Well, here we are at the end of July, and I haven’t done a monthly travelogue yet! As I’ve been watching the Olympics on TV, I’ve seen shots of some of the wonderful places we went outside of London when we were last there, so that’s my inspiration for July, just a tad late!
We stayed in a flat in London during this trip, and didn’t wander too far, but we did a couple of day trips, and managed to see some really lovely things.
The first must-see for us was Stonehenge. My hubby had been there before, but I hadn’t. My niece commented that it might have been fun to be there on a grey, misty, mystical day… but, alas, we were given a bright sunny sky! And it was hot (too hot to make climbing the burial mounds sound like a good idea.) Although the mood wasn’t as dreamy as a fog might have offered, we did get some wonderful shots, and I could have stayed there all day.
Two views of the full circle – the inner stones were brought 240 miles from Wales about 2150 BC, on rollers and rafts!
A closer view of the outer stones, and three of the burial mounds.
Because we went with a tour that included some other sites, we didn’t get to nearby Salisbury, but we did go on to the town of Bath. There we visited the Roman-era baths, and were struck by the beauty of Bath Abbey. As a mini-bonus, we were so far west that driving out of the city, we saw the Welsh coastline.
An outdoor pool at the Roman Baths, and one of the indoor pools.
Views of Bath Abbey
Of course, no trip in England is complete without visits to castles and palaces, and there’s easy access to several from London. Two fairly close by are Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace.
Windsor Castle, near Eton and Ascot (and in the shadow of Heathrow), is easily accessible by train, bus, and car from the city. Queen Victoria had a special train line run out to the castle. For 900 years, it has been a Royal residence with a large working farm around it. It is known for its round towers, and for St. George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth II’s parents and sister Margaret are buried. The art galleries at the castle are spectacular, and there is also a doll and dollhouse exhibit, showing those that belonged to Elizabeth and Margaret when they were children.
Some views of the castle. St. George’s Chapel (lower right).
My mom was almost obsessed with the history of Henry VIII, and so all of our lives we learned about Henry, his accomplishments, his wives, and his children. Henry acquired Hampton Court Palace during his reign, and it was his favorite royal residence. Hampton Court can be reached by boat on the Thames (as Henry arrived), or (as we arrived) by train from London. It is famous for its gardens, but there’s a lot of history inside the palace as well, from the time of Henry and after.
The entry gate and front courtyard, and oh, hello, Your Majesty!
The original Queen Anne Chair – her throne chair from the early 1700’s, and a tapestry made for Henry VIII depicting scenes from Abraham’s life.
Some of the gardens – the rose garden (we were too early in the season for blooms), privy gardens, the maze, and the rear grounds. There are over 60 acres of gardens and grounds at the palace.
On my current wish list for future English trips: More of the Salisbury area, the Costwolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, the White Cliffs of Dover, Cambridge and Oxford, and maybe a trip all the way to Wales. My beloved has some of his own target spots to visit as well, so I guess we’d better start planning!
The Retiring Sort 
Lovely post TRS, and beautiful photots. We hope to visit Stonehenge sometime soon.
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Thanks – hope you get there and enjoy it – I walked around the circle very slowly – looking at the sky through each of the twelve gates – it’s like a giant sundial/calendar!
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I loved visiting Bath. It is such a quaint little town. Glad you enjoyed. We saw Stonehenge when it was sorta sunny. I wish it was a misty day as well for added effect.
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We had a wonderful day visiting these two spots. We were glad it was sunny when we arrived in Bath! Thanks for your comment and visit!
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Such an amazing adventure. Beautiful images that makes us appreciate the beauty and excitement around us. Thanks for sharing these.
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Thanks so much for these comments, and your visit!
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Hello! I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Here’s a link to it, if you’d like to go there: http://remissionary.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/wins-day-twice-blessed/
Have a blessed day!! I truly enjoy your photos and stories of your travels.
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Thanks so much for this!
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you’re very welcome – always enjoy your posts, even if I don’t always comment on them. I’m learning to be more interactive and not ‘lurk in the shadows’ so much. 🙂
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😉
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Beautiful photos.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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Thanks, Francine 🙂
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Thanks for sharing! Stonehenge and Bath are on my list for my next trip! So many things to see so there is always an excuse to go back.
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You bet! I would have loved to see Salisbury Cathedral and so much more, but there just wasn’t enough time for everything!
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Great photos. You certainly visited all the sights. My daughter and family were over there about the same time, and did a whistle stop tour. They even managed to get up to Edinburgh and down to the White Cliffs, and all points in between, but I prefer a more leisurely tour like you did.
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Thanks! After England we did take the train up to Scotland for a week as well. We normally like to spend a little more time walking and exploring, but this trip we pushed a little, to get our niece as many places as possible. Still, so much fun! 🙂
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Hi, you are very lucky, to travel and watch all these wonderful places.
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Thank you, Indira – and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! 🙂
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My husband is literally begging me to take a trip to Europe. Lately ( I guess because of the Olymics, England) if I ever get up the never to get on a plan again, I will call you to come along. You know all the neat places to see. 🙂
Fabulous shots!
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You could always take a cruise ship! That’s how my mom went across many times as a child – and the ships are so much better now! There is so much over there… Once you get there you can do everything by train (or car). Hope you’re able to go, at least once!!! 😉
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Wonderful photos. Warwick Castle and Bourton-on-the-Water are also well worth a visit 🙂
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Oh dear, so many things on my list! Thanks – and thank you for stopping in!
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I’m planning a return to London next year … your post gives me some good ideas on new places to visit! thanks
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Have a wonderful time! 😉
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cool collection 🙂
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Thanks! 🙂
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Love the article thank you… makes me want to plan a trip…
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So much to see, so little time! Thanks for the visit!
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Good pictures. Stonehenge will be even better soon because they are going to build a new road to completely bypass it!
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So I hear! That really will be wonderful. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
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