Day Tripping

Today we took another train (we're getting so good at using trains!) to Salisbury. It's such a cute town, the next time I come I'm going to spend more time there, maybe I'll run into Sting who I learned has an estate there!

Our real reason for going was to see Stonehenge. We got there right as it opened so it wasn't crowded. It's pretty amazing, and it was built around the same time the pyramids were built. 

From there we went to the Salisbury Cathedral which was equally impressive, but in a different way.  It's a gorgeous gothic cathedral with enough flying buttresses and gargoyles to delight this architecture buff. It boasts the highest spire in all of Britain, the world's oldest working clock, and one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. 

After the train back to London we road the London Eye. It offered a wonderful view of the London skyline. What's neat about London is the new skyscrapers are mixed in with the historical buildings. Most cities have an old historical district and the new business district is in a different area. Paris is that way, as is Istanbul, but in London you get new and old all together. 

Even under renovation Big Ben is so much prettier in person than in pictures. 

My favorite skyscraper in London is St Mary's Ax, the one they say looks like a pickle. You can't see it from the London Eye because it's hidden behind another building, but you can see this distinctive one called the London Shard.

Can you believe how many cranes there are? I always keep a tally of cranes I can see out of the window in my Houston office; it's usually in the teens. I tried to count the cranes here, but stopped when I got to 50 and there were still several more. Indications of an economic bubble in London? 

We decided we wanted fruit for dinner; as I mentioned before we are not foodies! We walked over to Mark & Spensers for some fruit and wine. On the way we passed Hobbs, which had some splendid dresses in the window. My mother and daughter indulged me while I tried some on, and with their votes, I purchased two. The last time I purchased clothes on vacation was when I went to Argentina ten years ago, but I'm delighted with them. Now I just have to figure out how to get the VAT tax refund at the cruise port tomorrow.

P.S. Coral loved this painting. St Mary's Ax is the building on the far left in front of the Shard.