Stonehenge & Salisbury and Autumn Celebrations

My friend Melinda Ramey also attends Houghton and is studying in London this semester. On Friday she took a bus to Cheltenham and stayed over on Friday and Saturday and left on Sunday morning. She joined the BCA group to Stonehenge and Salisbury on Saturday.

We learned in our BCA class that we (as modern humans) know very little about what Stonehenge was used for. We know it has a lot to do with rituals and the seasons. Tim, the archaeologist who led that particular class, discussed all the different henges (yes, there are multiple henges) in England and where the rocks were from (Wales) and what we have guessed about their use. In the 14th century religious people fearing what they did not know attempted to knock down Stonehenge. Apparently we know this because when we lifted the rocks to fix it up, we found a man from 1325 crushed underneath. Coins were found from that time so they knew that's when he lived. I found this amusing because Tim, obviously an intense and gung-ho preserver of history, cackled and said, "Poetic justice!" in a very satisfied sort of way.

I was surprised about how little we know about Stonehenge. When Tim opened up the floor for questions, most of the answers were, "That's a good question. We don't know."

The locals are mostly bored by Stonehenge and wonder why tourists flock to see it. Tim said hippies come to see it during the Solstice. Sandy and Denise (above) feel that way. Since they are the directors of this program, they see Stonehenge twice a year. I guess it would get boring.

Michelle, me, Amanda: being Stonehenge

If you're from Houghton I'm sure you know the cliche of getting a jumping picture in front of Stonehenge. Melinda and I thought it would be funny to do the same, since we're both from Houghton.

Then we all went to Salisbury. The outdoor market was the most interesting thing about the town itself. The highlights were Salisbury Cathedral, where one of the four copies of the Magna Carta resides, and touring the house where some of Sense and Sensibility was filmed. 

I'm also missing New York in Autumn. I have a lovely walk a few times a week to one of the campuses, but it's not the same as being home. 

While I haven't heard of anyone trick-or-treating here, I do know Halloween is pretty big. A group of around ten BCA students got together and watched The Corpse Bride and had general Halloween fun. I dressed up as a bunny (which was inexpensive and uncomplicated) and Amanda and Michelle dressed up as their favorite NCIS characters.

Next weekend I'll be going with five friends to a non-BCA trip to Ireland. Life is good.