Magna Carta

Jun 112010
 

We said goodbye to London today and, being fearful of driving on the left side of the road in London, took a taxi to Heathrow airport to pick up a rental car.

From there it was a short 10 mile drive to our first stop: Windsor Castle. Or it should have been a short 10 mile drive; our GPS was configured to show north-always-up rather than what I’m used to, which is forward-always-up. By the time that confusion was cleared up I had driven another 10 miles out of our way, and in an effort to not insult those in cars near us, spoke ever so eloquently in what I’m told is French.

On to Windsor! The Queen was not in residence this weekend – I suppose she was wagering on the ponies at Ascot – so we took the audio tour instead.

Windsor Castle Quadrangle

The Windsor Castle Quadrangle


Kevin and Sarah

Kevin and Sarah in front of the quadrangle.


Kevin at Eric at Windsor Castle

Kevin at Eric at Windsor Castle


The next stop was in Runnymede, where the original Magna Carta was signed by King John of England in 1215. The document is considered the founding document of constitutional law, and the American Bar Association has erected a monument on the site to commemorate it.
Runnymede

Kevin and Eric at the ABA's commemorative monument at Runnymede


On top of the hill overlooking Runnymede is the Royal Air Forces Memorial, where 20,000 members of the Commonwealth Air Forces are remembered. These are airmen who lost their lives over the British Isles and Europe in WWII and have no known graves. We stopped there to see the listing of Sarah’s first cousin once removed, Laurence E. Charnaud, who was shot down over the North Sea.
Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede

Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede


Flying Officer L.E. Charnaud

Flying Officer L.E. Charnaud


An hour and a half later we arrived at our hotel in Salisbury. Tomorrow we’ll tour locally.
Salisbury Hill

The view from atop a hill in Salisbury, though likely not the one Phil Collins sang about.

Jun 122010
 

Salisbury Cathedral was a short walk from our hotel.

Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral from inside the Cloisters


Built in the 13th century, it is an incredibly beautiful Gothic Cathedral. We listened to an organ recital for a bit before exploring the rest of the church.

Connected to the church and next to the cloisters is a small building with one of four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta housed within. It is a stunning document to see for its historical significance, its age, and the beauty of the script.

Carl's shadow

Shadow play in the cloisters, and one of only a few pieces of photographic evidence that I was on the trip.


Salisbury R&R

Enjoying the rare sunlight, we napped in front of the Cathedral.


After nap time on the lawn we ducked into The Wig and Quill pub to watch the qualifying round of the F1 race in Montreal. We grabbed dinner at a nice Italian restaurant down the street and returned to The Wig and Quill to watch England vs. USA in the World Cup. Lucky for us, the game ended in a tie – we neither got beat up nor humiliated with our new drinking buddies.
The Wig and Quill

Good beer and a very friendly local crowd (which is important during an England vs. USA World Cup game).