Visiting a merry man

Where I've been

One of the coolest things I think I got to see on this trip (and there were MANY) was the alleged grave site of Little John at St. Michael's Church in Hathersage.........yes, of Robin Hood. I say alleged because there are conflicting stories but honestly there was such an air of peace and rightness about the churchyard that I'm inclined to believe this one on a just because basis.

 St. Michael's Church

Most "tourist" points of interest were marked this discreetly

Outside the churchyard

And just in case you are a more literary sort, this church/graveyard also is the final resting place for the Eyre family, which I didn't know until after the visit.  Of course I don't think I've actually "read" Jane Eyre myself which is odd since I used to be a fairly prolific reader.  However, I digress ;-), this will forever rank as one of my "ahhhhhhhhh" visits.

Gargoyles and Grotesques

I tend to have a fascination with gargoyles and grotesques, not quite sure why but there is just something that is so bizarrely comforting about looking up at a building and spotting one (or many) of these sometimes whimsical but often tortured looking creatures looking back at you--and yes to me, they always seems to be making eye contact with whoever happens to glance up at them.  The amount of skill to infuse these with that much "life" is truly awe-inspiring to me. Historically they serve a purpose as water spouts to protect the architecture but are also said to protect the inhabitants from evil spirits.  Anyway, here are a few that I managed to take pics of (wish I'd looked for more).

These first 5 photos are from Windsor Castle

 My favorite :-)

I swear I think I could've taken pics of the Windsor Castle gargoyles and grotesques all day but alas, there was more to see that day.

Oxford gargoyles 

More from Oxford

Old but not rusty

Other than the castles, the Union Jack, and red telephone boxes (note, this is excluding all the London landmarks), Stonehenge is probably what most tourists put on their list of iconic UK images and places to visit so of course I had to go.......bit of a letdown actually, overcrowded and you couldn't exactly get close not without a park warden getting all cranky about it.

*I fought the law*

This lady however, blatantly flaunted the rules, stepped over the cable, and got up close and personal with the stones all the while wearing a grin that said "I traveled here, paid my money, and by gosh I'm gonna get my picture taken next to Stonehenge". I'm kinda impressed with her ballsiness.

Me, I obeyed the rules and followed the crowds.  Since there were a couple of other sites to see that day I bypassed the audio tour headphones (ickiness factor might have contributed to that) and did a quick walkaround snapping pics.

Follow the leader, lemming style

Shoulda saved my money and took pics from out there

While I am glad I  took the time to visit Stonehenge, I was slightly disappointed and I really can't put my finger on why except that it was so *touristy*.  Perhaps if I would've done the audio tour bit I might've felt a little less letdown?  A stop later in the day to the Avebury henges more than made up for my ennui about Stonehenge but that's gonna be a separate post due to me being on my wireless card in a slow-arsed edge network while writing this.  I have a ton of photos from there and want to post most of them and this connection is soooo not conducive to that.

See, I really was there!

Churchill, the end and beginning

Talking about history, this little village of Bladon was among one of several that I saw on my first day in England.  It's just a little famous for being the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill.  Most definitely one of the "ahhhhh" catch your breath and pause moments.

Approaching St.Martin's Church

Really frustrated that I didn't get this pic straight

Darn wheelie bins 

Later in my trip there was a stop to take pics of Blenheim Palace near Woodstock from outside the gates (at the end of another long day so didn't tour the site--it's on my list for next time) which is of course the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill

Blenheim Palace from afar

zoomed in but blurry

Wish I'd researched races better before my trip, would've liked to have done this one

zooming past the gates

Seeing history

Wow, it's been almost a month since my last post..........I have been home nearly 2 full weeks including one week back to work (blech) and quite frankly I'm not ready to be back. It was an amazing adventure where I was able to get away and hit some of the less touristy spots thanks to a friend who patiently drove me about and even took me to more than a few places that were way off the beaten path for some amazing photos and a running dialog about the history of nearly everything--most of which I promptly forgot.  But still it was incredibly cool to be driving or walking through cities and villages and getting a slice of knowledge that most don't get or have.

What's also amazing is hearing a tidbit of news and being able to say to myself, "oh, I have been there!".  Perfect example is Wootton Bassett, that just received the Royal prefix http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15328396.  I highly encourage people to search for just why they received the honor but do be prepared to shed some tears when you watch some of the youtube vids.

 Wish I had more and better pics but it was at the end of a very long day and I was more interested in the story and the surroundings by this point.

I will try and do some pictorial posts of what I saw/did over the next few weeks but they may be sporadic and slow in coming (sorry!).  Just a few random oddball thoughts though--there are trailer parks and rednecks (not necessarily together though) in England, not sure what they're called there but they do exist. Blackberries and strawberries were ripening in September and October.  Papertowel dispensers in public bathrooms do not exist (Dyson dryers rock though!!).  It's rare to find free parking anywhere.  A Wal-Mart is still a Wal-Mart even if it's in another country and called ASDA. Expect much slower service in restaurants than what we are used to here in the states.  Get used to saying "I'm from America and my credit card has to be swiped because I don't have the chip and pin".  Oh, and they don't check your credit card against photo id like here, instead the signatures on card and slip are scrutinized. Lemonade in the UK is not our lemonade, it's a soda kinda like 7UP.  Full-size pickups are rare, I only saw 2 that I recall (told you this was random crap, lol). On the subject of trucks, I really wouldn't want to drive one there. Think of the tightest spots to get into on the east coast with the traffic and not enough room to maneuver and that's pretty much EVERY delivery for the truckdrivers.  Yep, think I'll pass on that experience, lol.

peaceful, easy morning

I started this morning sitting outside with a cup of coffee, musing on the fact I only 5 days left in the UK while watching people drive to work (wrong side of the road), walking their dogs, and kids making their way to school (there is something so neat and tidy about the uniforms even when disheveled). 

*Not the cup of coffee from this morning 

I so could get used to this, it's amazing to me how everyone treats walking and cycling as something you just do rather than a means of exercise.  Most everyone walks--young, old, heavy, slim, smokers, all income levels, urban, suburban, rural in all types of weather conditions.

And another thing is how well behaved all the dogs are, I've only see one that had some socialization issues, but again, we're back to the walking bit, owners actually take their pets out for proper exercise.  I'm more committed to getting Elsie out for longer walks in addition to running with her after seeing this.

Ok, I have some castle ruins to go view today and a trip back to London to plan so just posting a smidge of the thousand plus pics I've taken so far

Salisbury

These Barclays Cycle Hire bikes in London actually get a fair bit of use, saw a lot of guys in business suits riding them

a swan pic just because :-)

 Some "mistakes" just turn out so cool

 Don't remember the location but very pretty