Stonehenge and Salisbury

So touristy, but still very cool. We felt like we couldn't spend 5 months in England and not see Stonehenge. It was the coldest we have ever been so we circled the henge and then took off. Seriously so cold.

Lots of family photos this trip- we brought one of our housemates.

Getting warm in the museum

Truman was unimpressed by the big rocks

But sheep nearby? Loved those guys. He kept saying "baaa baaa"

The front. Looks powerful, yeah? All those dark specks on the right are people. I can't imagine what this place is like in the spring/summer.

 Overall Stonehenge was definitely worth the trip. Our favorite part was driving there and coming over a hill and then bam! there it is. It looked really spectacular. It was still worth paying the umpteen pounds to go up close though and to look around the museum. It is so much bigger than I had imagined, even looking at these pictures it doesn't quite capture it. But it's just really big, okay? I remember looking at pictures and thinking building it without modern technology would certainly be hard but not impossible. However seeing it in person made me realize why people think aliens built it. That is almost just as likely of a theory as all the others. We also learned some interesting bits and pieces. Like, the huge stones were not all local, some of them were brought over from Wales (how? Aliens!). Also, surrounding the stones were sixty-something holes filled with dead peoples' remains. Kinda morbid.

After Stonehenge we went to nearby Salisbury to see its Cathedral. It has the tallest spire in Great Britain. Of course, very similar to others we have seen! But it was still a good place to look around. Unfortunately the spire was closed to visitors and they usually have an original Magna Carta there- but it was in London for some special occasion. Phooey!

The spire- a perfect view from the parking garage.

The courtyards are always so pretty

Can you guess what this is? A CLOCK. The oldest working clock from the 1300s. No face- it would just strike the hour on the bell. Such a complicated invention that I remember learning about in school. The clock revolutionized how we organize our time. Now we schedule our days to the minute- that wouldn't be possible without the clock! 

Pretty impressive as always. You can't really tell, but the columns on the sides are actually bending from the weight of the spire!

A cornish pasty for the way home.

Ciren for short

Vinny goes to school in Cirencester but all we had really seen of the town was the university so one day we spent an afternoon over there after Vinny's class. We wandered around town and did a bit of shopping, went to the museum, and had a bit to eat.

Corinium Museum: mostly told about Roman times in Britain.

Toys for Truman!

Mosaics everywhere!

Truman climbing into the exhibits

Funny faces in windows! Our new favorite game

Food: a little place called "He Says She Waffles" Yum

We also spotted this store in Cirencester. I think they are in lots of places so now I know to always go in. Cute! And at another shop we finally got a padded waterproof snowsuit for Truman to keep him warm. It definitely keeps him warm but the poor kid can't move in it. Zoops

Have Fun Storming the Castle

Our First Castle: Chepstow. It's in Wales. So now we have been to Wales too! Pretty much the same as England but don't tell them we said that.

Chepstow Castle

Steep steps to the top of the tower

Worth it

Oldest Castle Doors in Europe

Family Photo

 Next up was a nearby abbey. Also very old and mostly in ruins but also very beautiful.

Tintern Abbey

Near this place? Kinda vague but we'll take it.

The river Wye

We were hiking up a hill in search of the Devils Pulpit- where the Devil tempted the monks or something? And it was supposed to have a nice view of the abbey. But we never found it. 

Time to go. I shouldn't even post it that face is too sad. 

The Cotswolds

So we pretty much live in an area of England called the Cotswolds but I felt like we hadn't really seen the true "Cotswolds." So we drove around to the more touristy towns and I finally saw some thatched roof cottages! But it wasn't until the end of the day and the camera died! But here are some other pretty things in some beautiful villages.

Lower Slaughter

Mill at Lower Slaughter

Manor at Lower Slaughter

Huge Tree!

Stow-on-the-Wold and the Cornish Pasty! So so delicious

Market Square at Stow-on-the-Wold

Moreton-in-Marsh. A church in every town! Still pretty

Cool toy store- Lego man built out of Lego

Bourton on the Hill

Truman is loving it. We were searching for a gibbeting cage but never found it.

Bourton on the Hill still

Chipping Campden

Peek-a-boo Tru at another church

Walking through a sheep pasture to get to ...

Dover's Hill. The site of the annual Cotswold Olympicks which includes sports such as cheese-rolling and shin-kicking. 

Truman was a trooper on this trip getting in and out of the backpack at each place and didn't have any meltdowns until the very end. The sunshine is deceiving- it is actually super windy and cold and it's hard keeping that kid warm. The first place was our favorite- maybe because it was the first? It was all really beautiful though and we look forward to seeing more of it in the spring. And aren't the names so funny? It's an art of its own.

Our House

It's nice. One of those bitty windows on top is Truman's room.

I may have posted this photo already but this is taken from our doorstep and notice the steep sidewalk coming up from the street. That is the path to our doorstep. Anytime someone comes to the house they are huffing and puffing and I say sorry. 

The house itself is 3 stories. 3 bedrooms on the bottom, common living area in the middle with kitchen, dining room, utility room, and living room. Then 3 bedrooms on top. We are on the top floor and it is very cozy with slanted ceilings. Very cute at first but I hit my head on them at least once a day and that isn't cute. There are 8 (eight!) of us living here. Not as bad as one might think. Truman is very easy-going and very easy to love so he gets along great with his housemates. It helps that they share food with him and make funny faces. The YSA's (young single adults according to British Mormon culture) keep to their rooms most of the time so the common area isn't too crowded in the evenings. However it feels good during the day when everyone is gone and Tru and I get the house to ourselves. Parenting with an audience is sometimes tricky. We'll just stick with the whatever keeps him happy routine til we get back to the States I guess? or forever? Idk.

Feedback Sandwich

Positives
Truman sleeping all night even though he was sick
Reading lots of books
Grocery delivery
First non-church playdate invitation from person at library story time

Negatives
Laptop breaking
Paying way too much for motor insurance
Motor insurance policy cancelled for really dumb/unfounded reason
Paying even more for motor insurance
First non-church playdate invitation from single dad at library story time

Positives
Cadbury chocolate
Galaxy chocolate
Clotted cream
Truman walking
Flight to Germany purchased for March!