The Chicago Botanic Garden-Spring

Finally! The brown, muted, dismal remnants of winter have passed and everything is bursting forth with new life. A great place to view the arrival of spring is the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is the beginning of the season so not all of the gardens are in full swing. However, it is a pleasure to see the colorful spring flowers after months of snow and gray. There were very impressive displays of tulips, the magnolia trees were blooming, and I enjoyed the Japanese gardens filled with various flowers and conifers.

The Chicago Horticultural Society, who assisted in lakeshore and park improvements, was given 300 acres of land in 1963. For several years they worked on the Gardens and opened to the public in 1972. Today the Garden is 365 acres featuring 23 display gardens and 3 native habitats. They have held true to their mission which focuses on collections, education, and research. They also have several volunteer, community, and educational programs.

The Gardens are essentially islands surrounded by the Skokie Lagoon waterway. By damming up the Skokie river to control flooding, the lagoons were created in the 30's, I believe. Today many people canoe, kayak, and fish in these waters. There is an extensive bike trail that runs around it as well. Twice I road from Caldwell woods to the lagoons (as a child with my father and last year). It is about 12 miles each way. It is also $20 to get into the Gardens with a car but free if you ride in and lock up your bike. I suggest parking at the main recreation area of the Skokie Lagoons and ride your bike to the Gardens. Everyone needs to save some cash these days!

Day 10: Hampton Court Palace, London Night Life

It was back home the next day with my final day spent at Hampton Court Palace and the evening spent with Rupesh, my local guide.

I hopped on the train from Waterloo (London) station to Hampton Court. It took about 40 minutes. Once there, I wandered through the palace. It has 2 different architectural styles: Tudor and Baroque. You can see the transition, as they added wings throughout the centuries, while moving through the three main "squares" of the palace. I chuckled while standing inside the "Queens Closet". This was actually a parlor (twice the size of my apartment!) in which the queen's most trusted relations would have tea. There are many wonderful paintings and tapestries inside the palace as well. But again, no photography (I wouldn't have used a flash!). Sigh...

There are acres of gardens surrounding the palace with rose gardens, formal gardens, mazes, you name it. If only I was there in the summer (another sigh). I imagine it is quite spectacular. Check out their website for summer flower show dates. I bet they are wonderful.

I arrived back in London in time to meet Rupesh at Leicester Square. Our first stop was Waxy O'Connor's which was (still is) the coolest pub I've ever been in (and I've been to a few :-)). It is a maze of wood-carved finery with several floors and half floors, bars, and lofts to sit in including a room with a tree in the middle. How cool is that! If you enjoy good beer and conversation, this is the place as it wasn't too loud. Check out the virtual tour of this pub under my travel links. It's hard to put into words but stepping into the past comes to mind. Tell me about you favorite pubs.

After a few pints, we headed off to a swanky Indian restaurant where I had only my 2nd best meal of the entire trip (the first being when Rupesh took me to a Thai place at the beginning of my trip). The food was served tapas-style so I just had him pick whatever he thought was good while I sipped a Cobra. I have to say, everything was so delicious and tasty. It beat fish and chips any day!

Well I had to say "Ta Ta" to London but I'm sure I'll be back to check out other parts of England in the future. It was fun and challenging travelling alone to a foreign country. Some people thought I was odd to do so. But I really believe it is very important to get out and see the world if you have the opportunity. It will enrich your life and help you see things in a new way. You may have heard or seen these words before: Dream it, Plan it, Do it! I believe in these words. Give it a try!

Day 9: Back to London/The Globe Theater

I took the train from Bournemouth back to London and checked in at the Westminster Hotel. Didn't have the charm of a nice B&B but it was clean and in London, not the outskirts. There was also a nice view of a city garden. I'm not sure what they are called there but it is a fenced-in, private area with flowers and trees for the tenants of that specific building/property.

Being that it was my 2nd to last full day in England, I had to hit The Globe Theater. It is a must see for enthusiasts of the Elizabethan/Shakespearean age. This is a replica Globe built by hand with Elizabethan tools using documentation, drawings, and the archaeological remains of the Rose Theater. It took 10 years to complete and is the only structure, in London, that has and is licensed to have a thatched roof (it does have a hidden sprinkler system).

I'm typically not one for tours as I like to wander at my own pace but I am glad I decided to take one of the Globe. The guides were very animated, knowledgeable, and entertaining. I learned tons of "fun facts" about the theater-goers of Shakespeare's day. If you weren't able to afford a bench seat, you were standing on the main floor at the foot of the stage in the center of all the seats around you. Let's call it the pit. Apparently the pit was also the loo. Yes folks, that means the toilet. There was much drinking and rowdyness at these productions that lasted for several hours. If you had to go out of theater to relieve yourself, then you had to pay another admission fee to get back in. Well many people could barely afford to get in as it was and others didn't want to miss anything and there was this nice dirt floor...you get the picture.

Imagine the stench wafting around from the pit coupled with the fact that most people only bathed at Christmas and Easter (it's said the Queen bathed monthly). Additionally, people would chew on gloves of garlic to "ward of illness". Yuuuuck! No wonder Queen Elizabeth remained a virgin!

The Hiking Map

Pretty simple but it really helped. I had no problem finding my way. Thanks Mark!

