I often get incredulous responses when I tell my friends here in the UK that I get up for work before five every morning and am often up on the weekends at what they consider "indecently early" hours.
"Why don't you sleep in?" I am often asked.
But, you see, I do! When you're used to getting up at 04:30 - 05:00 every morning, not getting up until 07:00 is sleeping in. Sure, I sometimes sleep in until later, 09:00 or 10:00, but usually it is some time around 07:00 that I arise on weekends.
It's always been this way, though! I remember when I was a kid my parents used to beg, cajole, plead, and threaten. Anything to try and get me to stay abed until a "decent" hour on weekends…
But when I was a kid, there was the thrill of Saturday morning cartoons. There was the exquisite naughtiness of getting outside and playing when the dew was still on the grass. There was the opportunity to have the house to myself!
I still get that thrill when I am awake early. It is wonderful getting out and riding my bike in the early morning when the streets are empty. (It's far safer too! These wankers who drive here in my neighborhood don't seem to get the whole "Share the Road" concept.)
So here it is, just after 10:00 and I've already been for a nice bike ride, and now I am enjoying my coffee and planning my day. I guess I should get the garden work done before the predicted rains. (Though it looks like the weather reports were wrong. It looks like it will be a lovely day!)
Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a lovely day!
Don Bergquist – 01 September 2007 – Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
01 September 2007
31 August 2007
Sunny Afternoon
With apologies to my friends, family, readers for delaying my post today, I really wanted to get into the office, get my reports out, and get out today. The weathercasts this morning said that today would be the last good day of the weekend. It is supposed to be cold and raining this weekend and I wanted to get some serious cycling time in before the weather turns.
As it was, I have had a lovely day! I didn't get out of the office until about 11:00 and when I did get out, Saga and I went for a nice, long walk in the park. It was lovely. I then took a long, leisurely ride. Each time I got home, I started a load of laundry.
So here it is, Friday afternoon, almost time to get Saga into the trailer and head to the pub for the evening. I've finished with my laundry for the weekend, I've done all the housework that I intend to do except for my weekly gardening. I have nothing pressing to do this weekend but have a nice, slow weekend.
Ah! How lovely to have nothing pressing to look forward to!
Wherever you are this afternoon, I hope you've had a productive week and have a relaxing weekend!
Don Bergquist - 31 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
As it was, I have had a lovely day! I didn't get out of the office until about 11:00 and when I did get out, Saga and I went for a nice, long walk in the park. It was lovely. I then took a long, leisurely ride. Each time I got home, I started a load of laundry.
So here it is, Friday afternoon, almost time to get Saga into the trailer and head to the pub for the evening. I've finished with my laundry for the weekend, I've done all the housework that I intend to do except for my weekly gardening. I have nothing pressing to do this weekend but have a nice, slow weekend.
Ah! How lovely to have nothing pressing to look forward to!
Wherever you are this afternoon, I hope you've had a productive week and have a relaxing weekend!
Don Bergquist - 31 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
30 August 2007
Oblivious
Look! I know that I have lost weight over the past two years whilst I have been on assignment to the Thames Ditton office, but not enough so as to make me actually invisible! I am beginning to wonder if Hawaiian shirts and ringing of bicycle bells are somehow a form of stealth here in Surrey. I can only suss-out that either this is the case or that there are some truly rude and/or stupid people here in Surrey.
Today's tirade is brought to you by not one, but two groups of idiotic pedestrians who obstructed the cycle paths yesterday during my rides. Had it happened only once, I could have excused it… but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Ding - Ding
The two cyclists about ten yards ahead of me rang their bells as they approached the gaggle of giggling women walking along the tow path. As they broke their four-abreast line and marched in twos on one half of the path, one of them looked straight at me. The two cyclists made their way through the opening and the walkers closed up ranks and returned to imposing their presence across the entire width of the path.
Ding I rang my bell as I approached from behind. No effect!
Ding - Ding No effect!
Ding! Crunch! The last was my tires braking to stop behind the quartet. I could not have gone around them because I was at a part of the path where there was a tree to one side and a three-inch tall rude curb made out of the turf and dirt off to the side of the path where the path had been graded. I could not go off either side of the path at that point. So I braked and came to a stop behind the four of them.
