It's a long day. Our trip to Stonehenge starts at 5 AM, as we enter an Uber with half-open eyes. Their pick-up points are at two hotels conveniently located 40 minutes from our lodging in either direction. The coach bus is comfortable, and the tour guide is a wonderful woman. She's knowledgeable, but she doesn't talk to much that you can't some extra sleep.
The sun barely rises by the time we arrive. Our group of 52 enjoys the ancient structure in silence and awe, waiting for admission to the sanctified inner circle.
How the ancients stacked these megaliths without the help of lifts and cranes is beyond anything I can imagine.
The joints fit together hand-in-glove.
This is where I continue to hone my photography skills - I have the uncanny ability to capture photos with no one (or almost no one) in the background.
It's a cold morning, but I'm grateful it's not freezing. We do stop for a warm-up English Breakfast at the George Inn, and it tastes like an awesome two meals. The beans swim in a mild tomato sauce, the fried potato is dense like a hash brown, and the sausage is deliciously soft and mild. The scrambled eggs are just okay, but I appreciate them going easy on the butter. The mushrooms and tomato cut through the protein and carbs, and they taste extra savory when wrapped in a thin slice of bacon-ham.
I'm happy for breakfast but sad that it takes away our exploration time in Lacock. We only had an hour anyway, but Lacock Abbey is Hogwarts, and I would have loved to find Harry Potter's childhood home. Plus Lacock is a village of artisans, and every shop holds pretty and affordable souvenirs that are locally made and unique.
Pardon my lamentations, I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend this tour. I just love exploring, especially in places that are difficult to access without a car, and I would have liked to see a little more of everything. We've moved onto Bath by now, and their Abbey is another beauty. No time to go inside, but the outside is worth a gander.
The Roman Baths. Breathtaking, just stunning stonework all around. Don't touch the water, but it's easy to imagine the social scene down here.
We have just enough time to visit the Jane Austen Museum. The guides are authentically informative, and it's a short but loving tribute to an English idol. They even have regency dresses and costumes in case you want a photo with creepy Mr. Darcy, and Marianne rocks the waistcoat.
A long day but a great one, and they drop you off in the city by 6 PM. Plenty of time for dinner and a pub, and dinner is where we'll go.
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