Stonehenge!

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 27, 2015

How nice it was to sleep late and wake refreshed and ready for adventure! We had breakfast in the hotel, which was a decent hot buffet with lots of items from which to choose. After walking into town, we had more coffee at Starbuck's and then did a bit of browsing in the shops. It was fun to wander around in such a lovely town as Bath. There was so much to see and do. Even simply viewing the amazing architecture was a thrill.

After a few hours of wandering the lovely old streets, we had a wonderful lunch at Sally Lunn's. The historic tea house was in a quaint, old building which is in fact the oldest house in Bath. We all ordered the House Blend tea, which was incredibly good. The shop is famous for their Sally Lunn bun which is a light, slightly sweet yeast bread made with cream. Bath is quite proud of their original "bun". 

Sally Lunn's, Bath UK

Craig and I at Sally Lunn's Eating House in Bath.

I ordered a bowl of pureed vegetable soup, which was very good. Served alongside the soup was a quarter of the famous bun which had been toasted and slathered with butter. I also had a half bun that was spread with lemon curd and served with clotted cream. It was amazingly delicious! Des chose the bun served with dilled cream cheese, smoked Scottish salmon, and lemon. It was superb. He had a dessert of apple cake with clotted cream. Craig ordered the vegetable soup and Welsh rarebit, which was served on a Sally Lunn bun. It was a fun and delectable meal. If you dine there, don't miss the little museum in the basement. 

Lunch was a treat at Sally Lunn's.

A Sally Lunn bun with lemon curd
 and clotted cream. Heavenly!

Craig in Bath UK.

After that fantastic lunch, it was time to board a tour bus to Stonehenge! I could hardly believe that another dream was about to come true. I had wanted to visit Stonehenge for as long as I could remember. We were all looking forward to it. Desmond had visited the ancient monument on an earlier trip to England but was still eager to view it again. We had a great bus driver, John, who entertained us with his wonderful sense of humour. As we approached the visitor's center where we would board larger buses that would take us to the stones, I began to feel rather emotional. This experience had been on my bucket list forever. I felt as if this were some sort of pilgrimage.

The visitors center is situated about a mile from the prehistoric monument. The ancient stones can't be viewed from that location, which is good. It's much more dramatic to come upon Stonehenge as you crest a low hill and see the stone circle in the distance. It is possible to disembark the bus at the halfway point and walk a trail which will take you to the stones, passing at least one of the ancient burial mounds which are scattered across the gentle, green hills.

We left the bus with our audio guides in hand and began to follow the path that encircles the stones. The information on the audio guides is very thorough and if I wanted additional details, I was able to push another button to learn further interesting facts about a particular subject. I learned more from that little device than I had ever discovered via any other source.

My first glimpse of Stonehenge.

The area was not as crowded as I had thought it would be. That may have been due to the exceptionally chilly weather.  It was quite breezy and very cold, even though the sun was shining much of the time. However, in spite of some discomfort we were awed by the mysterious Neolithic stones. It is truly a breathtaking experience. 

Stonehenge was absolutely amazing!

I am certain it was no accident that the standing stones were placed upon the slope in such a manner that they appear to tower over you when you are standing at the "front" and seem smaller when you are looking at them from the other side. We found it very sad that there had been some vandalism to the stones in recent years which had necessitated restricting access to them. It's impossible to walk among the stones. One can only stand in wonder and gaze at them. But that was enough, though I did wish we could have been there at a time when there were fewer visitors, perhaps very early or later in the day. I felt as if I needed some time alone with those ancient, mysterious rocks which have aroused curiosity for ages.

What an incredible visit to Stonehenge!

We would have remained out there much longer, but wanted to visit the exhibition at the visitors center before heading back to the bus. We looked at an outdoor display which explained how the heavy stones may had been transported and put into position. We also saw replicas of the huts that would have provided shelter for the workers all those centuries ago. They were circular, thatched huts which contained unique beds and shelves made from interwoven branches. They were very impressive. There was more to see, but we all wanted a hot drink before returning to the bus. I will never forget my visit to Stonehenge. It was everything I had dreamed it would be.

That evening, we shopped a bit at Sainsbury's, which is a very popular grocery chain in the U.K. There, we were able to purchase items that are hard to find in France and the U.S. It was fun to wander through that store. I was pleased to find out that they all have honeybee hotels within them. 

Later, we had supper at a pub. Craig tried the fish and chips, I had a steak and ale pie, and Des chose the salmon. He and Craig tried more local brews while I sipped my ginger beer. It was a pleasant meal and we finished our evening with a game of Racko in our hotel room.

Steak and Ale pie at a pub in Bath.

The Mysterious Alignments of Carnac

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Monday, March 7, 2011

No fair! I awoke with a migraine. What a rough start to the day. I was very glad to have some decent medication. While I waited for the meds to kick in, Craig and Desmond walked over to a nearby bakery and returned with wonderful pastries for breakfast. Des and I shared a couple of beignets - one chocolate, one raspberry - and they were a delight. Craig had his usual apple pastry, which he said was exceptionally good. We took our time getting ready for the day, and it was mid-morning before we finally left the hotel.

