Salisbury Cathedral

Its been a busy week on the work front. We had a 3am stint on Wednesday to pull together a tender response so I was very luch looking forward to the weekend.

Today was another crisp clear Autumn morning. About 8 degrees and deep blue sky. We'd been eyeing off a trip to Salisbury so today was the perfect day. We left about 10am and headed west on the M3.

Along the way we noticed that the leaves have turned a light yellow and most have fallen. Its so different to Australia in that most of the trees loose their leaves. So as we drove down the motorway you are flanked by rich yellows and oranges. The sun is low in the sky so even at midday there are long shadows and that sense of dusk approaching. Wierd.

We had plugged the Salisbury Park & Ride into the Satnav so after about 1.5hrs travel we arrived. I have to say these facilities are great. No hassles finding a spot. Jump on a bus and within a few minues you're in the centre of town.

We had a picnic lunch so we made our way to the Cathedral. Its probably the highlight of the town (Stonehenge has it pipped in my mind in terms of the Wiltshire highlights). Salisbury Cathedral is a 13th century cathedral and is best known for its spire. At 123m it's the tallest in Britain. Its also home to onw of four surviving original Magna Carta (1215). It even has Europe's oldest working clock; a medieval speciman dated 1386.

We found a seat under a tree (sorry Lynne - don't know the name) in the grounds of the Cathedral. Its a magnificent view with the towering West Front and, of course, the spire.

Walking in to the Cathedral you see the Nave with the valuted ceiling and large stain glass windows over the High Alter. Piano was echoing from that end of the Cathedral where we learnt a small orchestra was practicing for a Sting charity concert tonight. Damn! Wouldn't mind tickets. But at 100 GBP a ticket...

Making our way out the South Transept we visited the Chapter House. It was built in the second half of the 13th century and contains the Magna Carter. Its hard to grasp this document. I guess because not only was it signed by King John and the Barons at Runeymeade (just down the road from Windsor Castle) but also because it provides the framework for many Constitutions.

We enjoyed walking the Cloisters and seeing again the Spire from a different perspective.

Oh - and just some detail. James is doing very well with toilet training. Its got the "number 1" pretty much worked out. The other, well...

Photos are here. I like them :)