Stonehenge

The tip was to get to Stonehenge before the tourist buses started arriving at 9am, so that's what we did. Arrived at 8:45 and took the obligatory photos then walked around the perimeter to get some different perspectives.

Had the same two impressions that it seems most people have. Stonehenge didn't leave me as awestruck as I expected. The stones were big, but the formation was smaller than I imagined, and certainly wasn't as awe inspiring as other significant man made monuments like Angkor Wat or the Great Wall Of China which were both jaw droppingly amazing.

Was also disappointed that you really couldn't get that close to the stones. A rope fence kept you well away. Stonehenge was good to see, but anti-climactic after coming all this way.

We then drove another 30 minutes north to Avebury to see the Avebury Ring, another man constructed stone formation, which actually was much better, and probably more significant than Stonehenge in both its construction and use. It's bigger, older and quieter. The largest stone circle in the world, it used to have 98 outer stones and 56 inner stones, but now has about 40 and a whole village built within the ring. Leading to the site is the 1.5 mile West Kennet Avenue made up of 100 pairs of rocks creating an approach road, much like we would plant an avenue of honour with trees.

Called in at Devizes for lunch on the way home. Devizes is one of the many towns on the Kennet and Avon Canal - a significant man made canal from 1810 that's 87 miles long and joins Bristol to the Thames at Reading, allowing coal and other products to be carried to London. There was an afternoon canal tour, so we hopped on board and watched the ducks and swans float by at a very leisurely pace. Stereotypes held true, and lots of people fell asleep.

Saw a couple of other interesting things on the way home. Wiltshire is also know for having 8 large white horses constructed out of stone in paddocks scattered around the county, and we chanced upon one of them. Also traveled across the Salisbury Plains Artillery Range, and although firing had stopped for the day, the signs were still about.

Tea back at the hotel where we found, mercifully, that England (like Australia) had been eliminated from the World Cup thanks to a thrashing by Germany. Things over here can now return to normal.