Josem 2023 UK circumnavigation

 I'm not sure how interested everyone will be about this blog. Walking, walking, walking. On and on and on. Rolling hills, rolling hills, rolling hills. Cute little towns intermingled with the rolling hills. No cathedrals, but lots of churches. Here's Bill posing in a cute little town under my direction: Happy co-walkers enjoying the rolling hills: Well one out of three look happy at least! Now this was an interesting monument we came across on a hill: This item is known as Cromwell's Seat.  Apparently this was the place Thomas Cromwell sat (he was Henry VIII's chief minister at the time) to watch the burning of Hailes Abbey after it was decommissioned.   We came across this cute property: And a nice tree in a field: A big one actually, hey? More wheat fields: Rolling fields: Cute little town with a church: Baaaaah: I translated that to mean "Any food you could spare for me please sir?" We came across a castle on top of a hill.  This one is Broadway Castle - i...

Now, those of you who have been reading my blog and not just looking at the photos might remember that I presented a photo of a modern piece of art that was installed at the Salisbury Cathedral. I didn't get this piece at all. It looked completely out of place to me. So I told you I would enlist the help of my artist friend William H Luke to explain this thing to me. Well... he didn't disappoint. Here's the original pic: Well, blow me down. This thing turns out a) to be a very important piece, and b) was produced by one of England's most important 20th century sculptor, Barbara Hepworth. It is called "Construction (Crucifiction)". It is such an important work that they transported it to be installed temporarily in the Rijksmuseum Gardens in Amsterdam for them to ogle at it there. Here's an extract of a newspaper article from April 2022 when it was happening: So this thing is a modern art representation of the crucifiction. I don't know why I didn't...

 I'm very happy to put my accutely optimised navagation skills away today.   I can rely on Dr Google to show us the way to drive to Bath via Glastonbury and Wells.  Our guide in a book, Rick Steve, tells us it's worth stopping at these places to visit some.... ... cathedrals. Well after yesterday's scary moments in the wilderness, it was great to have a car-driving day with cathedral interludes.  I can look to the heavens and say thankyou! Glastonburywas established around 712, and then there was a huge fire in 1184.  It was rebuilt by the 14th century and became one of the richest monasteries in England. It is supposedly where King Arthur was buried in the sixth century.   There's a bit of conjecture about it, but in order to maintain the tourist income, when they were rebuilding it, the monks made out they found his remains.  It certainly remains at least as the mythical burial ground for him.   The grave is in the open now becaus...