Anniversary Road Trip

By now you know that our trip to Istanbul was scuppered by the volcanic ash. We still wanted to go away for our anniversary, so we rented (hired) a car and drove to Stonehenge on Tuesday.



Our tiny Toyota Aygo, barely bigger than a Smart car - life size photo


The weather was beautiful (part of the reason why the volcanic ash has not been spreading, apparently. Incidentally, according to the weather widget, it has been raining in Turkey, so maybe we lucked out by not going?!)














If you have not been to Stonehenge, it is close and familiar yet distant and mysterious all at the same time. The stones sit mere meters away from a main road; they look just like the photos. But the path keeps tourists from getting too close (unlike the pyramids where people can sit - and write graffiti - directly on the monuments); and the only interactive experience is listening to the audio tour. At some level, they are just rocks sitting in a field. Very beautiful, mysterious rocks that look different from every angle, but not exactly entertaining.


Perhaps that is why they let sheep roam around just outside the site.





S thought of lamb chops... I thought of wooly jumpers...


In the evening, we checked into the Spire House B&B in Salisbury. On our kind hostess' recommendation, we stopped by Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral and wandered around the lovely houses in The Close.








This was followed by dinner at Anokaa. We were a bit cynical of all the accolades, but the restaurant deserves all the credit and awards it gets. Our meal was unusual, well-presented and delicious.



Goan beef starter



Modu Murg



Minced lamb filled naan bread



Narangee


On Wednesday morning, we went back to the cathedral to look around a bit further.






Altar reflected in the font



Video of the medieval clock


Walking around Salisbury, we saw local water fowl (i.e ducks, swans and moorhens).














In the afternoon, we drove to New Forest and stopped in Brockenhurst for pub lunch.





New Forest is famous for its ponies, which roam pretty much wherever they please.






pony version of the local kebab shop





Driving on, our guidebook suggested a visit to Bucklers Hard, which was, ahem, closed when we got there. So we proceeded to picturesque Beaulieu.












pony procession








We drove home in the evening and returned the car. It was a nice change from public transport (and indeed, we would have had trouble going to some of these places without a car) but I'm still happy not to drive around London on a daily basis.


Happy anniversary, S! Thank you for a nice getaway...