Salisbury part 2 and our trip to Kilmersdon

Friday's fire made the headlines in the local newspaper:

 (source: https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/26052453.salisbury-wetherspoons-closed-fire-causes-evacuation/)

The good news was that on Saturday they had the lights back on. The pub was open, but only for drinks (something we only found out after trying to put in an order through the app). 

Early Saturday morning we went to Salisbury Cathedral. We were there shortly after the doors opened, which meant that it was still pretty quiet in the cathedral (just how I like places like that, I know I'm also a tourist, but still....). In World War II the cathedral was spared by the German bombers. After the war, the English learned that there was no altruistic motive for this. The Germans used the spire as a landmark, so that they knew where to go next to drop their bombs. That was why all German planes were under strict orders not to drop any bombs near the cathedral. 

Inside the cathedral we were lucky enough to hear the explanation of how the oldest recorded mechanical clock works (it was made around 1386 and we saw it in action, including the ringing of the bell). Because we also joined the introductory tour, a lovely little work of art was pointed out to us. It was made by Antony Gormley, whom we knew about because of a phonetics translation we had to do last year (that was about his work Angel of the North). This statue was much smaller and it's kind of difficult to see on the photo (it's just above the middle of the photo, you can sort of see how the aluminum (or silver colored material) catches the light). It's really beautiful, but also kind of understated and hard to miss if you don't know it's there. 

Some other beautiful things and/or nuggets of information we were shown/given are this view of the nave, and explanation how they check how high the water is underneath the cathedral (this also answers the question of why there weren't any catacombs) and how there may be proof of how William Longespée was killed in 1226 (this rat was found in his skull when they opened the tomb years later and it contained arsenic). 

What also impressed me all over again were the flags and plaques commemorating all those who fought in wars (in South-Africa, the Boer wars, the Great War (a.k.a. WWI) and WWII). These kinds of things always remind me of how many people are killed or physically or mentally hurt because of war. When will mankind ever learn? An especially poignant question now with the Iran war going on. By now we've heard in various forms & shapes (some veiled, others very direct) criticism of President Trump and his 'antics'. It would seem that the British are not particularly happy with what he's doing. 

The Magna Carta is also very impressive. There were only 4 ever made and during this trip, we've seen two of them now. The Magna Carta in Salisbury doesn't have it's seal any more (whereas the Magna Carta in the British Library still has one). They've made a replica of what they think the seal looked like. Of course, in 1215 the current cathedral didn't exist yet (the foundation stones were laid in 1220), so first the Magna Carta was held at the cathedral in Old Sarum (we've seen the foundations on Friday!). When the Salisbury Cathedral was finished, all documents were transferred here. According to the funny video showing why the monks and priests moved, it was because they didn't like Old Sarum (too cold, too windy, the soldiers too annoying). Legend has it, the new location was chosen by where an arrow shot by the best archer would land. 

After our visit to the cathedral (we actually spent over 2 hours there!) we emulated the Londoners and grabbed a meal deal from Sainsbury's and picnicked outside. It has been such lovely weather since we've arrived! Saturday absolutely took the cake so far, with a cloudless sky and a temperature of 20 degrees. Absolutely lovely. 

The drive from Salisbury to Kilmersdon (close to Bath) was also lovely. The photos give an idea of the vibe of what we've seen along the way. It was a bit of a challenge to find our accommodation, which turned out to be a room in a ladies house. The lady is nowadays an author and she loves to recreate the travels of Victorian female explorers. Before she got her doctorate in history, she was a teacher. She taught Drama and English for 20 years. She told us she became a teacher because of the holidays you get (that came in handy since she was a single mom), but she actually hated teaching ("Teaching? Horrible profession! I was so glad when I left that behind. No one ever says thank you, no recognition whatsoever.). Funnily enough, a few minutes later she tells us how some of her former students still write her to say thank you for one thing or another. So I think it probably wasn't all that bad as she makes it out to be, it just wasn't her true passion, that was history and writing about those intrepid female explorers. 

Her garden is absolutely lovely by the way. A real English cottage style garden, where things grow as they will, but where it still seems to have some sort of order. The plants that grow in pots (some of which most certainly aren't supposed to be in pots) add to the charm. Our host is nice, but sometimes a bit confusing. She could go from complaining about the costs of heating her house in the winter, to telling us about some fancy club she is a member of. At the time I didn't know the actual cost of membership, but I did know that those clubs aren't cheap (now I now the membership fee is 183 pounds a month, wowwww). In the next sentence she mentioned that she'd rather drink a glass of wine at home, because she doesn't like to pay 9 pounds a glass at the club. So confusing....

We ended our day by eating dinner (and having a pint) in the local pub. We were lucky we were there early, because the place was almost full later in the evening. Was the food the best? Not really. But it was nice to feel the local atmosphere and to enjoy a Thatcher's Gold from the tap (I think that will always be my favorite and funnily enough I saw a lot of men drinking it as well, so in this area it most certainly is not regarded as 'a ladies drink', I love that!). 

We also had a bit of a look around in the village after dinner. We saw the church and cemetery (lots of crooked gravestones!) and I walked up the Jack and Jill Hill (yes, from the nursery rhyme!). Along the climb, every line could be found on a marker (some were rather overgrown, but still). 

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
He went to bed to mend his head,
With vinegar and brown paper.