Back and Forth Across the Pond

We stayed the night in Winchester and then made our way to the Cotswolds the next morning. We had rooms booked in the chocolate-box village of Bourton-on-the-Water. We decided to make a quick stop in Salisbury on our way there. It's a charming place - despite the negative press with the whole nerve-agent mess earlier in the year. We wish we had time to give the cathedral a proper tour. It's on our last of places to visit in the future. Here are some pics I snapped around Salisbury as we had a wander after grabbing breakfast in the city center.  The city center was an eclectic mix of architecture and time periods.  A remnant of the old city wall.  The ram amused me.  A fun way to get people into the shop. The real Stonehenge is less than ten miles away. The spire of Salisbury Cathedral looming over the buildings. Who needs a map to find it?  Another gate.  Lovely houses surrounding green space. I bet they cost a pretty ...

After two nights, we left Pitlochry for Glasgow. My Aunt Jody was arriving very early the next day from Florida for a two-week visit. During her visit, we toured a bit of England and a chunk of Scotland. Our first stop in England was Winchester Cathedral. Steve and I stopped here a few years ago when I was in England doing dissertation research. But there was a long line to get in and Steve was concerned that we didn't pay for enough time at the carpark, so we ended up leaving. I was very disappointed, so I was happy to return. Winchester Cathedral has roots dating back to the seventh century when England's then-pagan monarchy first converted to Christianity. Cynegils, the West Saxon king, was baptized in 635 and the first Christian church was built in Winchester a little over a decade later by his son. This small, cross-shaped church, known as the Old Minster, became the seat of a bishop who governed a huge diocese. In the tenth century, Bishop Aethelwold made the church b...

September and October were crazy busy months for us between holidays and myriad visitors. This blog is the first of many showcasing our various adventures. Our packed schedule began with a weekend trip to Pitlochry, a pretty little down about 90 minutes south of Inverness. We were there for a gathering of folks from the Scotland Time Facebook group. We spent Saturday just touring the area. Our first stop was at the Dunfallady Stone. This Pictish stone was  erected more than 1,200 years ago as a symbol of faith and power.  Some scholars think Pictish stones like this may have once been colored using mineral pigments such as yellow ochre, read lead, and green verdigris in the style of illuminated manuscripts of the time. Unfortunately, the color didn't last. This neglected family burial site lay next to the stone. The stone, itself, is up a small hill overlooking a working farm. This is the view from the small carpark. Not too shabby. This is the Atholl Palac...