London Day Four

On the subject of breakfast, I forgot to mention the beans in ketchup sauce we've had every morning. I've seen them on posters of "traditional English breakfast." Makes me think of The Treasure of the Sierra Madres: "Better eat those beans, boys!" I'll take Boston Baked Beans anyday.
Tuesday morning we took the tube to Waterloo Station. Another funny story from our guide: Churchill was planning his funeral and wanted the procession to go through the Waterloo Station. His advisors carefully pointed out that that wasn't the natural route to take. Yes, maintained Churchill, but De Gaulle would attend the funeral, and he just want to remind him once more of that moment in history.
We met our guide, Richard, at the Waterloo Station. The LED timetable boards are a symphony of efficiency. It would be very inefficient for me to describe, but it was a pleasure (we're easily amused) to watch a train route with all its stops flash up on the board at the far right and march slowly down to the left, receiving a platform assignment along the way.
We took the southwest train to Salisbury, a charming city on a small river. We strolled along the river to the cathedral, which was built consecrated in 1258, just 38 years after it was started. The 404 ft spire, which was added later, is the tallest in the United Kingdom. It is really beautiful. The cathedral has the world's oldest working clock and one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. Quiz: where have you heard about another copy? Bing! Right here on this blog. So, we had to go look at the Salisbury copy. The docent was tickled, in an understated British way, when I said we'd seen the British Library copy. She talked with us quite a while. (There wasn't a crowd.) She had a photocopy of the British Library copy and pointed out that the Salisbury copy was done in a much more skilled hand. A tourist had once argued with her that it much be computer generated, it's so even. The ink used has iron in it, which actually etches into the parchment over time (written in 1215 AD). She also mentioned that the Licoln Cathedral had let its copy go on tour and hadn't been very careful about it (tut-tut) - a little cathedral rivalry going on there.
We lunched at the cathedral cafe where we looked up at a wonderful view of the spire.
We then took a "private motorcoach" on country lanes to Stonehenge. Passed by Sting's country house (whoever he is). Madonna had a honeymoon there. (I have heard of her.)
I'd read some disappointing reviews on the web about touring Stonehenge, but I was not disappointed. It is a marvel to see and thrilling to walk around. Maybe all of you knew this, but the stones are at least 50% longer than what you see above ground. Our guide has memories of family picnics at the stones. There's a flat stone that made a great picnic table. One doesn't get that close nowadays, but there are sample rocks near the gift shop that you can touch.
On the way back, we saw the hill that was the original site of the fort, the "Sarum." Market day was just ending when we arrived back in Salisbury, but a West Cornwall Pasties shop caught my eye, so we bought a chocolate pasty (I don't think that's a traditional pairing) to eat right away and a lamb and a bacon & cheese for supper at the hotel. They were delicious, and would have been even better hot, but we weren't hungry when we bought them. I had a recipe for Cornish pasties when we were first married, which I remember fondly. These were in a different league. They were light and flaky - a lot like an excellent croissant. (ed. note: on Wednesday we saw another West Cornwall Pasties kiosk at Marylebone Station, but we weren't hungry, again. But now we know we don't have to go all the way to Salisbury for fresh ones.)
Later in the evening, we walked from our hotel, which is just north of Hyde Park, to Park Crescent. My Little Black Book of London (The Quintessential Guide to the Royal Capital) states: "Outside Regent's Park Tube stop is one of the most breathtaking spots of London: Park Crescent--a semicircle of colonnades designed by John Nash." I'm glad we saw it, but it isn't nearly as breathtaking as Westminster Abbey, or Parliment, or the Tower of London. The walk took us through a neighborhood of shops with Arabic signage. London is so cosmopolitan. Much as I love Boston, it really is provincial. We are constantly overhearing and not understanding conversations in other languages here. It's invigorating.