On Sunday, I wandered around the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. Housed in lush parkland, with the now usual array of ancient and huge trees (I never tire of them). The earliest version of the church was built on the site where Joseph of Arimathea built the first church (wattle and daub) in the UK. Many local legends around all this—including— visits by both the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, and Jesus’ burial  somewhere in the abbey grounds  It burned down twice—once by accident and once courtesy of  Henry VIII, who was busy destroying all the abbeys and acquiring their wealth.

The site now holds a Lady Chapel, where I had a love-saturated meditation. Then wandered through the remains of the rest of the abbey. Tho little is left, each remaining wall and structure has a grace and sculptural beauty against the sky. The church claims that Arthur and Guinevere are also buried here. And then, guess what? It rained! Hiked back up the hill to my truly lovely airbnb. 

 Photos of Glastonbury Tor. Got to Glastonbury (which the locals call Avalon) in time to climb to the top of the Tor—quite a steep 

Trail. No rain but a cold wind and lots of people at the top. I had some interesting memories and a deep dive into the expansive and loving energy there. But I am still sorting through all that. Locals are pretty far out. Haight Street in the 60s and then some. They were having a fairy festival this weekend and lots of people were dressed up in their fairy best! The climb to the start of the trail to the Tor was once again thickly green and filled me with bliss. The people who live in these countryside towns are so fortunate and they work to maintain their sublime environment.

 Friday—the day for Stonehenge, Avebury and 2 charming Cotswald villages—Lacock and Castle Coomb.   It rained and poured and the cold wind blew. Much as I had wanted to hang out with the stones at Stonehenge and Avebury, I was wet through and through from the first 15 minutes of the journey and the cold wind gusts didn’t help. Not the best conditions for contemplating the mysteries of the universe! Did get to see filming sites for several Harry Potter and Downtown Abbey episodes, albeit in the rain! I was sooo saturated by the time I got home—wet down to my skin and through it to the internal organs!

 Bath proved to be surprisingly (becos I didn’t remember it that way) beautiful. The river Avon runs right down the center and it is surrounded by green hills. The Bath Cathedral had a long series of intricate and large stained glass windows. I found a small but powerful chapel towards the front. Just one big candle on the altar at the front and I had it to myself. Such powerful divine love, very feminine in nature. I didn’t know how I would ever get up to leave! But then off to the Roman Baths. I discovered that the springs that filled the baths were well known to the early tribal peoples as a source of healing. The structure built by the Romans attracted thousands of visitors, many of whom had great faith in the healing waters. The healing was attributed to the goddess of the waters. 

 

A happy day in the lush and ancient beauty of the Cotswolds. I felt like I was in another world, entirely, a heavenly realm. And part of it all, a visit with my dear friend Vesey and his delightful wife Emma. Sharing this photo in case you might not believe I’m really in England. It does feel like a dream sometimes.

 Last day in Cambridge. Brilliant walking weather. Found the “Backs” of Trinity and other colleges (where they back on to the River Cam). All so exquisite and perfect in the autumn light. Last photo is of the Wren Library, famous for its light-filled architecture. Wandered through Pembroke College as well. I wonder if the students get lost in the beauty and forget to study. This is the atmosphere I was looking for, away from the chaos of the city streets. 

 Saturday’s train ride through the countryside to Cambridge was gorgeous, as the leaves were turning under the autumn sun. My first afternoon in Cambridge was very disappointing, as I seemed to have wandered through the main part of town on a shopping day. It was more crowded and intense than London, not at all what I had expected. The day was redeemed by the evensong service at Kings College Chapel. The many stained glass windows were exquisite, but the stone ceiling, designed by Wren, felt so light, it seemed it could lift off and fly away. The Kings College choir is world famous and they lived up to their reputation with gorgeous harmonies, amplified by the church acoustics. Totally inspiring. On Sunday, with the continued good weather, I wandered through a more inspiring version of Cambridge—more like the one I had hoped for. I headed for the River Cam, walking happily along its peacefulness. Nearly all of the Cambridge colleges back onto the river. Eventually I took one of the punt boat rides, which was heavenly. The boat person (punter?) shared a zillion stories, both historical and fun, as we sailed along beneath the many bridges (each had a tale to tell) and along the richly green shores. Walked awhile more—it’s very hard for me to stop walking and exploring! Today, the day started with a 90 minute tour of some of Cambridge’s colleges (the exterior), which gave me a great orientation to the meandering narrow streets that house so many of the colleges. I did get to wander through Pembroke College, which had beautiful gardens and just the ivory tower atmosphere I had imagined. The academic work here is extremely demanding, but the colleges do provide a sublime environment for their students. One more day here, then a mad dash back to and across London, to catch a train to the Cotswolds, where I will visit an

old friend. The day will end in Bath.  And now some photos.