Brrr- nice sunshine but chilly! Explored the lovely fishing village of Teignmouth first thing this morning – quite a strategic port in years gone by and bombed by Hitler as there was significant ship building here. As along this coast, there was smuggling activity much earlier than that, but not much recorded for obvious reasons. Interesting thought – despite the sometimes celebrated history and romanticism around the smuggler stories, it was dangerous and all about people trying to avoid customs and taxes and they still do it today. Nothing really changes, just do it differently. Hadn’t really made the comparison to modern day subterfuge and smuggling!
Drove across part of Dartmoor – lovely sun made for beautiful views across the Moor. No mist or danger today. Some more lovely little towns, thatches, one with a waterwheel and some very narrow lanes. Narrowest one of trip just outside of Chagforth, between high stone walls – inched past other vehicles.
Drivers are all noticeably patient here, often having to stop up the road a bit, both town, city and countryside, to allow oncoming traffic through. Also met up with what looked like a convention of learner driver instructors – never seen so many L plate cars at the same time in one place – funny.
Retraced our steps to Bath and enjoyed several hours wandering through the old Roman Bath ruins, excavated pool areas and a taste of the famous spring water with its very high mineral content. I feel so much better! Hot spring still very active and apparently only one in the UK. Interesting to visualise what it must have been like in those days at the Bath House – socialising in the steam, hoping for healing, m aking ritual sacrifices, placing curses etc with people travelling from places like Syria to the Temple of Sulis Minerva – what the Baths were all about. Incredible how they moved the stone and also system of piping , sluices etc.
Made it to Stonehenge just as the sun was setting – had decided we would just view from the roadside – literally freezing wind. Not as dramatic as I had envisaged but may have been up close. Some nice views with the sun on the stones. Stones are just out in the middle of a paddock, nothing but grass around them – definitely look “placed” – the old chesnut question – how did those huge stones get there? Said to have evolved somewhere between 3,000BC and 1,600BC and be aligned with the rising and setting of the sun at the solstices, but exact puposes are a mystery.
Back to London with the help of Ms. GPS in time for late dinner and to avoid most of the traffic.
Photos Devon and Cornwall
Photos Bath and Stonehenge
