History May Be Taught: Part II

Wednesday, June 18, we went to STONEHENGE!!! Words fall short of the experience, but the weather was perfect for the brooding atmosphere.





We also visited Salisbury, home of the famous cathedral. Interesting tidbit: the cathedral was spared in WWII because the German bomber pilots used the tall spire as a reference point to turn and go up to the industrial parts London. The cathedral was beautiful as was the entire city. We had a grand time eating traditional Cornish pasties (which are pot pies folded in half so you can eat it with your hands) in the rain.

Salisbury Cathedral:




Thursday, June 19, Uncle John took us to see Portsmouth, the home of the Royal Navy. We saw three historic ships from three different eras. First we visited the Victory which Alexander and I had seen before, but this time they let us take pictures. Victory was the flagship on which Admiral Horatio Nelson fought Napoleon in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson died in the battle and the ship became a memorial to England's most popular mariner. He was very much a national hero. Interesting tidbit: On our trip we saw where he was shot, where he later died, and his most famous national monument in Trafalgar Square.

The Victory:


Alexander on the deck of the Victory:


We also visited a ship called the Mary Rose which was Henry VIII's favorite warship. Sadly, the Mary Rose was sunk in battle and lay on the seabed for 400 years just barely out of it's port. In 1986 it was discovered that half of the ship had sunk into the sand which had preserved it. The ship was raised and is currently in dock in a specially built building with a preserving substance constantly raining on it. It has a uneasy feel about it, like perhaps it should have stayed where it had fallen.

Lastly, we visited the Warrior, built in 1860 and quickly outpaced by the new technology around it. Built with both a steam engine and sailing masts, it marks a transition in history.

The Warrior:


Me Taking the Wheel of the Warrior:


After Portsmouth we went to Fishbourne, home to an enormous Roman palace during the Roman occupation of Britain in the early first century AD. All that remains of the glorious site are the exquisite mosaic tiled floors which were laid in every room of the building. Complete with heated floors and immaculate gardens, the palace seems like a place I would have gladly called home. ;)

The Dolphin Mosaic:


Jen in the Gardens at Fishbourne:


Striking a Pose with an Urn in the Gardens at Fishbourne: