Hello, luv!
Hi there!
My name is Martha and I am a single, retired woman from the Denver area who is a big fan of Rick Steves tours. Since my first trip to France in 2012 I have been hooked! I am in love with England and decided to take the Villages of Southern England tour in the fall of 2018.
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SALISBURY
Day 5: Ahoy, mate!
This day we packed up and were on the move to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. This is the home of the Royal Navy and has a boatload of history to tell. We went to the dockyard and were set loose for 5 hours with an unlimited pass in hand. I started out visiting the Mary Rose, a battleship belonging to Henry VIII in the 1500s. She was sunk and was just raised in the last 50 years. As she slept much of her eroded away but the portion that sank into the mud was amazingly well preserved. I found the display and exhibits well done and interesting. Fascinating to think those wooden beams were 500 years old! What stories they could tell.
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I also toured the Victory (Nelson's ship at Battle of Trafalgar and very important to the Brits) and Victoria's battleship, the Warrior. The audio guide on the Victory revealed what life was like onboard and the details of the battle. Both ships had lots of cannons, tight quarters, and miles of rope!
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The dockyards are huge and have any number other exhibit buildings that I didn't have a chance to explore. If you are going to stop here check out the website to make a plan for your time!
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Our afternoon drive took us through the New Forest and we had glimpses of the legendary wild ponies of England. I took some time to chat with Mark and Paul about the country we were traveling. My ancestors came from this part of England and Mark knew of the small town where we were from. It was thought provoking to think of my great grandmother sailing from here in the late 1800s.
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We had a walking tour of Salisbury on the way to a gourmet dinner that night. The cathedral was breathtaking with the deep shadows of sunset. On the way back to the hotel we caught the end of a memorial service in the cathedral for the 100 year anniversary of the end of WWI. The music and voices were amazing in the vaulted sanctuary of the great church.
Day 6: Lots of stones
Our day in Salisbury, like often on this trip, I was out before breakfast to enjoy the early morning light and air. It is so nice to see a place before the crowds set in. On our schedule was a morning tour of the cathedral. It was built in an extraordinarily short amount of time (28 years) and is unique in the continuity of architecture. Most of the big cathedrals take a century or more to build and end up with a progressive style, but not in Salisbury. The soaring gothic structure was beautiful. It is also the home of one of the few copies of the Magna Carta. The basis for our style of government. Awesome to see it!
When we were done viewing the Magna Carta we had some free time to explore the town of Salisbury and have lunch. Thanks to the walk we had the night before tour members had ideas of what to do and scattered around the town: some to the laundry, some to shop, some for lunch, some back to the hotel for a rest. I chose to take a spin through the local street market.
We had a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon to take a short ride to explore Stonehenge. Mark is a big fan of stone circles (apparently his nickname among the Rick Steve's guides is "Stone Man") and as we circled the huge henge Mark took the time to weave its story in our ears. They are mystical and evocative and very cool to see. Just be warned that you will have lots of company there and you won't get very close to the monsters. We had some time on our own to daydream about long ago people and explore the excellent visitor's center.
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We were on our own for the evening. I had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and wandered the streets in the gathering dark. I had one more time to admire the cathedral before I bid goodbye to Salisbury.
BRIT BITS:
Street Markets
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I confess that I love street markets and search them out wherever I travel. And they are all over Britain. I went to at least five on this trip alone.
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They seem to fall into two different catagories. They are all a group of booths/tents manned by unique vendors huddled together. But some are every day and some are one day a week. London's Portobello, Borough, and Camden Markets are every day (or almost anyway) but the street markets in the smaller towns like Canterbury or Salisbury are one day a week.
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The goods vary from market to market and, while there is often food, there can be many surprises on what is on sale. One of my favorite things to buy is a fun pair of socks. When I use them at home I remember the day I bought them! I have also purchased jewelry, handmade craft items, and artwork at street sales. Then there are the antiques! So fun to see what goods come out of people's attics!
I love seeing what unique items are local to the area. Have you ever heard of Dumpsie Dearie Jam or seen free range duck eggs?
I find these sales are also a great time to chat with the local people. They are all working hard to support themselves and provide a product for their neighbors. A great "back door" way of getting to know a place. When you are traveling, try out a street or farmer's market!
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Steph got her fortune from a fun machine in Portsmouth
These buildings were loaded with different displays and exhibits
Bye, cathedral!
Steph got her fortune from a fun machine in Portsmouth