Playing Tourist: Avebury and Stonehenge

We woke up early that morning, which was unfortunate considering how late we actually managed to go to bed that night. It was Halloween which for most people might mean a day of carving pumpkins, perhaps putting fake spider webs on the bushes and stocking up on candy for trick-or-treaters. For us, Halloween meant seeing Stonehenge.

Thanks to Jason buying cool UK things last night, we got to try some Marmite on our toast. I say this sarcastically because Marmite is notoriously awful.

Jason slathered it all over both pieces of toast. A shame as he had been using my Welsh-made lemon curd on toast which would have tasted much better. I dabbed the smallest bit on one corner of my toast. It was so salty I gagged on it and was impressed as he managed to eat almost half of a slice before tossing the rest in the trash. At the very least he got eggs for breakfast.

We got ready and headed over to Fulton to wait for the bus. I saw three other American girls from Swansea that were also going on this trip. Although the bus was late, it was still nice to be with friends (especially a good one from California). When it did arrive and everyone was on, Jason and I spent most of the way there sleeping. Early mornings and late nights do take their toll.

The first stop was Avebury, which dates back to the neolithic times (much older than Stonehenge). It was a stone structure dispersed around a large area. Some parts of the town bled through, such as the pub we were let off the bus by.

 

Cute little drawings of the stone circle at the bottom.

Autumn was in the air with slightly barren trees dropping leaves of orange, yellow, and brown. Plus the main museum was an adorable old building with many historical places around it. Since it was Halloween, three older ladies were dressed up as witches and ran around on brooms, making jokes to others and between themselves. Just really trying to set the mood for the day. Some people thought it strange, but I thought it was absolutely adorable. 

The main museum and visitors center.

The pigeon keep nearby it.

Since most people went straight for the main museum, we walked to the building past the pigeon keep which was a smaller museum. In retrospect, I think it was actually a cooler one. It took viewers back in time in order to gain a real insight into how the people who built the Avebury rock structure lived. 

What they might have looked like.

 There were also tools next to the body of the child that they might have used. Each were made of different bones from various animals. They took advantage of the natural shape of the bone rather than do a lot of carving into different shapes for different uses.

We couldn't spend too much time there as we only had an hour to look about. So after learning a little about how these people lived, we moved onto seeing the stones themselves. 

The Beaker people likely rolled these stones to their specific location from many miles away. The exact purpose of the stone structure is unknown, but some have guessed that they served a ritualistic purpose. 

One of the stones with the city behind it. That's why I say the town sort of leaked into Avebury.

It was absolutely amazing being near something so old. Men who had not even evolved yet into men once laid their hands upon these stones. The smaller stones (like the second one from the right) looked very man-made, and so Jason suggested that they were markers for where stones used to be but no longer are. This site did undergo a restoration later, which makes the theory plausible. We don't know if it is true or not, though.

This monument is also a type if henge, which means it is "a type of monument consisting of a large circular bank with an internal ditch." Perhaps this is where the creators of Stonehenge got their idea.

The "henge" part of Avebury. To the right is where the stones are.

Of course now the whole area is over-run by sheep. Wouldn't be the UK if not.

We climbed up the henge to get a good view of the stones, but were also given a great view of the mountainous landscape. I think I called it the Welsh landscape, not realizing we had crossed over into England. I remember being convinced that Stonehenge was in Wales. But the map and google don't lie. It's an English monument. 

The "Welsh" landscape. And for once there are cows instead of sheep.

The view of the stones.

These pictures do not quite get across the vast amount of sheep that were here. I think they just wanted to keep away from the main areas due to all the people around. But just to assure you, their numbers were large. And the ground was littered with their droppings.

Since we wanted to see the main museum and manor, we had to cut our wanderings around the rocks shorter than we would have liked. That's the problem with groups trips. You don't get to keep your own schedule. There was a whole trail behind that we had to skip. And we found out later that there was a large horse painting on one of the mountains, which was probably viewable if we had done that extra walk. Oh well.

The walk was beautiful again back. Something about fall and multicolored leaves on the ground just creates the perfect aesthetic. Plus, it was a nice, sunny day. That would soon leave England (and Wales) for a long time. 

The manor was gated off and required tickets. Part of the fee we paid for this trip included all of the museums on the property, and so we didn't predict any problems in entering. Unfortunately, the manor was not included. We had to just enjoy the view from behind bars. 

To the right of the manor (the gap in the stone wall pictured above) was a nice garden. Since the tickets were right inside, we were still able to catch a view and take some nice pictures.

And as for the manor, if you stick the camera lens through the gaps in the metal gating, you could get pictures that looked convincingly enough as if we were actually able to enter.

