Two outvoted three – 1988
The summer son Dan was thirteen, we visited his aunt and uncle (Lois and David) in Kings Lynn, England, which included being tourists. Dan wanted to see a Dr. Who display in London, eat at their Hard Rock Cafe, and see Stonehenge.
Lois and David told Guy that Stonehenge was just a bunch of rocks. Lois’s brother, who I was married to, agreed with them. When I broke the news to Dan that we might have to skip Stonehenge, he asked why we’d go all that way and not get to experience it. I was on his side.
Somehow we outvoted the other three.
June 17, 1988, “We got caught in traffic on the London orbital, but finally got around it. We zipped over a hill and there it was on the top of the next – much more impressive than we feared. . . . Two jackdaws were nesting there.”
Arriving from the east, our view was spectacular, with the historic grey stones arranged in the distance on a flat plain, with a sprinkling of white sheep in the foreground.
In spite of being patrolled by helicopter, there is a certain ambiance to the place. Even the three naysayers would agree.
It was a humid day. Before leaving we ate ice cream in the shade of a hawthorn bush and talked to a taxi driver. “W’ll, now that you’ve seen Stonehenge, can ya die happy now?” I had to laugh, but answered yes! At least Dan could cross off one thing on his bucket list, and so could his mom.
Doris and Darlene – 1997
Mom and Aunt Darlene were the first in the family to see where their younger brother, Danny Wilson, is buried in an overseas cemetery in eastern France. Guy and I were their backup crew, October 1997. Our travel agent asked the sisters, farm women who were in their late 70s, what else they’d like to see, since this would probably be their only overseas trip.
Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Normandy were on the list. What about London? Sure–Tower of London, Westminster Abbey for a service, a ride on the Thames. Mom wanted to see Bath, and added that since her grandson had seen Stonehenge, she didn’t want to miss it.
Stonehenge didn’t disappoint this time either. We all framed this photo when we got home, to remind us of the entire incredible trip.
Doris and Darlene’s 1997 journey to France.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful memory. Thank whoever the stones are so heavy that easier ones have been found so far. Otherwise Stonehenge would have long since been cleared away, and built into house walls. Lol xx Michael
That’s what the cabbie told us the first time we were there!
What a joy to read Ms. Joy. While I’ve been to the UK, I can’t say that I’ve ever been to Stonehenge. Had I been a tourist, that would’ve certainly been on my list of things to see. That and having bangers and mashed at an authentic British pub of course. 🙂 I’ve seen lots of amazing things during my career and travels. The Great Barrier Reef, Buddhist temples, cities and ruins that were a thousand years old or more, but the greatest sights for me in this life is seeing home as I pull up the drive. There’s nothing quite like coming home is there? I think that’s what excites me so much about the thought of going home one day soon. I’ll get to see all the wondrous things God has prepared for me. Now that’s the trip of my lifetime. 🙂 God’s blessings sweet friend.
Amen! Uh, bangers and mash is pretty bland, but we were blessed the second time to attend a service in Westminster Abbey. They seated us next to the choir. (One of the boys cleaned his classes with the hem of his surplice.) We were surprised at the amazing sound–singing, organ, even the speaker, in such a huge open space.
LOL… I like pretty bland my friend. 😀
Well then. . .
A true opportunity of a lifetime.
Good for Dan for sticking to his guns that Stongehenge was worth seeing and not just a bunch of rocks!
Thank you for sharing this memory…You were wise to go to Stonehenge. I spent a semester overseas when I was in college. I visited many of the places you mentioned. I would not have wanted to miss Stonehenge…certainly not! 🙂
My mother didn’t either!