.full day.

7.27.09

I’d like to say first off that Allie and I made it to our meeting place early, well a few minutes late, but before anyone else got there. We were both so proud for making it on time. We have struggled from the combination of being so tired, and having to wake up so early, when we are truly not morning people. Hopefully we can keep it up for the next week that we are here . . . we’ll see how that one goes.

Once everyone showed up, we made our way to the train station to head to Salisbury where we were able to go to the Wilton House, Salisbury Cathedral, and Stonehenge. What a fun and exhausting day it has been. Once we made it into town we took a bus ride to the Wilton House.
This is where the Earle of Pembroke has resided for hundreds of years. It was a beautiful house and the guides and employees were just delighted to have us and were so excited to show us around. It is amazing to see the difference in tour guides and the participation of the students. I am so much more captivated when the tour guide is excited about the space and has information that we can take it as a result of their enthusiasm. Our tour guide was Jose. She was really cute with such a fun and unique fashion about her. She told us that several movies have been filmed in this home because it can resemble other historical spaces. She said that Sense and Sensibility as well as Young Victoria had significant scenes filmed there. It was a beautiful space. I didn’t fully understand the role of the Earle of Pembroke. The current Earle, Jose explained, is in his thirties and is recently engaged to a young lady from Scotland. We saw their picture and they appear to be normal people. I came to conclude that the Earle is supposed to carry on the family name and keep the House running. . . not much else other than be rich and famous. Will, the young Earle as Jose described, is a classy, handsome man. We saw some pictures of him. I couldn’t imagine living that kind of life. Regardless, the house was incredible, the property and exterior, even better!! It was absolutely beautiful. To top it all off, they served us pastries and Lemonade. We enjoyed our time there and then headed to Salisbury Cathedral.

On our way, we walked past a small business that had our name posted on the sign!! I was so excited!! It was really nothing too excited but as soon as I saw Whitehead, I couldn't contain my excitement. It appears to be a soliciting company. I knew that my time at good ol Aggie Connection was fitting. :) Fun. It's not everyday that you see your last name posted on a company in Salisbury!!

Another favorite shop we ran into was called "Best of Buds." I thought it would be appropriate for Allie and I to snap a picture with it. It fits.

Once again, Salisbury was another cathedral that was very different than the others we have seen. It is amazing to me to see so many designs in cathedrals. They are all so impressive in their own ways. I really enjoyed Salisbury. This building was commissioned in 1217!! 1217? Can anyone even imagine what life must have been like in 1217? This cathedral was the most impressive thing I have seen, coming from a time like 1217. I loved most of all, to see the structural aspects of the cathedral. There is a central spire that was never originally intended for the design but was later added. The entire building was built using a mortise and tenon joint with wooden pegs to secure it. I really enjoyed a tour that we were able to take into the bell tower and later on, into the spire. What a site to see from the top. Salisbury is a beautiful area of England. I loved it so much. Salisbury Cathedral is listed in the Guinness Book of Records to have the highest spire in Great Britain, reaching 404 ft. It was so beautiful!! It helped, once again to have a wonderful tour guide who was passionate about his job. It was fun because we were in the bell tower when the clock struck 4. It was a fun experience for us. The engineering behind the spire alone is absolutely incredible. The wood structures on the interior are truly an art. I loved to see the structure behind the beautiful spire.

Last but not least was our adventure to Stonehenge. I was really excited to visit Stonehenge. I’ve only ever seen pictures of it, but never knew anything about it. It turns out that the stone comes from Wales. It is assumed that is was brought across the river, and then somehow transported to it’s current location. How that was done is unknown, as each stone weighs up to several tons. I just enjoyed the scenery most. The sky was so beautiful at the time that we were there as it was the sun began to go down. I thought that Stonehenge was beautiful and I am grateful that we were able to spend a half hour or so there, as it was originally thought that we’d only have 10 minutes there. Although there is not a whole lot to do or experience while there, I still feel that it was worth seeing.

Exhausted and tired after a long day, we are home, preparing for another early morning tomorrow. This is our last little while here and I want to be able to enjoy it with as much energy as possible. We have had a wonderful time. I expect tomorrow to be a wonderful day as well. It is truly a blessing to be here to be learning and experiencing so much.