Monthly Archives: December 2016

Glastonbury …. with drums

Waking up on Sunday morning to fog was a bit disappointing but we decided to visit Glastonbury Tor anyway.  At the start of the climb the tower wasn’t visible through the fog but we could hear the distant sound of drums and chanting.  The atmosphere was surreal.

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As we neared the top we could just make out a ceremony taking place facing east.  There were drummers, dancers and singers.  The sun was trying so hard to break through and then with a little more ceremony, this happened ……

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With the sun behind us, looking towards the west which was still foggy, we were able to make angel rainbow reflections!

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After spending some time taking photos and talking to other visitors we set off down the other side of the Tor.  And then, as if by magic, the sun disappeared and the fog returned.

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By now it was lunchtime so we found a pub that welcomed dogs and muddy boots and had a well earned Sunday roast.  The pub wall was covered in festival posters going back to the very beginning.  I saw one poster where tickets were £1 each, farm milk was free and The Kinks were headlining!

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After two nights we had left the cottage and now were going to check in to an amazing B&B. This magical place didn’t disappoint.  The Covenstead was adorned from floor to ceiling with incredible curios.

The Covenstead

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Incredible mural on the staircase.

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Our room, the Halloween suite!

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So, that was our latest adventure :)

 

 

Glastonbury ….. but without the Festival

It was early in December, it was drizzly and foggy – so, what did we do?  Instead of fighting our way around the shops looking for Christmas presents or writing Christmas cards at home, we had a long weekend in Glastonbury!

Even though I’ve travelled the A303 many times I still can’t contain my excitement when driving past Stonehenge and I have to photograph it pretty much every trip.

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When I was a child it was possible to touch the stones and wander amongst them, but not any more.

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We arrived in Glastonbury late afternoon and drove straight to the little cottage we’d rented. The next morning was drizzly so we headed into town to visit Chalice Wellone of Britain’s most ancient wells, nestling in the Vale of Avalon between the Tor and Chalice Hill.

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Surrounded by beautiful gardens and orchards it is a living sanctuary and for over two thousand years it has been a place where people have gathered to drink the waters and find solace, peace and inspiration.

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Stone mosaic

Next we went to visit the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey.

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Back at Abbey activity centre, I couldn’t resist doing a little brass rubbing :)

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The next day we were heading off to Glastonbury Tor – but that’s a whole new post!