Had they not been drifting left to right and back again I could have made it between them. But they were apparently doing everything in their power to obstruct the path from anyone else' use.
"My Word!" the one on my right said with a start, apparently noticing me for the first time. "Don't you have a bell?"
By this time, I had rolled through the gap she created for me and was accelerating away. "I do!" I replied. "I rang it repeatedly after you looked at me and then got into my path!" Any response she made was unheard as I accelerated away. Had that been it, there would have been no reason for me to write about it today but later yesterday afternoon, it happened again!
Well, no. Actually, the second time was even worse than the first. I could have excused the first as someone being oblivious or rude; impressing the fact that pedestrians have the right-of-way on the tow path (even though it is a marked cycle route), the second time, I had the right-of-way and the offending gaggle was facing me so they could not even claim ignorance of my presence.
This time, there was a trio of tarts. (I assume they were tarts. They may have been perfectly innocent prostitutes, dressed the way they were.) I encountered the bitches of Eastwick as I was riding down the cycle lane along the Hampton Court Lane.
As I was riding along the path, the trio came walking my way from the direction of the station. They were chatting, and laughing and shooting glances in my direction the entire time. (Which is good, I suppose, as it was the direction in which they were walking.) I slowed as it became apparent that they had no intention of moving over to their side of the path. We met where I could not get around them as there was a signal box to one side of the path and a fence to their side.
I screeched my brakes stopping and came to a stop so that my bicycle obstructed the entire cycle path. They were less than a foot from me and they came to a stop. (Had this been the old west, we'd have been in a Mexican standoff!) They stared at me.
"You're in our way. Move!" one of them demanded.
"You're obstructing the cycle path." I said, pointing at the bicycle icon painted on the path.
"You don't own the path!" another one said
"You're right." I agreed. "I do have the right-of-way, however. This is the Cycle Path. You saw me coming. You should have stepped back across the line to the footpath."
"Fuck off!" another one of them said.
"Nice!" I retorted. "By the way, your costume for the fancy dress party is complete. People would truly believe you're a tart with language like that!"
"Well, I never!" she sputtered.
"Dressed like that? I can't believe it!"
"Fuck off! Asshole!" another retorted.
"Now we see the benefit of an elementary school education!" I offered. "Such a broad command of the language you have! By the way, you've already used the 'Fuck off' repartee."
"Move!" the one in front of me demanded again.
"I have nowhere to be this afternoon…" I rested my bike tire against the traffic signal control box, squeezed the brakes and rested on the saddle of my bike to wait. "We'll see who gets bored first." At this point I put on my earphones and started my mp3 player. Out of the corner of my eye I saw them consult and finally walk around me on the foot path. I heard a number of things (or barely did) that I am certain were meant as insults. (I take that interpretation based on the hand gestures that accompanied them…)
They finally made their way around be (in the foot path) and went on their way. I have no idea how middle school children get so rude (or can afford such trampy clothing) but I suspect is has something to do with their parents.
I wonder why someone would think that an insult unheard and un-reacted to is in any way effective. But there it is. They left - probably to tell their other trollop friends about the rude American who refused to stand in the street and let them pass. Little did they know that I can tell far more people than they about their rudeness.
Wherever you are today, I hope that all the people you meet are pleasant to deal with!
Don Bergquist - 30 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
Today's tirade is brought to you by not one, but two groups of idiotic pedestrians who obstructed the cycle paths yesterday during my rides. Had it happened only once, I could have excused it… but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Ding - Ding
The two cyclists about ten yards ahead of me rang their bells as they approached the gaggle of giggling women walking along the tow path. As they broke their four-abreast line and marched in twos on one half of the path, one of them looked straight at me. The two cyclists made their way through the opening and the walkers closed up ranks and returned to imposing their presence across the entire width of the path.
Ding I rang my bell as I approached from behind. No effect!
Ding - Ding No effect!
Ding! Crunch! The last was my tires braking to stop behind the quartet. I could not have gone around them because I was at a part of the path where there was a tree to one side and a three-inch tall rude curb made out of the turf and dirt off to the side of the path where the path had been graded. I could not go off either side of the path at that point. So I braked and came to a stop behind the four of them.
Had they not been drifting left to right and back again I could have made it between them. But they were apparently doing everything in their power to obstruct the path from anyone else' use.
"My Word!" the one on my right said with a start, apparently noticing me for the first time. "Don't you have a bell?"
By this time, I had rolled through the gap she created for me and was accelerating away. "I do!" I replied. "I rang it repeatedly after you looked at me and then got into my path!" Any response she made was unheard as I accelerated away. Had that been it, there would have been no reason for me to write about it today but later yesterday afternoon, it happened again!
Well, no. Actually, the second time was even worse than the first. I could have excused the first as someone being oblivious or rude; impressing the fact that pedestrians have the right-of-way on the tow path (even though it is a marked cycle route), the second time, I had the right-of-way and the offending gaggle was facing me so they could not even claim ignorance of my presence.
This time, there was a trio of tarts. (I assume they were tarts. They may have been perfectly innocent prostitutes, dressed the way they were.) I encountered the bitches of Eastwick as I was riding down the cycle lane along the Hampton Court Lane.
As I was riding along the path, the trio came walking my way from the direction of the station. They were chatting, and laughing and shooting glances in my direction the entire time. (Which is good, I suppose, as it was the direction in which they were walking.) I slowed as it became apparent that they had no intention of moving over to their side of the path. We met where I could not get around them as there was a signal box to one side of the path and a fence to their side.
I screeched my brakes stopping and came to a stop so that my bicycle obstructed the entire cycle path. They were less than a foot from me and they came to a stop. (Had this been the old west, we'd have been in a Mexican standoff!) They stared at me.
"You're in our way. Move!" one of them demanded.
"You're obstructing the cycle path." I said, pointing at the bicycle icon painted on the path.
"You don't own the path!" another one said
"You're right." I agreed. "I do have the right-of-way, however. This is the Cycle Path. You saw me coming. You should have stepped back across the line to the footpath."
"Fuck off!" another one of them said.
"Nice!" I retorted. "By the way, your costume for the fancy dress party is complete. People would truly believe you're a tart with language like that!"
"Well, I never!" she sputtered.
"Dressed like that? I can't believe it!"
"Fuck off! Asshole!" another retorted.
"Now we see the benefit of an elementary school education!" I offered. "Such a broad command of the language you have! By the way, you've already used the 'Fuck off' repartee."
"Move!" the one in front of me demanded again.
"I have nowhere to be this afternoon…" I rested my bike tire against the traffic signal control box, squeezed the brakes and rested on the saddle of my bike to wait. "We'll see who gets bored first." At this point I put on my earphones and started my mp3 player. Out of the corner of my eye I saw them consult and finally walk around me on the foot path. I heard a number of things (or barely did) that I am certain were meant as insults. (I take that interpretation based on the hand gestures that accompanied them…)
They finally made their way around be (in the foot path) and went on their way. I have no idea how middle school children get so rude (or can afford such trampy clothing) but I suspect is has something to do with their parents.
I wonder why someone would think that an insult unheard and un-reacted to is in any way effective. But there it is. They left - probably to tell their other trollop friends about the rude American who refused to stand in the street and let them pass. Little did they know that I can tell far more people than they about their rudeness.
Wherever you are today, I hope that all the people you meet are pleasant to deal with!
Don Bergquist - 30 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
29 August 2007
Hump Day
It seems strange to be looking forward to the weekend so soon after a bank holiday, but I am!
The day has dawned clear and cool. The morning looks like it will be lovely. Saga went out without any argument this morning and I am up and ready for the office with plenty of time to get a nice ride in before I have to be at the office.
I would love to take a nice long ride, and then come back for a nap. Too bad I do have things to do at the office today. Ah! Well, at least it is the day I leave at three to go into Central London.
Perhaps the day will go by quickly. I had better get it started so that I can get it over with.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you will have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 29 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
The day has dawned clear and cool. The morning looks like it will be lovely. Saga went out without any argument this morning and I am up and ready for the office with plenty of time to get a nice ride in before I have to be at the office.
I would love to take a nice long ride, and then come back for a nap. Too bad I do have things to do at the office today. Ah! Well, at least it is the day I leave at three to go into Central London.
Perhaps the day will go by quickly. I had better get it started so that I can get it over with.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you will have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 29 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
28 August 2007
Departure
What a whirlwind visit!
I have had a great week with my friends visiting; they had a great time visiting the UK. Some of my Florida friends got to meet some of my UK friends and I hope that everyone had as great a time as I did!
My as a finale to the week, my friends Angie and Terry threw a barbecue at their place in West Molesey Sunday. There was plenty of food and drink, conversation, music and it was a great time! We arrived around three and the party was still going on when I left for home around eleven.
My friends suggested I go home, sort-out the dog, (perhaps even bring her back) and then return to the party. But dog-gone-it! I'm a responsible sort. We had to get to the airport relatively early yesterday. We got to the airport and I saw them to the check-in and headed home.
For the rest of the day yesterday, I did a lot of nothing much. I relaxed and read the paper; I sat in the back garden in my recliner and read a book; I drank coffee and had a lovely morning. After noon, I went out for a nice long bike ride and made it an early evening.
This morning has dawned clear and bright. It is sure to be a lovely day. According to my calculations, Janine and Fritz should be landing in South Florida any time now! I guess I had best get into the office and start my week.
Wherever you are, I hope you’ve had a great weekend and you have a wonderful day!
Don Bergquist - 28 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I have had a great week with my friends visiting; they had a great time visiting the UK. Some of my Florida friends got to meet some of my UK friends and I hope that everyone had as great a time as I did!
My as a finale to the week, my friends Angie and Terry threw a barbecue at their place in West Molesey Sunday. There was plenty of food and drink, conversation, music and it was a great time! We arrived around three and the party was still going on when I left for home around eleven.
My friends suggested I go home, sort-out the dog, (perhaps even bring her back) and then return to the party. But dog-gone-it! I'm a responsible sort. We had to get to the airport relatively early yesterday. We got to the airport and I saw them to the check-in and headed home.
For the rest of the day yesterday, I did a lot of nothing much. I relaxed and read the paper; I sat in the back garden in my recliner and read a book; I drank coffee and had a lovely morning. After noon, I went out for a nice long bike ride and made it an early evening.
This morning has dawned clear and bright. It is sure to be a lovely day. According to my calculations, Janine and Fritz should be landing in South Florida any time now! I guess I had best get into the office and start my week.
Wherever you are, I hope you’ve had a great weekend and you have a wonderful day!
Don Bergquist - 28 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
27 August 2007
Pub Crawling
As if we hadn't had enough pub crawling, we decided to hit a few pubs to finish out the week in style. So, Friday after work, we headed out to hit a few pubs in my neighborhood.
I had planned on hitting the crawl and seeing the inside of seven-or-eight pubs stopping mid-crawl at the villa for a dinner of curry.
As these things often go, we didn’t start the crawl until almost 21:00 and we only had time to hit three pubs before they closed.
So Saturday we headed out early (before noon) and headed into town to hit a number of the pubs they had on their list that we had yet to hit. This included one that advertises itself as the oldest pub in London. (That’s a doubtful claim, but what the heck! Who am I to judge?)
It was a fun day, we hit four-or-five pubs and headed back for dinner (leftover curry) at the villa around nine. The highlights of the day were of course, the time spent with friends, and the buskers around the Covent Garden tube stop.
This living statue (for a small contribution) offers to symbolically decapitate his patrons. (I got a huge laugh from the crowd when, as he was mimicking the beheading of one little kid, I yelled-out "How much to really do it?")
Fritz and Janine hit the clubs after dinner, taking the train back into Central London. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but I decided to spend the night sleeping instead. Around 06:00 I got a text that they were stuck at Clapham Junction waiting for the first train of the morning. They're learned the pleasures of having no late-night/early-morning transportation. Sure the clubs in Central London stay open until early morning, too bad the trains stop well before the clubs do!
I got a call about half an hour later, they were on the first train to Surbiton. Off I went to go and get them. (Too bad they snoozed through the station and I had to go and get them at the end of the line in Hampton Court.)
They went up to snooze for a few hours before we headed over to Terry and Angie's for a barbecue. It was a lovely day that I spent relaxing and playing with the dog.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you have a great day.
Don Bergquist - 27 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I had planned on hitting the crawl and seeing the inside of seven-or-eight pubs stopping mid-crawl at the villa for a dinner of curry.
As these things often go, we didn’t start the crawl until almost 21:00 and we only had time to hit three pubs before they closed.So Saturday we headed out early (before noon) and headed into town to hit a number of the pubs they had on their list that we had yet to hit. This included one that advertises itself as the oldest pub in London. (That’s a doubtful claim, but what the heck! Who am I to judge?)
It was a fun day, we hit four-or-five pubs and headed back for dinner (leftover curry) at the villa around nine. The highlights of the day were of course, the time spent with friends, and the buskers around the Covent Garden tube stop.
This living statue (for a small contribution) offers to symbolically decapitate his patrons. (I got a huge laugh from the crowd when, as he was mimicking the beheading of one little kid, I yelled-out "How much to really do it?")Fritz and Janine hit the clubs after dinner, taking the train back into Central London. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but I decided to spend the night sleeping instead. Around 06:00 I got a text that they were stuck at Clapham Junction waiting for the first train of the morning. They're learned the pleasures of having no late-night/early-morning transportation. Sure the clubs in Central London stay open until early morning, too bad the trains stop well before the clubs do!
I got a call about half an hour later, they were on the first train to Surbiton. Off I went to go and get them. (Too bad they snoozed through the station and I had to go and get them at the end of the line in Hampton Court.)
They went up to snooze for a few hours before we headed over to Terry and Angie's for a barbecue. It was a lovely day that I spent relaxing and playing with the dog.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you have a great day.
Don Bergquist - 27 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
26 August 2007
Dover Castle
On Thursday morning, I went to the office, filed some reports, did a few hours of work that I needed to get done and returned to The Villa around lunchtime. 
We were off to Dover to tour Dover Castle.
In a classic Good News/Bad News moment, the weather cast last night was for blue skies to return to southern England early this morning. The Bad News? Well, the bad news was that the forecast was about as accurate as any that have been given on the BBC this week. Once again, the forecast was about as accurate as the president's claims that we are "winning the war."
We headed south on the motorway to the southeast coast. It was a great. Well, except for the constant rain. The traffic was not bad, the directions we had were pretty good and we made it to the castle in just over an hour.
We toured the castle and grounds in the rain.
We hoped that the rains would give way to, if not sunlight then at least to, a gray overcast. But it was not to be. We decided at mid-afternoon, the rain was too oppressive to keep touring. So we did the only thing we could count of to make the afternoon pick-up. We went looking for a pub.
Unfortunately, the only pub we could find was closed and we headed back to Thames Ditton without the beers and bar snacks. All-in-all, though, it was a great day.
Wherever you are today, I hope you have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 26 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
We were off to Dover to tour Dover Castle.In a classic Good News/Bad News moment, the weather cast last night was for blue skies to return to southern England early this morning. The Bad News? Well, the bad news was that the forecast was about as accurate as any that have been given on the BBC this week. Once again, the forecast was about as accurate as the president's claims that we are "winning the war."
We headed south on the motorway to the southeast coast. It was a great. Well, except for the constant rain. The traffic was not bad, the directions we had were pretty good and we made it to the castle in just over an hour.
We toured the castle and grounds in the rain.
We hoped that the rains would give way to, if not sunlight then at least to, a gray overcast. But it was not to be. We decided at mid-afternoon, the rain was too oppressive to keep touring. So we did the only thing we could count of to make the afternoon pick-up. We went looking for a pub.Unfortunately, the only pub we could find was closed and we headed back to Thames Ditton without the beers and bar snacks. All-in-all, though, it was a great day.
Wherever you are today, I hope you have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 26 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
25 August 2007
Avebury
Our third stop on Wednesday was the Stone Circle at Avebury.
Avebury sits about an hour north of Glastonbury via a few pretty narrow "B-Roads" and a few winding "A-Roads". It was a lovely drive and we arrived shortly before sunset. Our first stop in the area was Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is the largest barrow in Europe. It is impressive to think that something so large was built by hand in prehistoric times.
We then drove into the ring of stones at Avebury and walked around. It was lovely! Unlike Stonehenge,
it is open to walk about and shoot from any angle you can get to. Also unlike its more famous cousin to the southwest, it is open for the sheep to walk around wherever they please. (Therefore, it is pretty important to watch where you're walking when touring the Avebury Stone Circle.)
We arrived around sunset. What a lovely area! We then decided to have a quick drink at the Red Lion Pub.
The pub (as well as much of the village) is actually inside the stone circle.
We had a beer and a snack and then hit the road for home. Sure enough, as soon as we left Wiltshire, the rains started and we drove through the rain all the way back into London. Yuck!
Still and all, we made great time. It was a busy day and full of things to do and to see. We arrived back at home, ate a quick dinner of leftovers and headed off to bed. Thursday was, after-all, a work day for me.
Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a great day!
Don Bergquist - 25 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
Avebury sits about an hour north of Glastonbury via a few pretty narrow "B-Roads" and a few winding "A-Roads". It was a lovely drive and we arrived shortly before sunset. Our first stop in the area was Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is the largest barrow in Europe. It is impressive to think that something so large was built by hand in prehistoric times.
We then drove into the ring of stones at Avebury and walked around. It was lovely! Unlike Stonehenge,
it is open to walk about and shoot from any angle you can get to. Also unlike its more famous cousin to the southwest, it is open for the sheep to walk around wherever they please. (Therefore, it is pretty important to watch where you're walking when touring the Avebury Stone Circle.)We arrived around sunset. What a lovely area! We then decided to have a quick drink at the Red Lion Pub.
The pub (as well as much of the village) is actually inside the stone circle.We had a beer and a snack and then hit the road for home. Sure enough, as soon as we left Wiltshire, the rains started and we drove through the rain all the way back into London. Yuck!
Still and all, we made great time. It was a busy day and full of things to do and to see. We arrived back at home, ate a quick dinner of leftovers and headed off to bed. Thursday was, after-all, a work day for me.
Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a great day!
Don Bergquist - 25 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
24 August 2007
Glastonbury
Our second stop on our circle tour of the west was Glastonbury. Wow! What a beautiful area of the world! The drive from Salisbury to Glastonbury was uneventful and speedy (considering it all took place on "A-Routes".
I'll say it again, what lovely countryside! When I was in high school, I first read the J. R. R. Tolkien book, The Hobbit.
The cover of the book showed a verdant hilly countryside meant to be The Shire, where the hobbits in the book lived. I was not at all surprised to find that Tolkien had lived and died only a few miles south of here and had visited the area many times while teaching at Oxford. This place really is The Shire.
By the time we arrived at the car park in Glastonbury the rains had stopped. The cloud cover had lifted and the day was lovely! It was absolutely gorgeous! Tending a bit to the warm side, but the winds at the top of The Tor (our next stop) would make us glad that the day was a bit on the warm side!
Once we had walked around a bit, we decided to take the bus to the bottom of The Tor. The Tor is a hill just outside of town which is crowned by a fourteenth century stone tower; all that remains of an earlier stone church.
We walked up the hill (snapping pictures all the way) to the summit and drank-in the landscape. It is easy to see why so many legends of ancient magic and mystery have been borne by this place! Legend has it that when the water table was higher (in the fifth and sixth centuries, before the downs were drained to make them arable, the valleys, filled with water, shrouded in mists, gave rise to the myths of Avalon.
I can certainly see an enchanted maiden lying in the beauty of these surroundings and selecting Arthur as the rightful king of England! If any place has magic, this place surely does…
…Even now that the cows have taken over.
If my uncle had had this kind of a view on the dairy farm back in Minnesota, I'd have volunteered to work summers for him far more often in my youth!
We spent a good time at the top of The Tor, shooting photos, people watching, enjoying the day, and basically just screwing around. Well before it got old, we decided to head into town, walking down the other path and back to the town center, and have a proper English Cream Tea: Tea, Scones, Jam and Devonshire Clotted Cream. Yum!
Our next stop of the day was to be a place far older and far more mysterious. And we'd get there by sunset. But only if we got moving...
Wherever you are today, I hope that you've encountered beauty and mystery today, and I hope that you've done it in the company of friends!
Don Bergquist - 24 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I'll say it again, what lovely countryside! When I was in high school, I first read the J. R. R. Tolkien book, The Hobbit.
