Old news and new beginnings.
The sun did not leave us all day and made our short stay in Amesbury an unforgettable one. Part of me has some difficulty writing about this day, because right when I was about to enjoy the magnificence that is Stonehenge I received some news that wasn’t what I had expected. It’s strange thinking about it now and trying to sort through all of my emotions; a pendulum of thoughts and feelings that run through me and of course the constant fear that the news will taint the memory of this experience.
But I’m jumping ahead again. We arrived about half an hour later than we should have, because of the earlier delays, which wasn’t a big deal, since we had until 4pm to check in to our hotel and our time to visit Stonehenge wasn’t until 3pm. The good thing about getting tickets for Stonehenge is that you can book them online ahead of time and pick the time you want to visit them. This manages the number of visitors and makes the whole experience a bit more pleasant.
Outside the train station I had to admit to myself that taking the bus to Amesbury and our hotel would probably be a bad idea with our luggage in tow. We found a taxi and told the driver the address. He stopped, looked at me and said: “That’s in Amesbury, about 8 miles away.” I looked at him in return, slightly perplexed and worried I had missed something and said: “Would that be ok with you?” Of course, it was, he just wanted to let us know that Salisbury and Amesbury are two different towns, since we took the train to the first. I guess coming from North America, we have a completely different comprehension of distances and think 8 miles isn’t worth mentioning, but I have noticed that this is not the case in the UK.
We arrived at our hotel well before check-in time and were told they would have the room ready by 1pm. That left us with a good 2.5 hours to explore the town and have lunch. In the centre square we found a bench and ate our packed-up sandwiches and just enjoyed the beautiful day. We watched people walk and take the bus and observed the routine of the locals. Two of them stopped to chat with us. One was a middle-aged woman on her way to the doctors, marvelling at the warm temperatures and saying that since she had already taken off her jacket, but was still wearing a jumper she would be all sweaty by the time she got to the doctor’s office, which isn’t very comfortable. The second was an elderly man sitting in a scooter. He stopped on the sidewalk in front of us calling out: “Good morning ladies! What a beautiful day. You know what else is great? I lost an entire stone since the weather turned bad. Cut out all the sweets and treats. Have a lovely day, ladies.” What a friendly town. Probably also had to do with the fact that this was the first sunshine they had seen since October.
We still had some time to spare after finishing lunch and walked down one road, which was supposed to lead to a path. It was called “Lords Walk”. I don’t know if it was in reference to the Lord or lords of manors etc., but it was a lovely walk.
We stopped at a grocery store to pick up some pastries, water and sea salt to exfoliate our faces, and then were able to check into our room. It was a small cozy little room with two twin beds, a desk, chair, TV and bathroom, which looked like it was added on later as an en-suite. The water tank would make humming noises whenever we turned on the water, but with the window open and the noise of the birds singing outside it was quickly forgotten.
I was surprised to find out that there was no bus going from Amesbury to the Stonehenge site itself, but conveniently there was a taxi stand about a 3-minute walk from our hotel. An elderly, very slender man with a thick cockney dialect drove us the 10 minutes to the historical site, which we could glimpse from the window of the cab. It was a magnificent site. Beautiful, slightly eerie, breathtaking and mysterious. Personally, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but then again, up until now I couldn’t believe much in general.
We arrived earlier than the time on the ticket, but the friendly young man at the ticket counter let us through and suggested we take a look at the exhibition about Stonehenge first before either walking or taking the shuttle bus to the site. The gift shop was attached to the visitors’ centre and it made more sense to get a few trinkets before heading out. I asked the young man at the cash counter for directions to walk from Stonehenge back to the village; being an absolute gorgeous day, who would want to sit in a bus and cab? He showed us a path and let us know that the entire area surrounding Stonehenge belongs to the National Trust and visitors are allowed to roam. How lovely!! I do love roaming through the English countryside.
It was about a mile’s walk to the actual site. The sun was shining, the breeze was warm, and the air was so fresh and fragrant with blooming trees and flowers. It was the perfect day all around. And it was here that I received the news that would change my life forever. I had just taken out my phone to begin taking pictures of Stonehenge from every possible angle when I noticed a missed call. I knew who it was from and decided to call back right away; I had to know. Hands trembling, heart pounding, chest so tight it was difficult to breathe, the call was answered after the second ring. And there it was: the bad news. The voice on the phone has become familiar to me over the many months and even years I had to deal with this particular situation. The voice, female, apologized for the disappointing outcome and I assured her it’s because of people like her I haven’t stopped believing in the goodness of people. My voice shook and I was in tears, but it wasn’t complete sadness. As soon as she said “The case is closed” a sense of relief washed over me. It was over. Finally, and completely over.
So, there I was, sitting on a bench, less than 100 metres from Stonehenge, my mom hugging me, my husband on the phone, feeling guilty for not being there and the presence of this ancient site giving me a sense of calm and comfort; I knew I would be ok. In my heart I know the truth. I am not a liar, not a drama queen and not one out to seek attention. I accept the outcome, but I don’t agree with it. The other person knows the truth as well, and I believe everyone gets theirs eventually. Karma truly is a bitch. And it’s time for me to begin healing.
A strange thing happened, though, while I was sitting on that bench, taking in the news I had just received. A black crow walked up to me across the path. People were still passing us as they were heading towards the shuttle bus, but that crow kept looking at me and was undisturbed by the passersby, before stopping right in front of me, looking at me intently. Symbolic? Maybe. Comforting? Yes.
Eyes dried, deep breaths taken and a few sips of water later, we took selfies and videos of this marvel, which has fascinated me for years. As the afternoon grew late, we headed towards the field opposite the site, in search for the path that would eventually lead us back to Amesbury. All in all, the walk was about 5 miles. 5 gorgeous miles that allowed us to gaze upon Stonehenge and see it in the setting sun. 5 miles that led us past fields of grazing sheep, none of them having any of my shit as I tried to take a picture of them and showing me their behinds.
We were exhausted once we got to the nearest pub to have dinner that night. Our feet were on fire and I could barely keep my eyes open as I attempted to eat my fish and chips. At the hotel, I took a shower and we probably made it through half an episode of “Mr. Darcy” before falling asleep.
