Stonehenge...just a bunch of rocks?

Although I am very glad I finally got to see Stonehenge and was able to tick off another box on my bucket list, I'm very glad we did not head all the way out to Salisbury just to see it. It truly is an incredible landmark. More amazing the the rock structure itself is the story behind it? Surrounding the monument are hundreds of Neolithic burial mounds, giving Stonehenge a slightly eerie vibe. There are so many conflicting theories of Stonehenge's origin, I don't know which one I quite believe or agree with. Stonehenge has seen so much during its lifetime, it is believed some of the stones have been there since as early as 3000 BC, it has been the site of battles, and "tourists" have stolen pieces of the monument for thousands of years, the scenes have dwindled to less than 1/3 of its original amount. It is believed that these stones had healing powers, and that is why ancient civilizations went through the laborious trouble of transporting these rocks and then arranging them. But how did they get there? Much like the conundrum of the Egyptian pyramids, is a a great mystery how the people of the land actually transported the rocks from eir origin miles and miles away with no modern day technology or equipment. It is also believed that this area was a place or worship for a civilization that left no written records. I knew prior to this visit that Stonehenge was in a secluded area, but I had no idea it was literally in the middle of nowhere! Besides the residential sheep nearby, there is nothing nearby for miles! This is one of those things I will just have to ponder like the rest of the unsolved mysteries of the world....

Windsor Castle

My friends and I recently decided to take a bus tour to visit the sites of England. We presumed this wold be much easier and cost effective than trying to go see different landmarks on separate trips on our own. We woke up at 4am in order to make the 5 am train from Guildford to London, where we would be picked up at a set location in London. The fact that we all work up on time and made it before the bus left us was a miracle of itself! Or first stop was Windsor castle. This is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world, the castle is absolutely massive! Located in Berkshire, this is the royal family's country residence. The Queen considers Windsor her home, Buckingham Palace is her office....how I would love to work in that office! The Queen has a special fondness for horses, and the castle is complete with a stable and riding grounds. The castle was originally build to protect london from norman invasion. It served as a refuge for the royal family from the bombings of WW2, and even survived a fire that resulted in millions of pounds of damage. Windsor Castle is also famous for its St. George's Cathedral. This is an incredible place of worship where many great royals are hurried here. My favorite part of our tour of the castle was visiting the Queen's doll house room. Her cousin, Princess Marie Louise presented this gift to Queen Mary for her birthday. This is the most incredible dollhouse I have ever seen. Famous architects, furniture makers, and artists all donated miniature versions of their craft to help complete the decor of the doll house. The house was made to scale and even has working electricity and running water! It was meant to show how an uppercase English home would look during the early 1900's. Unfortunately, the Queen was hosting an event during our stay, so the staterooms were not available for us to view, but we did take a tour of the castle grounds, and ate lunch of fish and chips at a pub across the street from the castle. Located so closs to heathrow airport, we wondered why the architects built the castle so close to the airport...(haha just kidding) I much prefer the grandeur of this country castle over that of Buckingham Palace. Then we were off to Stonehenge....