Trying to get to Stonehenge was a mess! We missed our bus the first day because we got lost on the metro. Ryan and I are not used to relying on public transportation, and even after 4 weeks here – we still don’t have it down perfectly. Getting better though! Anyway, we were able to reschedule our half day trip to the following day for a small fee. AND I actually got to use one of those red telephone booths in London to call them because we didn’t want to use our cell phone data. So it worked out, because that was super cool!
The charter bus took us straight out of the city of London and through the countryside to Stonehenge. It was about a 2 hour drive, so Ryan and I sat back and enjoyed the view. Our driver was SO FUNNY. We kept cracking up at his subtle jokes and humorous comments.
We actually didn’t have much time at Stonehenge, only about an hour and 45 minutes. But that’s really all we needed. We used the free audio tour and walked all around this massive monument, learning about who built it, why they might have built it, how old it is, and so much more. Although much of it is speculation, it was so very interesting. And experts aren’t even convinced that those who built it finished it! But it took these people many many years to build it, and they had to bring the rocks from very far away. It seriously took a village, and multiple generations to build Stonehenge. However, they weren’t just doing it for themselves – they were building it for posterity. No one really knows exactly its purpose. But experts believe it is an ancient way to tell the seasons and time – as well as, it was a sacred place. There were “healing stones” in the center of Stonehenge that people would travel to come and break off a piece for their loved one who was sick.
There are huge mounds of dirt all around – and historians have realized that those are ancient burial grounds. When excavating, they found tons of artifacts, and bones.
Honestly it was a once in a lifetime experience – seeing something so iconically historic.
