"The Best of Devon and Cornwall" tour map courtesy of Trafalgar Tours
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Tours are like a box of
chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” So it was with a tour I
just took with Trafalgar Tours called “The Best of Devon and Cornwall”. Never
having traveled with Trafalgar before, all I could do was cross my fingers and
hope the trip would live up to its advertising.
And, it did! In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised—it was excellent!
The tour centered on the
southwestern regions of England and the rugged and romantic coasts of Cornwall and
Devon. In six days time, we toured historic Stonehenge, Bath, Salisbury, Tintagel
(where the legendary King Arthur called home), Polperro (a picturesque fishing
village clinging to the sides of a rocky cliff), Plymouth (in whose docks the
Mayflower and Mayflower II were built and launched), Wells Cathedral (the
oldest Gothic church in England), Cheddar Gorge (cheese, yum!), Lacock (a
perfectly preserved 15th century Cotswold village), and Windsor
Castle, just to name a few!
Day One: Stonehenge and Salisbury
Cathedral
Forty expectant souls
clambered aboard the massive tour bus outside our hotel in London on what
promised to be a spectacular day. We were greeted by our guide, Stephen Morris,
and our driver, Michael Sinclair. I could tell we were in good hands with both
of them, especially Stephen, a seasoned tour guide veteran who knew how to keep
a few dozen people happy and corralled at the same time, which isn’t easy. His
charges, the majority from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, had already been
on vacation for weeks and were primed for a good time. We few Americans aboard
knew from their infectious laughter that it was going to be a great trip!
Stonehenge, The Second Time Around
Our first stop out of London was Stonehenge. I'd been there before in 2012 and had been so disappointed to find
that no one could get any closer to the famous monolith than a few hundred feet. At that distance, I felt no connection to it at all. Roped off and inaccessible, it might as well
have been just a pile of stones as far as I was concerned. Of course, I could
understand the necessity of protecting them, but that was ridiculous. I almost needed binoculars!
This was as close as we could get to Stonehenge in 2012.
The keepers of Stonehenge must
have heard that complaint loud and clear because this time we were allowed to get
much closer, about 15 feet from the western side of it. I was thrilled! The stones weren't close enough to touch, however,
they were close enough for me to get an idea of their sheer size and mass. This
time I felt what the builders intended: that this is a place of great
importance, a place that commands respect and reverence. Thankfully, I can say that I experienced the wonder of Stonehenge, at last!
Stonehenge up close and personal in 2014!
Another improvement in the last
two years is the addition of a new Visitor’s Center. Located a mile or so from
the monoliths, it houses a gift store and café on one side, and a museum with a
wonderful virtual reality display of the monument on the other. I’d heard so
much about the “virtual tour” I couldn’t wait to see it, and I wasn’t
disappointed. Projected on 360 degree floor to ceiling screens, a recreated
Stonehenge seemingly ages through centuries of seasons, and from spring into
winter, and solstice to solstice. I stood in the middle of it for a long time, trying to imagine what it must have been like to have seen Stonehenge in its prime when it was used as a place of ceremony
and celebration.
The virtual tour of Stonehenge in the Visitor's Center
Stonehenge: Granddaddy of All Standing Stones.
What I find fascinating, is
that there are “standing stones” all over England and Europe. Obviously, there
had to be something about hoisting huge stones into an erect position and
arranging them in a circular pattern that was important to prehistoric people.
Stonehenge is unique because it is the biggest, most elaborate, and possibly,
the last of the standing stones in the UK. What its actual use was is still
debated, but it is generally agreed that it was a place of burial and worship,
as well as for calculating the solstices and seasons. And, let's not forget about the celebrations that took place after all the serious business of sacrifices and funerals were out of the way. I'll bet the parties that followed would make Woodstock look like a Victorian picnic!
Fields of poppies and thistle brighten the landscape. Recreated huts located outside
the Visitor's Center are an example of the dwellings the builders of Stonehenge used.
Bottom right is a model of a shaped stone with a "tenon" on the top. The lintels
(horizontal stones on top) were fitted onto the standing stones using the woodworking
joints of mortise (the hole) and tenon (the peg).
the Visitor's Center are an example of the dwellings the builders of Stonehenge used.
Bottom right is a model of a shaped stone with a "tenon" on the top. The lintels
(horizontal stones on top) were fitted onto the standing stones using the woodworking
joints of mortise (the hole) and tenon (the peg).
The lintels were locked together using a tongue and groove joint.
This monument was meant to last forever.
This monument was meant to last forever.
We stopped
just long enough in Salisbury to get a quick view of the Cathedral and the very
important document it houses: one of just four copies of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was the first document imposed upon a King of England by a group of
his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights.
It’s considered an important part of the historical process that led to
the rule of constitutional law in England and beyond. In Washington D. C., it
is often displayed next to the Constitution of the United States and the Bill
of Rights.
Salisbury Cathedral
(I actually visited
Salisbury Cathedral twice on this trip. The second time was a couple of weeks
later after joining up with my good friends Tom, Kay, and their granddaughter, Sutherland, in London. We hadn't
been there long when a wedding party drove up to the front door in two matching
Rolls-Royces! I would love to know who got married!)
Rolls-Royces! I would love to know who got married!)
Next Time: The Cornish Coast!
Good Reads: “New Forest” by Edward Rutherfurd. A grand historical novel
centered around Salisbury and nearby New Forest. The book is a painless and
enjoyable way to understand England’s history.
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