2007-Oct-28 - A mix of irreverent TV shows and religion
When I arrived in Salisbury it was like stepping into a scene from a TV series. I walked past the unmistakable accents of Rodney and Dell Boy shouting the odds in the market square, down to the Rose and Thistle where I supped warm flat beer (for $9 a pint!) to be called "luv" all the time. Then it was off to a Pastie Shop for lunch, where I could choose from oodles of fine fatty pastry's, meat pies and cornish pasties (and Lardie Cake made from guess what!!) that was being dished out by "Arkwright"s look-a-like but without the stuttering! Ahh ye old merry England.
This was my introduction to a place I initially had no intention of actually doing much in, but after having visited the Whiltshire area Ive found England already to be another of those places that you cant but help soak up the atmosphere from, and need to pinch yourself to make sure you are actually here. The area is stock full of history, parks, rivers, ancient buildings and old english countryside that just keeps you wanting to look to see what is around the next corner. Ive even decided to spend two days in London now just to do the "touristy" things.
Talking about old buildings. Darryl and Erica live about 30 mins from Salisbury in a small village (that small it has no pub or shops) quaintly named Barrowchalke. They live in an old stone cottage, a simidgen over 500 years old, complete with thatched roof, and set in a typical English countryside maze of narrow country lanes with 6 foot tall hedgerows on all sides. Loverly!!
Had an enjoyable trip up to Bath the other day and visited Stone Hedge as well. Hmmm - what with the wire fencing, being nestled between the A303 and the A344 and the resultant traffic noise, surrounded by hordes of tourists and with the rather high entrance fee - it didnt really have the feel of the "sacred and spiritual" place promoted by the guide books. At least while I was there anyways.
A place that I did find especially awesome was the Salisbury Cathedral though. Ever since reading the book SARUM by Edward Rutherfurd, visiting the Cathedral was on my list of "100 things to do before I die" and was really the focus of my very short time here in England. I was up at cocks crow on Friday morning and out to the Cathedral before the mist had cleared and the tourists had descended - it was only me and the old girl polishing the brass candalabra. It is an amazing place to visit and I was able to spend time just soaking up the mood of the place and considering the feat of engineering that it is. It took 38 years to build, being started in AD1220; the roof has 4 acres of leading; it has the tallest spire in England and the oldest working clock in Europe; and it is reputed that there are 365 (the number of days in a year) windows and 8760 (the number of hours in a year) marble pillars. It is a truely amazing feeling to be there.
But even more remarkable was attending the Choral Evensong and service performed that night by the choir. The accoustics and soulfullness of the singing just sends shivers down your spine and its not hard to imagine how people can get "religion" in a place as remarkable as this.
And on that note just to finish, as Ronnie Barker would say before he became Arkwright "Well its goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him. Good night!"
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About Me
A journal detailing the Big Journey - New Zealand to London overland.
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