Days 18 & 19: Savouring Salisbury with Susan

Hard to fit the tower in...

We'll combine the events of our two rest days in Salisbury to catch up a bit on the blog.

Castle Mound, Old Sarum

On the morning of June 4th we moved our bags from one nice B & B, Cathedral View, to another right next door, Spire House. It worked out that we couldn't stay the full three nights in Salisbury at either place, so we got to experience the warm hospitality of both. They are both also very centrally-located, just a short walk to the cathedral close.

We toured the cathedral in the morning and early afternoon. Ken did the regular cathedral tour while Susan and I did the tower tour, which meant climbing 332 steps (in stages). We were above the vaulted ceiling at one stage, then on the level of the mechanical clock, then on the level of the bells (which did strike while we were there), ending up at the top of the tower but below the spire. We went outside on two sides of the tower, because nesting on the other two sides were peregrine falcons which couldn't be disturbed. The views were amazing, but I must confess I was a bit nervous about the climb and the heights.

In the afternoon we went to the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. Though we were disappointed that the archaeological section was closed for renovations until later in the summer, the remaining exhibits on Salisbury's social history, covering industry, textiles (including dresses), and pottery were worthwhile. We also looked at a special exhibition of the artist Rex Whistler, and enjoyed it much more than we thought we would. He had a good sense of humor which he demonstrated in some of the pieces he painted to decorate the officers' mess when he was a soldier in World War II.

In the evening we attended a concert in the cathedral by the Tallis Scholars, who sing sacred choral music primarily from the Renaissance. They chose four pieces that are often sung as part of a service, and sang versions from different traditions (Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox). It was absolutely awe-inspiring. I had huge goosebumps through one piece in particular. Ken and I were somewhat surprised to find that we really liked a modern composer, Arvo Part. We were glad that the concert, part of a larger arts festival in Salisbury, coincided with our visit.

A nice lady checking Stonehenge off her "bucket list" took our picture!

June 5 began with a few errands in central Salisbury. We dropped of our laundry to be washed, mailed home a package of maps and guide books from the first half of our trip to reduce our packs' weight, and also grabbed lunch from a grocery store. We found the right bus stop for the Stonehenge bus and . . . you guessed it, we toured Stonehenge. After that we caught the bus to Old Sarum, a hill 3 miles north of Salisbury which is the site of the oldest settlements and the first cathedral in Salisbury. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed walking around the ruined castle precincts.

Dining Room, Mompesson

Then we caught the bus again back to Salisbury to look at Mompesson House, a National Trust property. The house was wonderful: an early eighteenth-century house with lots of nineteenth-century decor for me to enjoy. The docents were also very helpful and informative. The gardens were also lovely. The only disappointment was the cream tea at the tearoom (we wanted Susan to experience a really good cream tea). Other than that we enjoyed Mompesson house very much.

We ended our quite full day with evensong at the cathedral, which is always a fitting conclusion to the day.

June 4: 10,965 steps, 8.223 km, 279.9 cal
June 5: 18,345 steps, 13.758 km, 532.7 cal