In Exeter we rented a car! I know. Luckily most of you don't have to protect yourselves by staying off the road because you're a continent away. ;) The people at Hertz said that we got upgraded because it was the last car they had left, but we think they saw Americans coming, and chose to keep us safe in a giant Volvo. It took us several minutes to release the parking break, and then we had to watch a YouTube video on how to adjust the steering wheel. I bashed my head on the rearview mirror (as the passenger) before I figured out how to adjust the seat. All of that was before we even started driving! Mom drove, and did a bang up job. That's a semi-inside joke. But really, those cones had no business being in the road in the first place! Ha, ha.
But really, we have been safe, have been remembering about the left, and have been enjoying our vehicle. It has those brand new multi cameras that we all saw during the Super Bowl commercials, and is a real smooth ride. Most of the first part of the trip was all about roundabouts. There was one about every 1/2 mile. And they go clockwise...
Our first stop was Glastonbury. When you ask us why England, this was one of the reasons. But first -- lunch! We headed towards the Kebab & Pizza shop (what?), but they seemed to be having some sort of mopping crisis (water sort of pouring out the door), so we went to the Tin Pot Pasty Co. We love pasties, and made them with the Goodriches in Anchorage one time when we were there. Basically, a Cornish pasty is like a hand pie. And it's a short a, NOT rhyming with hasty. I knew they were originally a food for miners, but I hadn't heard the bit about leaving part of the crust or rind behind because of having tin on the fingers. Interesting! I had traditional (steak, onion, potato), and Mom had vegetable (corn, potatoes, turnip?).
So Glastonbury. This is someplace we have wanted to come to for ages. My favorite book of all time, recommend to me by my Mom, is Mists of Avalon, but Marion Zimmer Bradley. I read it first in middle school (8th grade?), and reread it every summer through high school and college. Yes, it is the tale of King Arthur, but only by association. It is mostly a story about the strong women who surrounded him, namely his sister Morgaine. The story takes place on the Isle of Avalon, and then also partly at the Glastonbury Abbey. Glastonbury, for real, lies in a wetland, and back in the day, was filled with water, and communities were built atop the highest bits. It was a clear day today, which was good, because I didn't have to actually see if I could raise or lower the mist with my arms like the Lady of the Lake. Honestly, I might have tried... If you think I've gone down an Arthurian rabbit hole, read the book. :)
Whether or not you think King Arthur was real, the Glastonbury Abbey was. It was originally founded in the 7th century (possibly by Joseph of Arimathea), and updated before it was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. What we saw today was the remnants of that fire. Everything else was rebuilt, in other places, but fell into disrepair during the Dissolution of Monastaries around 1536. The actual history is much more rich than that, but I'm trying not to totally nerd out on you. ;)
There has been a lot of archaeological research done on the site, and they know how the abbey would have been painted, and what relics went where and why.
We spent most of our time wandering in the ruins of the Old Church, and the Lady Chapel, though there was so much more to see on the 36 acres. Here are our favorite pics of this amazing place.
Whether Morgaine of the Faeries ever walked here, I'll never know. Of course, I'd like to think that, and I imagine Avalon lies just beyond the Tor. Even if it is all a story, Glastonbury still holds magic. People meditated on the grounds, drew in sketchbooks, and walked in wonder, all enveloped in the deep history beneath their feet.
Happy Sigh.
Now we are contentedly ensconced in Fawlty Towers. Remember this show? It's an old British comedy starring John Cleese. He and his wife run a small hotel in Torquay. The show is grossly inappropriate so don't say I recommended it, but if you've seen it (or if I forced you to watch it...), you can imagine where we are. Our Bert & Ernie beds are pushed together to form some sort of weird California King, and the toilet keeps speaking to us. Mom had a wildly English dinner of cold ham and sunny side up eggs (she chose it!), but I'm happy to report it wasn't cod tails (that was a choice!). More on Yarn Market tomorrow as we explore Dunster, and head towards Exmoor National Park.
I'm happy to report that my travel buddy is on the mend. She's been a trooper, but is still fighting a little fever. Time to tuck her in bed!
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