The cover of the book showed a verdant hilly countryside meant to be The Shire, where the hobbits in the book lived. I was not at all surprised to find that Tolkien had lived and died only a few miles south of here and had visited the area many times while teaching at Oxford. This place really is The Shire.By the time we arrived at the car park in Glastonbury the rains had stopped. The cloud cover had lifted and the day was lovely! It was absolutely gorgeous! Tending a bit to the warm side, but the winds at the top of The Tor (our next stop) would make us glad that the day was a bit on the warm side!
Once we had walked around a bit, we decided to take the bus to the bottom of The Tor. The Tor is a hill just outside of town which is crowned by a fourteenth century stone tower; all that remains of an earlier stone church.
We walked up the hill (snapping pictures all the way) to the summit and drank-in the landscape. It is easy to see why so many legends of ancient magic and mystery have been borne by this place! Legend has it that when the water table was higher (in the fifth and sixth centuries, before the downs were drained to make them arable, the valleys, filled with water, shrouded in mists, gave rise to the myths of Avalon.
I can certainly see an enchanted maiden lying in the beauty of these surroundings and selecting Arthur as the rightful king of England! If any place has magic, this place surely does…
…Even now that the cows have taken over.
If my uncle had had this kind of a view on the dairy farm back in Minnesota, I'd have volunteered to work summers for him far more often in my youth!
We spent a good time at the top of The Tor, shooting photos, people watching, enjoying the day, and basically just screwing around. Well before it got old, we decided to head into town, walking down the other path and back to the town center, and have a proper English Cream Tea: Tea, Scones, Jam and Devonshire Clotted Cream. Yum!Our next stop of the day was to be a place far older and far more mysterious. And we'd get there by sunset. But only if we got moving...
Wherever you are today, I hope that you've encountered beauty and mystery today, and I hope that you've done it in the company of friends!
Don Bergquist - 24 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
23 August 2007
Stonehenge
I am so thoroughly knackered!
Yesterday we drove all day. We started out pretty early (not as early as I would have planned, but not late by any means) and headed west on the M-3 motorway to our first port of call: Stonehenge.
The drive was pleasant enough, the rains fell intermittently, and the cloud cover continued to press down on the countryside. I used the wipers almost all the way to the Salisbury plain and it looked as if we would be walking around the stone circle in the rain.
As we pulled into the car park, the rains stopped, the winds kicked-in, and the day became, a bit breezier, a bit cooler, but far more pleasant!
We had a great time touring the stones and listening to the cheesy commentary on who made it and why.
I've now been to Stonehenge five or six times, I love visiting there. I enjoy looking at the stones and wondering what the purpose of it all is. I've heard all the theories and (quite frankly) the little commentary that they give you on the audio devices adds little to the knowledge I already have.
In a move calculated to parody the yahoos that you see all the time over here, the ugly tourists who think the world is their personal Disneyland, Fritz wanted to be photographed
in front of one of the world's wonders drinking one of the worst American beers.
Because we made so many ports of call yesterday (and because I have to get to the office) I have broken-up yesterday's road-trip into a series of reports. More on Wednesday's trip tomorrow!
Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a great day!
Don Bergquist - 23 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
Yesterday we drove all day. We started out pretty early (not as early as I would have planned, but not late by any means) and headed west on the M-3 motorway to our first port of call: Stonehenge.
The drive was pleasant enough, the rains fell intermittently, and the cloud cover continued to press down on the countryside. I used the wipers almost all the way to the Salisbury plain and it looked as if we would be walking around the stone circle in the rain.
As we pulled into the car park, the rains stopped, the winds kicked-in, and the day became, a bit breezier, a bit cooler, but far more pleasant!
We had a great time touring the stones and listening to the cheesy commentary on who made it and why.I've now been to Stonehenge five or six times, I love visiting there. I enjoy looking at the stones and wondering what the purpose of it all is. I've heard all the theories and (quite frankly) the little commentary that they give you on the audio devices adds little to the knowledge I already have.
In a move calculated to parody the yahoos that you see all the time over here, the ugly tourists who think the world is their personal Disneyland, Fritz wanted to be photographed
in front of one of the world's wonders drinking one of the worst American beers.Because we made so many ports of call yesterday (and because I have to get to the office) I have broken-up yesterday's road-trip into a series of reports. More on Wednesday's trip tomorrow!
Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a great day!
Don Bergquist - 23 August 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
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