I could see an old English family (of high wealth and regard) living in that manor and having high tea in the gardens. There is a strange juxtaposition with the neolithic rock structures, but hey. Just something to gossip about as you munch on a biscuit with guests. 

Jason and I used the remainder of our time at the museum. It was an interactive exhibit on Avebury. There were many signs discussing the history of the place (such as it's restoration via a very rich English man). 

There were also 3D models and touch screens that let viewers further explore the rich history. This was another point where we each wished we had more time. There was a lot to explore, and yet we only had 10 minutes to spend in the semi-lit display.

A 3D model of the stone structure.

As it turns out, we could have spent longer in there as we had to wait 20 minutes for everyone to show and for the bus to arrive. Jason and I sat at one of the benches outside of the pub and ate our pre-packed sandwiches. Although a lot of people we annoyed by the wait, I quite enjoyed it. For one reason.

It had been a long time since I had seen a dog and I was having serious withdrawals from my two fluffies back in America. This dog was the sweetest thing and just loved to lean on me to snuggle. I even got some wet doggy kisses here and there. The family that owned it din't seem to notice, and when they did thought it was annoying me. They apologized and moved it away. But much to my satisfaction, the doggy came back to me and snuggled until Jason and I had to leave for Stonehenge. 

Before we left, we got to see one last wonder of Avebury. Apparently centuries ago the land all around this mound was flattened out so that only it remained. Moving rocks, painting horses, creating mounds...no one knows what the motives were behind these odd behaviors. 

Although we enjoyed ourselves at Avebury, we both were most excited for the next stop. Stonehenge. Everyone in the UK has said it's not a big deal. All it is is a bunch of rocks. Who cares? But the hype over those rocks is huge in America. It's in our movies.

And musical mockumentaries.

Generally, people just love it. It's old and mysterious.

Once we arrived, I admit I was confused. The rocks were not to be seen anywhere. There was a large expanse of land that we drove by. Surely the rocks would at least be a little visible from the parking lot. Or was it a really long hike in order to get there?

There was a large silver building that we saw. The longer we were there, the longer I started to wonder if they were hiding the rocks inside that building. We did need to buy tickets, after all. It would make sense that they house them in there and charge people an entrance fee to see the stones. But at the same time, that does take away from the scenery of said stones. They are always seen isolated out in the middle of nowhere. Not in a stuffy room crammed with people.

Well, they always say that things are glamorized and look different when you see them in person. Perhaps this is the big secret of Stonehenge. They are all in a cage.

Luckily, I was wrong. That is where the gift shop is. And where the buses to Stonehenge leave from. Stonehenge would be exactly as I had built it up in my mind to be. This was an exciting moment for both of us. 

Okay, not exactly how I expected it. There were sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. I'm telling you, these things are everywhere! Still, they did not deter from the main attraction. There was a path for visitors to walk around the henge. Jason told me that when his dad visitied, people could walk in and touch the stones. Now, however, there was a small fence deterring people from getting too close. More preservation of this ancient monument. 

It was beyond amazing to walk around and take pictures of these "boring bunch of rocks". I was worried that i would be disappointed, but boy was I not. These things are impressive.

I think this is the famous sacrificial stone. 

The tour guide from Swansea University told us about some of the stone's history before we went there. Apparently at the summer solstice, people from all over would gather at the stones and celebrate. They set out camp outside the stones and while there had essentially one goal. The females wanted to have children. They took all of the necessary means to maximize their chances of this. The entire time. Essentially, it was one huge orgy. 

Jason was skeptical of this and wanted to fact check it. I don't think anyone knows exactly what happened, but honestly it wouldn't surprise me if this were true. Besides, she seemed to know a lot about all of the places we were visiting.

This was the original entrance to the stones. When people would travel to visit it (for whatever their reasons), this is where they would go. You can see the henge part of it as well (where the ground dips down). You can also see that centuries later it is still an extremely popular destination. Those aren't trees on the right side. It's a mass of people. 

There were a couple other things to see there aside from Stonehenge. Closest to it was the Heel Stone.

This existed alongside other ancient monuments. Archaeologists think that those being there are the reason this site was selected for Stonehenge. 

Jason and I next went out to explore the mounds next to the rock structure. These were used as burial mounds for various people of importance. Many people were climbing atop the mounds. Some did this just to do it (as we did), but some others used it as a higher up area to take pictures from. A mother and her very energetic child enjoyed running up and down the mounds. 

The pathway to the mounds were surprisingly not filled with sheep. Instead, it was a more familiar sight. 

Mooooo!!!

Since my American house is right on the mountain, we see a lot of these. 

They were very complacent and didn't seem to mind the multitude of people around them. The ones I am used to are very suspicious and don't like people. But I suppose since these cows live in such a popular tourist destination, they just don't have a choice to not like humans.

