Putting out Fires

Well, I’ve been here almost 3 weeks and we’ve officially accomplished….NOTHING on my test.  That’s right folks.  3 weeks of missing home for nothing.  I’m going to be here forever.

Trying to be positive, thought I’d remember my Sunday solo trip to Salisbury.  I had an AWESOME time all by my lonesome in Salisbury.  This little town is so beautiful and has one of the river Avons (there’s like 7) flowing through it.  (A little trivia:  ‘Avon’ means ‘river’, so basically there’s all this rivers flowing through England called ‘River River’)  Anywho, gorgeous little town built around a gorgeous river filled with swans and the occasional bulldog jumping in after a ball.

There’s where I had lunch reading Harry Potter.  It was a beautiful day.  But the real reason to visit Salisbury is the cathedral:

Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in the world.  Standing near the cathedral looking up you could actually hurt your neck!  The inside was stunning as well.  But I must point out:  the English LOVE their dead people.  Dead people in the church, outside the church, in the walls of the church.  Anyway, I digress.  I loved this baptismal fountain. 

There are a lot of good things about traveling alone.  In Bath was given a killer price on my bus tour because the guy selling the tickets felt bad for me because I was alone.  In Salisbury I was able to get the ONE ticket left for the tour of the tour.  They only take 12 people up and the tour is very interesting, if not a bit terrifying.  The stone spiral staircases in the walls in the corners of the cathedral were so small that you could barely put your feet on each step.  And there’s no handrails.  If you’re claustrophobic or affraid of heights, not the tour for you.  Here’s a view from the first level down the length of the cathedral:

Didn’t take too many great pictures on the way to the top because I was too scared and mostly it was just dusty and dark and I was trying really hard to ignore the HUGE cracks through the structure of the top of the roof.  Anyway, got to the top in one piece, so here’s a picture from the top:

6 of the people on the tour were teenagers on a ‘pilgramage’ with their church group.  They were from the US and were without their chaperone.  I’ve never been embarassed of being an American (in fact, I’m realizing more and more how lucky I am!), but I came REALLY close that day.  They were awful. 

Besides the dead people (which truthfully, I found really interesting w/ their ornate tombs), this cathedral also holds the oldest working mechanical clock in the WORLD.  Its from the 1300s.  I’m constantly amazed by being in a country with such history that you can see all the impressions of the people who came before you wherever you step. 

OK, stop sending good thoughts for the weather.  Start praying for a miracle.