It's Better in the Rain
It was 3pm on a Thursday afternoon in Bournemouth, England, and we had just concluded our business. In day two of rain and gale-force winds on southern England's coast, what can one do? I was in no rush to get back to my efficiency room near Heathrow.
Knowing one of my colleagues had not spent much time in England, I suggested a side route, heading through Salisbury to see its cathedral. We took a quick look around, said hello to the Magna Carta, and continued on to see how much we could squeeze into the late afternoon before venues began to close for the day.
Heading backward in time, we were too late to get through the gate at Old Sarum, so we proceeded on to Stonehenge. Fortunately, Stonehenge is open well into the evening. The weather was still somewhat misty and cloudy, so it was quite a contrast to the warm, sunny day of my first visit to the site a few years prior.
Hands down, the way to see Stonehenge is in dark, dreary weather. It ads a lot character to the site and a bit more ominous color to the stones. You really get in that primeval mindset to go look for some druids. The two photos below show the contrast between the two days. I only had my Blackberry on this recent trip, yet still I prefer that photo to the more carefully shot one in the sun.
Having danced around the circle, we proceeded on to Avebury to view its stone circle in the dark, pondering the meaning of it all over a Guinness in the local pub. Now reconnected with our prehistoric roots, we confidently headed home, missions accomplished, both professional and mystical.
Knowing one of my colleagues had not spent much time in England, I suggested a side route, heading through Salisbury to see its cathedral. We took a quick look around, said hello to the Magna Carta, and continued on to see how much we could squeeze into the late afternoon before venues began to close for the day.
Heading backward in time, we were too late to get through the gate at Old Sarum, so we proceeded on to Stonehenge. Fortunately, Stonehenge is open well into the evening. The weather was still somewhat misty and cloudy, so it was quite a contrast to the warm, sunny day of my first visit to the site a few years prior.
Hands down, the way to see Stonehenge is in dark, dreary weather. It ads a lot character to the site and a bit more ominous color to the stones. You really get in that primeval mindset to go look for some druids. The two photos below show the contrast between the two days. I only had my Blackberry on this recent trip, yet still I prefer that photo to the more carefully shot one in the sun.
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| A Sunny, Happy Stonehenge--June, 2004 |
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| A Wet, Ominous Stonehenge--August, 2010 |
Having danced around the circle, we proceeded on to Avebury to view its stone circle in the dark, pondering the meaning of it all over a Guinness in the local pub. Now reconnected with our prehistoric roots, we confidently headed home, missions accomplished, both professional and mystical.
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