Eb in England--Historical Trust Sites #1

[Ebony AKA AngieJ]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., hamster8 at h... wrote:

> Stonehenge;
> 
> It is overrated, as far as I'm concerned.  The experience of so 
many 
> tourist hotspots in the UK is completely ruined by crass 
> commercialism, and I'm afraid to say I feel the same way about 
> Salisbury Cathedral. 

I was *so* disappointed in Stonehenge... there were so many people 
there!  Yes, I know that I myself was contributing to the numbers, 
but they had the ropes quite a distance away.  I've heard that was 
only recently done... it's really too bad.

Salisbury worked better for me for several reasons:  1) there were 
not hordes of people around because we came and left between services 
and so missed the crowd and 2) because many of the tombs were 500-
1000 years old.  Even though I didn't enjoy them as much, it was also 
great seeing structures that were several millenia old.  To me as an 
American, that was absolutely fascinating... most of what is standing 
here, for one reason or the other, is fairly new.  We are not a 
culture that is into preservation as a rule... I've begun thinking 
about our country as more of a "disposable" culture.

Now I understand why Pippin answered the question "why are the 
British so good at writing fantasy and mysteries?" with "You'll see 
when you get over there."  I also understand why North Americans 
(with of course many notable writers from elsewhere) have made their 
mark on sci-fi lit, TV, and movies.  It all makes a lot of sense.

I think people take the familiar for granted, wherever they happen to 
live.

> "And then one of my Indian friends who was walking alongside me 
drew 
> back, horrified.
> 
> 'We're stepping on people's graves!'

I really think this was a religious thing for her.  She was very 
uncomfortable with the setting and had to leave.

> What I can't remember is whether Salisbury Cathedral has a maze 
built 
> into the floor or not.  The maze pops up in a lot of cathedrals 
here, 
> and represents a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (with Jerusalem being in 
the 
> centre) ... there's one in Amiens (northern France that takes about 
> twenty five minutes to walk if you follow the paths scrupulously)  
> Worth checking out if you happen across one.

Oh, no, it doesn't--but there's some castle with a labyrinth that a 
friend of mine tried to find yesterday on her own and ended up 
getting hopelessly and utterly lost.  The transportation system can 
be confusing for a foreigner... Sharon and I had no trouble yesterday 
(we tried to visit HP spots that time around, but that's another 
story), but then again there were two of us and Sharon's spent time 
in London before.

I'm not too keen on the idea of going to France.  We're already going 
to Paris on Bastille Day (eek!) and I am unashamed to admit that I'm 
nervous.  I do not speak a word of French and hope I don't lose my 
group.  It took much convincing for me to want to go... in the end, I 
decided that Paris and Versailles were must-see locations and caved 
in.  

> Classical music.  I have to agree with you ... there are times when 
> it's just more fitting.  If you can, try to get hold of a copy of 
> Rutter's Requiem (I *know* it's funeral music, but it's heart-
> rendingly beautiful stuff, and I, shameless freeloader that I am, 
use 
> it to write HP fanfiction to ... tch).  Of course, it's ten to one 
> you'll read this before tomorrow, so I'll tell you again then :-).

LOL!  Cool.  ;-)  I like dirges and elegies anyway... the song I just 
posted is certainly funeral-worthy.

Looking forward to the meet... but nervous as well!

--Ebony