Day 8: Bournemouth-Studland and Old Harry

Remember I nixed my plans to visit Cornwall? Well I still felt the desire to visit the coast (any coast at this point) . I decided that Bournebouth looked like a good place as I was able to find a direct train ride to there from Salisbury. It wasn't too far from Salisbury either plus there was a direct route back to London. I was hoping for some solitude and nature time.

I took a cab from the train to my abode for the night at the Urban Beach Hotel. I made a reservation while I was in Salisbury. I had no clue what to expect but this place was great and the staff welcoming. Even the resident cat was friendly and stopped by for a drink. I explained to one of the owners, Mark, that I needed a bit of nature time. He was very helpful and drew me a map, gave me bus navigation directions, and sent me on my way to visit "Old Harry".

After about 45 minutes of bus travel, I took the ferry across Poole Harbor to Studland. The ferry dumped me off on a desolate strip of sand. The cars went off and there I was...all alone. It was great! I began walking along the empty beach and waaaay in the distance, I saw a couple of
disembodied lumps of land. Must be Old Harry.

Along the shore, over some hills, and through quaint farmsteads and thatched cottages, I reached the end of the road. About 100 feet straight down was the sea (be very careful here, near the edge, especially in high wind). Along the coast, you can see the exposed chalk. Old Harry is a grassy-haired rock formation that separated from the mainland as water found a fissure and eroded the rock.

I could have explored farther along the shore but it was getting late and I wasn't quite sure how I was getting back. If I haven't said so before, everyone that I asked directions for in England was very helpful. I found and older man and his cute lab who directed me to a bus stop that would take me back to the ferry. I longingly looked at the cozy Banker's Arms Inn which had it's own micro brewery and sullenly headed to the bus stop. Good thing too because the last bus was at 6 and it was about 5:50 when I got there!

It was already dark, sometime after 7, when I finally walked through the front door of the Urban Beach Hotel. Mark was there and asked me if I was "nackered". I thought he said "naked"! Gotta love the language barrier! Yes, I was extremely nackered and in need of a meal and a beer! It was a great day though and one of my favorite of the whole trip.

Days 6&7: Salisbury and Stonehenge

I left Glastonbury and hopped a bus and a train to get to Salisbury. I made a reservation in advance for the Rokeby Guest House in Salisbury. Another very nice hotel with a wonderful breakfast! The main, historic part of town was only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel.

Since it was a travel day, my plan was to check out town and go to Stonehenge the following day. It was rather gloomy, cold, and it seemed to be reflected in the town of Salisbury that day. I wasn't very impressed with it. I stress that it could have just been my mood. The real reason I was there was to see Stonehenge. Plus, I think I was getting a bit lonely, one of the cons of traveling alone and with no iPod! Must have music...

The Salisbury Cathedral is the tallest (still standing) in the UK. The outside of the church is pretty impressive, sporting a spire of 404 feet. Unfortunately, I missed the tour that took you to the top of the spire via stairs. An example of why not to "wing it". The inside has it's moments but...it was no Westminster or Cologne Cathedral (Germany). I found it disappointing that many of the sculptures and sarcophagi where defaced. I felt that the cathedral was unkempt and had a run-down feel.

The following day, I caught the bus, in the main part of town, to Stonehenge. It was only about a 1/2 hour ride. How weird to see Stonehenge in the distance. It was almost surreal. I mean it's one of the 7 Wonders of the Medieval World erected over 4500 years ago (about 2500 BC) and many people in the world have seen pictures or at least heard of it.

Walking around the stones, I was filled with wonder and awe at the mystery of the place. It's hard to describe but I sensed a deep quiet, stillness from the circle of stones. Another moment when I wished I could go back in time and see why, how, and to what purpose it was built. I also need to go back again when I can sit and absorb what I'm seeing-the wind was terribly cold (surprise)! I was so mad for not bringing a winter jacket. Don't ever rely on weather.com! Keep in mind and plan ahead: you can't walk into the circle of stones without an appointment (and about 40 bucks). I definitely recommend visiting this historic site.

Day 5: Glastonbury (Glastonbury Abbey/Chalice Well)

Imagine walking along in a small English town, surrounded by farms and rolling hills, and coming upon a walled park with the ruins of medieval structures jutting up from the grass. Glastonbury Abbey is a Historic Site and takes up several acres in the middle of town. The Abbey is shrouded in mystery: Were King Arthur and Queen Guinevere buried here? Did Joseph of Arimathea bring Jesus here? Was the Tor (seen from the Abbey) part of the mystical Avalon? Hmmm...unless Dr. Who whisks me away in the Tardis, I guess we'll never know for sure.

In the afternoon, I just made it in time to visit another historic site attached to the legend of King Arthur: Chalice Well. It is said that the well was around for two thousand years and is a place of healing. Rumor has it the Holy Grail was buried here. You can pay a couple pounds for a souvenir bottle and fill it up with water from the well. I have my little bottle in the fridge still. It is a tranquil place place with gardens, orchards, fountains, and of course, the Well itself.

Glastonbury is a very interesting, diverse place with a twist of goth, dash of hippie, and a pinch of religious zealotry to make it a just a little creepy. The main part of town itself is only a few blocks long. The shops are a mix of religious, metaphysical, occult, and other odds and ends including little green men. The best part was that most people seemed to be laid back and accepting of the eclectic mix of folks inhabiting the town. I loved it! I can't wait to go back someday, but in warmer weather!