difficult their tasks were compared to our modern ease. And yet, all of the amazing tasks they accomplished. What inspiration.
Nearby are some of the Avebury World Heritage Sites. Ancient burial sites, including Overton Hill (which is HUGE!) and
West Kennet Long Barrow
The entrance to the barrow, one of the oldest and best preserved barrows in the land West Kennet Long Barrow, are Neolithic Pagan Saxon burial mounds up to 5,000 years ago. The round barrows (or hills) are known as 'hedgehogs', and hold people as well as grave goods, such as pottery and flint implements. There was also a ceremonial stone and wood sanctuary, which has been leveled to only remenants of stumps in the ground. The source of the Kennet River lies here, a chalk stream running through water meadows. These meadows serve as a type of controlled irrigation, harboring wildlife, and cleaning the water.
Lastly, we saw the town of Avebury, which is home to dozens of limestone rocks from Wales - over 200 miles away. These stones were erected 4,000, long before wheels or transportation. How did the ancients do this?? And why?? There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason as to their patter, in opposition to Stonehenge, which tracks the astrological location of the sun throughout the year.
I wonder what compelled the ancient English to make these sites. Many reasons have been suggested, such as religion, science, astronomy, display of power, sacrifical sites, processionals, or plainly gathering areas.
There are also huge chalk figures, such as horses and "the
Stonehenge
Need I say more?? rude man" cut into the sides of hills all over this area, exposing the chalky earth, which leads me to my hypothesis of why these monuments exist -
Communication to Universal Life There have been sightings all throughout history, so the ancient Saxons must have seen them too!
Anyone else have some ideas??
Stonehendge
Friday, Sep 14th To elaborate more on Stonehenge, it's bloody expensive and a long trip, but those are the sacrifices that us traveling nomads make. Pretty impressive.
Accompanied by their free audio guide of the ancient stones, I learned that these stones were precessed by a wood-henge (henge=hanging) circa 3,000 BC, surrounded by a huge ditch, carved by hand and deer-antlers, and 2 burial mounds (or barrows). Between 2,500 - 1,500 BC the stones that remain today were erected, including a front processional stone called the Heel Stone, and a slaughter stone which lays horizontally on the ground. These stones were brought in approximately 4,000 years ago, and they can weigh up to 45 tons (or 8 elephants!), and stand up to 18 feet high. The big stones are called Saresen stones, and are from Marlborough Downs (19 miles away), and the smaller ones
Chepstow Castle
Building began in 1067, right after the Battle of Saxon, and this castle was used through the 17th century are called Bluestones, and are from the Preseli Mountains in Wales (240 miles away). Again ... why??
Stonehenge obviousally had a communial purpose, such as sacrifices and processionals, but it also catches the sun directly between its stones each month and accurately depicts the winter and summer solstices.
Pretty clever ancients 😊
I've noticed that British countryside bus drivers are maniacs. And, to any of you who may travel with a weak stomach, I advise you not to sit on the top level of the famous double-decker busses through the rolling hills of the english countryside.
Castles!!
Saturday, Sep 15th We first stopped at Tintern Abbey, in the Wye River Valley. It was first built in the 12th century for Cistercian monks, and now is the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales. The Gothic architecture in the wooden valley is picturesque. There were people picniking and walking throught the grounds.
What an amazing site!! Absolutely breathtaking.
This sort of history is so magnificent, and seems to make life more meaningful. To know what our ancestors treasured and believed in, how detailed their architecture was, and the importance they gave to their legacy is inspiring.
But, the magnificence of
Tintern was shadowed by the sheer occulance of Chepstow Castle. Situated on the river Wye, construction was first started following the Battle of Hastings in 1067, by William Fitz Osborn, a friend of William the Conqueror. It was built to defend the newly acquired Welsh territories, and is one of Britain's first stone-built strongholds. It was added to over the next 600 years. It traces the evolution of medieval military acrhitecure from start to finish, and was in usage until the 18th century.
Chepstow Castle has mostly remained in its original splendor, with few restorations. It's beauty is astonishing. I felt like a princess, gazing over the Wye river from its towers. There are remnants of such intricate marble arch carvings, stone windowframes, spiriling staircases, and the tower defense viewpoints. Peering through the stone slits to the outside, you can only imagine the horror of the intruder as he is covered in boiling oils, or bombarded with arrows. The marble arches were so decedant, how lucky the royalty were! And the toilets, which seriously were holes that opened down into the river - remember not to sail near that ridge!
The beautiful, sunny day that we were there, a wedding
took place within the castle walls.
What a dream, to be married in a castle! There was an air of grace, of serenity within those walls.
We can only wonder how many people walked those same paths, and what their lives were like.
Props to the British, for not only preserving their ancient relics, but also keeping them in their natural state for us to enjoy.
Absolutely Breathtaking
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Elise
non-member comment
Amazing
I am glad to read all about your fabulous journeys! Keep up the great writing and have the time of your life lady! MISS YOU!