It felt nice to stand atop the mound and look down. They aren't that high up, but high enough for you to get a really good feeling.

I wanted to get a picture of myself standing tall atop of the mound. Preferably, I also wanted Stonehenge in the background. But it was pretty far off, so that didn't really work out. They are there, but you really can't see them. 

I tried to make it big enough to see the stones. They are next to the trees on the right.

Jason seemed to think it was silly at first, but eventually I was able to convince him to take one as well.

We had to leave in time to see the recreated Stone Age huts (that was the time period Stonehenge was built) and shop around the gift store. 

The bus we took there and back.
The poppy on the front was for Armistice Day in remembrance of WWI soldiers. 

The recreated huts were very well done. There weren't tools to construct things back then, and so everything had to be done by hand. It seemed as if the recreations were also done by hand. The cementing wasn't perfectly smooth and there were streaks in it from where fingers had run through it. The inside of it was also set up as if it were in the Stone Age. Animals fur blankets, little fire circles, handmade tools, etc. We had a lot of fun going in and out of the various huts.

The village recreation.

The entrance to one of the huts.

The inside of one of the huts.

There was a docent in this last hut that was telling kids about the ancient tools that were used in the bronze age. Jason and I also listened in. There was a deer skin blanket that also got passed to the kids in order to be touched and held. 

Seeing how the original visitors of Stonehenge lived was a great way to end the trip. The culture and history of the stones is what makes them more than just a pile of rocks.

Playing Tour Guide: Swansea and Cardiff

It was the Thursday before Halloween. This day was particularly exciting for me as it meant my good friend Jason would be visiting me from Paris (where he is currently studying abroad). After being cut-off from my life back home and transplanting myself in another country, this would be a very welcome visit. Strangely, we don't even see much of each other in America (going to separate colleges), which makes it all the better!

Unfortunately, he did not arrive early enough (but still early) to catch the chunnel (nickname for the Eurotrain that goes in the Chanel tunnel). Because he missed that, he also missed his bus from London to Swansea. Subsequently, he arrive at around 2 a.m. and misssed the Hogwarts Society's Deathday Party (Halloween party, but named after Nearly Headless nick's party in the books where he celebrated the day he died) he was supposed to go to with me that night.

Still, I was thankful he arrived safe and sound. As I had neglected to give him my phone number, he had no way of getting in contact with me once here. And wi-fi is never a guarantee. What is especially concerning is that the wi-fi on campus requires you to register your device to the network through your student identification information. Although unlikely, his campus uses the same wi-fi and so he was already connected. Amazing luck.

I wanted to get an early start the next day so that I could show him the Gower and Cardiff, but we did sleep in a little. We wanted to go to the Gower still and planned on it, but it started to become more and more unfeasible. We could go, but it would mean having very little time in Cardiff. (As it was we didn't see much of Cardiff.)

Plus, he wanted a hair cut. Apparently he had heard horror stories about people in France getting very bad hair cuts due to a language barrier as well as being severely overcharged for what they did get. This meant he could see the city centre of Swansea, which I had come to love. Lots of neat little stores and always street performers. Some guy with a doughnut stand in the same place everyday making that area smell of sweet cinnamon.

I found a place called Mr. Dapper, which is a very British sounding name. Most hair places I have come across here have been barber shops, while in France there are mainly salons. We thought this was funny as due to our situations, our places should be swapped. Luckily, though, as a girl I can get away with going a year without a haircut if needed. It might get a little shaggy at the edges and perhaps not as styled as I would like it to be, but length is never an issue. As a guy, Jason needs much more frequent haircuts. My dad and brother always complain about it getting in their eyes when it gets too long and I think this was the situation Jason was facing as well. 

 After the haircut, I showed him Swansea Castle. There is just something amazing about a 12th century castle in the middle of a 21st century shopping center. Very close to a McDonald's to boot. What I found funny was Jason's reaction to the grass around it. In Paris, you are not allowed to walk on the grass. No such rule exists here, and so he took great glory in being able to step on the grass. It almost seemed to impress him more than the castle.

This was actually taken during a prior trip to the city centre.

Dylan Thomas is a big part of Swansea heritage as he was born in the city. Because Jason had recently gotten into Bob Dylan who references a lot of Dylan Thomas (a lot of Dylan, I know), Jason was quite interested in this. There are some 3D pictures on walls around the fountain, and one of those was a very strange on of Dylan Thomas that Jason adored. And myself as well, as I had noticed it for the first time then.

Above it says "Castle Square" as that is the location.
Below is  plaque identifying him as Dylan Thomas thinking about writing a book.

