Climbing up on Salisbury Hill... or Around the Town, That Is

While we stayed a week in Salisbury, we didn't thoroughly explore the town. We used as a jumping off point for daytrips. It was a good base for two days in London, a day in Bath, a day at Stonehenge and Portsmouth and a day trip to Corfe Castle with friends.

The town has a wonderful series of canals with lovely paths on either side.  Here we see the girls on a bridge with the cathedral spire behind them.

This is the Poulty Cross, a 15th century structure marking where poultry was sold in this market town.  I had to struggle to keep the Starbucks and shoe shop out of the photo.  Sometimes progress sucks.

The day of the Queen's visit, there was a small fair inside the Cathedral Close.  As the booths were packed up, a man gave the girls some balloons--to their great delight.  We spent a good half hour improvising a series of balloon dances to the music being supplied by a local radio DJ.

The ducks, geese and swans in this many-canaled town are incredibly tame.  They walk right over to you and aren't shy about quacking for snacks.  The girls are predictably enchanted by them until they get too close, then they're terrified.

If anyone's looking for a fun read, Sarum, by Edward Rutherford is a terrific, long historical fiction book set in this area.  It's a Michener-esque saga that follows developments here from Bronze Age tribes, the building of Stonehenge, the Middle Ages, the Black Death, and ending with a chapter on World War II.  I love getting caught up in his writing.  He's also written books on London, Russia and is currently producing a series on Ireland.

Goodbye from Salisbury!