Sarah had purchased the train tickets to Bath online as we have planned to visit Bath and the Stonehenge today.
meet the Paddington Bear at ... where else?
... Paddington Station of course... the bookshop is about all things Paddington Bear!.
This fictional bear in children literature was discovered in the train station (Paddington station of course) and adopted by the Brown family (human) and given the name Paddington. He has the knack of getting into trouble because he is always trying to get things right.
Our breakfast corner at the station while waiting for the train arrival- Bagels
The train departed from Paddington station on the dot and it was a pleasant 2 hours ride. There is at least air-conditioning in the coach and seating are spacious and soon we even managed to catch some sleep.
Moo-moooo ... this was one of the restaurant outside the train station.
Arrived at the Bath train station.
At the last minuted we decided to make a trip to Salisbury, another hour train ride from Bath. Since we have come thus far, might as well detour to Salisbury for May and Yoke to check out their former training hospital. And the plan was to catch the tour bus to Stonehenge (which actually is around 13 km from Salisbury) from Salisbury but unfortunately the timing was not right and in the end we have to give it a miss.
It was lunchtime, when we arrived at the Salisbury train station, yet the town center seemed to be rather quiet and peaceful (it was a Monday).
Cat Tavern..... no cats around but mind the road... dog's poo everywhere...
got a peek of the Garden cafe... empty for lunch!.
Our pizza lunch - georgous freshly baked pizza, melting cheese.... yummy
cute coco-cola bottle door handle
part of the River Avon
River is so clear.... can you see the weeds flowing languidly with the water current...
The King's Head Inn formerly known as County Hotel was built in the 1874 for the Richardson brothers, the oldest wine and spirit business importers/exporters.
The market place
On the right is the Poultry Cross
This is a market cross marking the site of the farmers' market. It was constructed in the 14th century and served as a shelter for the traders. There are 3 other cross, cheese, livestock and one for wool.
Guildhall... now Salisbury city council building- fully refurbished and open to the public now.
the centerpiece - ornate staircase was added in 1829.
London Olympic Torch 2012 -
From top: the basting spoon made for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 and was inscribed with the words : "this spoon was specially manufactured and used for basting of an Ox which was roasted whole in the Market Square" and below are the Great Mace- a set of 3 matching pieces that is unique to England.
The Oak Court room which was used as a Magistrate Court until 2010. It is a replica of the Old Bailey Court in London. It is now available for hire for marriage ceremonies.
The Banqueting Room.
The chandeliers dated back to 1800's but have been modified to use electricity. The central chandelier can be lowered to the floor for cleaning. This room is also available for hire for conferences, meetings, parties and marriages.
After viewing this place, we moved back to the High street.
The High Street Gate..
Built around 1327 to 1342 it is one of the 4 gates that surrounds the Cathedral
The Salisbury Cathedral... so grand and beautiful.
This cathedral was built 1220 and 1258 (38 years to complete) It is built in a single 13th century Gothic style. The main attractions are: the tallest spire in Britain (123m tall and weighing 6500 tons); the best preserved original copy of the Magna Carta, the documents which laid out the foundations of social reforms and modern democracy; the oldest medival clock in Europe besides the large (40 hectares) grounds and the "living waters" font (use for baptism) and of course the tombs and the museum.
"The Walking Madonna" by Elisabeth Frink.
It was noted that the sculpture bears a close likeness to sculptor herself. She had captured the slow-moving walk.. a griefing mother of a child who had died but herself had to go on living.... walking away from the direction of the cathedral.
"miniature Stonehenge" .... since we could not go for the real thing ..hahaha
Time is really flying fast- we just seems so short of time. The train journey from Bath took almost an hour and we were going to spend at least another 1-2 hours here so we decided to forego Stonehenge, even though it was only about less then half an hour away by bus (which unfortunately had left by the time we arrived here) and we have to wait for the next bus for an hour. And we have to go back to Bath before everything close at 5 pm. So we shall skip Stonehenge until our next trip maybe :D!
More pictures of the Cathedral
I loved this Refractory cafe..... imagine sitting here with a cup of coffee for a quiet moment to contemplate
with the spires towering above you, reminding you whatever it is, God is always near.
Meanwhile, Yoke and May had gone bus-chasing ... to get to the Salisbury Nursing Hospital.
and finally Yoke found her former nursing hospital !...
But the once huge hospital has shifted to its new premises further uphill and this has become a District hospital.
To her, everything is different now... guess she missed those good old days at the nursing school.
The pizza is very tempting...
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Sharon,
ReplyDeleteIt is very delicious too.... fresh cheese!!!