England Diaries

Well this post is much delayed because I didn’t have the photos with me and didn’t want to put up a post without photos. So here goes –

One fine evening my sister asked me if I wanted to visit Brighton. I, having read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ obviously jumped on the chance. But the trip didn’t happen. I wonder if my sister thought I was going to run away with someone :P

But I did visit Windsor. The castle is really beautiful from inside. Gilt edged furniture and wall carvings, ceiling painting a la Leonardo Da Vinci’s work in the Vatican, Persian rugs, Indian swords, the works. You really feel like you have stepped into something very royal. The only thing troubling my mind was that some of the wealth came form our country when they plundered us.

On my way to Windsor, I saw horse drawn carriages with Ladies in gowns and pretty dressed and Gentlemen in shirt tails been driven away. I was transported to previous century until someone told me that members of the royal family were headed to the Royal Ascot races.

I passed through Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed. I enjoyed the English countryside with hills which looked like patchwork quilts of different shades of green interspersed with fields of white,red and yellow wildflowers and towns and village which looked untouched by the modern world.

Then I decided to head over to Stonehenge. I have this fascination for druids and occult courtesy my weekly diet of a TV show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer which I used to love watching in my teenage years. :D

The day I chose to visit this historical monument was the day of solstice, June 21. I was informed that the Druids would be performing their ceremonies and we wouldn’t be let inside. I was totally disappointed. This was supposed to be the highlight of my trip and I couldn’t go inside!

But the tour operator made it upto us by providing us a free lunch at a 14th century Inn. It was a quaint little place, tucked in a little village off the highway and has a proper hatched roof and a wooden ceiling. It sort of made up for the disappointment of not going inside the Stonehenge.

Then I headed for the beautiful city of Bath where the Roman Baths were discovered a few centuries ago. As my tour group walked inside the Roman Baths we were served complimentary Champagne and Elderberry Flower Juice for young people in the group. The Gentleman serving us didn’t believe I was legally old enough to drink (18 years is the limit in UK) and was thus served the juice.

This was my whirlwind tour of southern England.

Places I wanted to visit but I couldn’t in this trip - Stratford Upon Avon (The Bard’s home), Lake District and Cornwall. There will be another time for this.

P.S: Photos in the London dairies post have been updated.

Coming up next: Scotland dairies

Originally posted on Saturday, July 29, 2006 12:06 PM