We set out on the nearly two-mile walk to the site of the Alignments of Carnac. It was another gorgeous, sunny day, though a bit brisk at first. The standing stones were simply astonishing. Even after thousands of years, they are still shrouded in mystery. Thousands of the megaliths stood in rows, as if they were marching down to the sea. There is a legend that these are Roman soldiers turned to stone by Merlin. Since it was early in the season, we understood that we could actually have entry into the fenced area which encircles the menhirs. All we needed to do was locate the gates marked with small flags. We were never able to find those special entrances, but that did not stop us from enjoying the spectacular views of the ancient stones. They are definitely awe-inspiring.

The Alignments of Carnac, Brittany, France. Definitely worth a visit.

Many of the boulders are over 10 feet tall.

We found the visitors center to be very interesting. There we learned the theory of how the enormous boulders that make up the Alignments might have been put into place. There was also a large map that detailed the layout of the megaliths, which are a prominent feature of the landscape for miles. We witnessed a strange sight as we were coming out of the gift shop. It was a long column of fuzzy caterpillars, crawling nose-to-tail across the parking lot. It must have been at least 15 feet long where it disappeared into the grass. I later learned that this type of caterpillar can cause a burning rash if handled. Oh, and I just love the French word for caterpillar. It's chenille!

A long line of chenilles.

After a time, we were becoming hungry and a bit tired. We had seen signs for a creperie up ahead, but were disappointed to find that it was closed. We walked back into town and purchased some sandwiches made with fresh baguettes from the bakery across the square. They were wonderful. And so was my dessert of a delightful coffee eclair! We played cards in our hotel room for a while after lunch. We had brought "Pit" from home, which Desmond was unfamiliar with, and he really enjoyed it, so we gave him the game to keep.

For dinner that evening, we had planned to go out for pizza. We arrived at the restaurant only to discover that it was closed. We had seen another pizzeria around the corner, but soon found that it was closed as well. We began to walk the picturesque, cobblestone streets in search of any open restaurant, and finally found a tiny brasserie that looked promising. It was a charming little place, very narrow, with just a few small tables and a little bar. There was jazz playing softly. The menu was small, but we made our selections of grilled duck breast for Desmond and filet from Normandy for Craig and myself, which the waiter assured us, with a kiss of his fingers, was sublime. The beef was served with a tasty green-peppercorn sauce, fried potatoes, and an interesting salad with a horseradish dressing. We also enjoyed some wine with our meal. It was indeed a delicious and memorable feast. Tuesday, we would leave Carnac, but it had been a treat to visit this delightful seaside village.

A farm cart in a field near Carnac, France.

Travel Tip: Keep a travel journal, even if all you have time for is a brief outline of what you have seen and done. It will help jog your memory later. Jet lag can steal those memories if you don't have a record of them, and photos aren't enough.

It's Better With Butter.

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Sunday, March 5, 2011

We had gone to bed early on Saturday night, worn out from all the traveling. But after a good nights sleep, we were ready to explore. We were very glad that Desmond had brought along his electric kettle. It enabled us to wake up with a cup of coffee before going out to find some breakfast. After our pastries and more coffee, we began to walk in the direction of the beach. I enjoyed looking at the old stone houses along the way, many of them with the traditional bright blue shutters of Brittany. The boulder-strewn beach was beautiful with the morning sun glinting on the water. I would never have imagined that my first contact with the Atlantic ocean would be from "across the pond". 

Desmond and Craig on the beach at Carnac.

We began to meander back toward the center of Carnac, and found a cute little place in which to have lunch. It was decorated inside with a nautical theme, and as it was a bit early for lunch, it was uncrowded. We chose grillettes, which are tasty open-faced grilled sandwiches made with hearty, rustic bread. Craig ordered one with egg, cheese, and jambon cru, which is a bit like proscuitto. Des and I each selected a sandwich made with lardons, tomato, cheese, oregano, and olive oil. They were quite tasty. My lunch was accompanied by a Breton cola, which I really liked, while Craig and Desmond had a dry cider. 

The delightful grillette.

After lunch, we decided to walk down toward the site of the Alignments of Carnac. It was a long walk, but very pretty, with lots of old houses and beautiful gardens. Soon, we began to see some of the mysterious, standing stones. We also discovered a charming pathway through the woods that was walled on either side with rough, mossy stones. We followed the little lane until it became too muddy and we were forced to turn back. There was a brisk breeze blowing in, and the evening was drawing near, so we turned back toward the hotel once again.

A lovely, old stone wall on a pathway in Carnac.

Our first glimpse of the standing stones.

We rested in the hotel room for a while, watching a sitcom on the laptop. When we finally went out to look for a place to have  dinner, we found only a few restaurants open. We chose Chez Marie again, and did not regret our decision. Craig ordered the gallette Tartiflette, which was what I had enjoyed so much the night before. Des chose a gallette made with spinach, ham, egg, and cheese. My selection was ham, cheese, egg, and tomato. Yummy! This time, we ordered dessert crepes as well, or at least Desmond and I did. We both selected a delicious chocolate-orange crepe which turned out to be so good we almost licked the plate! As we were waiting for our crepes, we were having a discussion about Breton crepes and wondered just why they were so much better than the crepes in other parts of France. Is it the fresh, local ingredients? The buckwheat? The famed Brittany butter? Des was seated in such a way that he had a slight view into the kitchen. As we were talking, he said, "I think they are making our dessert now. No, wait, they just put down a block of cheese, so that can't be it." Then he got an incredulous look on his face and said, "That wasn't cheese. That was BUTTER! That IS our dessert!" So now at least part of the mystery was solved. Butter, and loads of it. The key to a true Breton crepe.