I also introduced him briefly to the Swansea Market. It is the largest indoor market in Wales and operates every day of the week. Although I did confess that I didn't go there often. Jason didn't understand this as he always goes to the farmer's market in France which is only open once a week. However, when I pointed out that it wasn't very inexpensive like the one in France, he understood. The pound hurts me as a currency.

When we first entered the market, the veterans were out handing poppies out for Armistice Day later in November. I felt we should donate to their cause since they were kind enough to badge us, to which they responded in kind by giving us bracelets. I would have been happy just with the poppy. I think it is great that they go out there and spend their time trying to help others.

Once all of this was through...we officially called off going to the Gower. Timing was just not with us. However, now we had a lot of time to kill before going to Cardiff as the bus didn't leave for about an hour (I think). So I took that as an opportunity to show him the marina and the beach. I personally hadn't even been to the marina yet. It had always been there and I generally knew where it was...but I just hadn't gotten around to it.

That's the problem with exploring your actual study abroad location. The things will always be there, and so you keep telling yourself that you will get to it later. But as I had a visitor later became now.

From the marina, we walked along the beach. I think this stretch of beach is a bit nicer than the stretch directly across from the school, but nonetheless I was still a little used to the beauty of it. Now take a guy used to fairly frequent trips into the Marin Headlands and was now landlocked in Paris.

It was even more spectacular to see through his eyes. France is nice, but it is very busy and full of city life. Swansea, by comparison, is a very relaxed coastal town. Although as a college student I have many scholastic worries as do my peers, the rest of life can move at a slightly slower pace. It is perfectly acceptable to just go for a stroll along the beach on a sunny weekend (in fact, sun is so rare that it would be a very good idea to enjoy it whilst it is there).

Eventually we made it back to the coach station in order to catch our bus into Cardiff. We reflected a lot about our lives on that bus station. I would often remind him to look out and take in the Welsh landscape and not regret about errors made in the past. We all have them. But right now we are living in France and Wales...so doing very well for ourselves.

I took him around Cardiff Bay first. It wasn't the sunniest of weather, but I suppose that the typical view for Cardiff. I also showed him the memorial on the bay for a character on the show Torchwood who died.

 Afterwards, I wanted him to taste some of the local cuisine A.K.A. Quavers. A.K.A. the best snack food to grace this earth. Because I also told him that skittle were weird here in that they had black currant flavor instead of grape, we also bought some of those and ate both our treasures on a bench by the water.

Jason too discovered the magic that is Quavers. Cheesy, light, and with a slight onion flavor. Absolutely addictive. The skittles were...interesting. We each had a few before coming across the black currant ones. They weren't as bad as I would have thought...yet still not very good. We took the rest of the skittles on the road, while I showed hm the area right behind us.

I told him that this is what I wanted to show him of the bay. The Roald Dahl Plass.

Again, these photos were taken previously. It wasn't that sunny when we were there.

I wasn't sure if he would find it really stupid or really cool as I did. Luckily, he thought the latter. After all, this author was our childhood. He took a moment for pictures before we moved on past to the Millennium Centre. This is a famous part of Cardiff. But what he found so funny about it was the fact that they would be playing Shrek the Musical at the end of this year and the beginning of next.

From there we wandered around the city centre. I told him that it was far more impressive after a rugby match. People out in the city goofing around, cheering for their team, and vendors trying to sell out the rest of their wares.  Although it was dark, I insisted on showing him one last thing before we bussed back. He wanted to head back to Swansea, but I promised him that the thing was really cool and about to be taken down. Never again would it be put back up and that this was a once in a lifetime thing to see.

He trusted me and was so glad that he did.

Yes, of course I showed him the giant rugby ball in the castle. Even in the dark, it is cool. The only other thing I showed him (as it was right across the street) was the "Historical Wales" shop. Simply because I thought it was hilarious that a store with that name sells mainly London souvenirs. Plus, we saw this odd sight in the window:

Well daffodils are the national flower. And sheep are everywhere...so I guess this makes sense as a Welsh display?

We then headed back to good old Swansea. I promised him a "cheeky Nandos" (not really cheeky as it was planned). This is a huge chain and a big deal in the UK, and so it was definitely a cultural experience for him.

Jason adores spicy food and went for the hot style food. Apparently it was the first spicy food he had had in a long time. And although I was too afraid to test it out, he confirmed what the Brits all said. The extra hot peri peri sauce is not as spicy as the regular hot.

After Nandos we grabbed him some UK goodies to bring back to France (including his own bottle of Nandos peri peri sauce) at Tesco. We also grabbed some lunch and breakfast supplies for tomorrow. Because tomorrow we would spend a good chunk of time on a bus on our way to...Stonehenge!!!!!