Perhaps my favorite day in England was our tour of the countryside. We were fortunate to be part of a small group led by an experienced and extremely knowledgeable archeologist and guide. He had worked alongside some of the top archeologists in the world on a Stonehenge project dig that was recently featured on the National Geographic special Stonehenge Decoded introducing new theories about this mysterious ancient monument.
Our guide showed us some amazing historic sights as well as little details that we wouldn't have gotten a chance to see otherwise - beautiful countryside views, a crop circle of a white horse, a camel in a middle of English countryside, white circles in the Stonehenge parking lot that predate the monument by many thousand years. The knowledge that he shared with us was precious. Here are some of the main highlights of the tour.
Our first stop was at Avebury, a henge, about as old as Stonehenge. The mysterious stones here are not polished or stacked as in Stonehenge but they are just as intriguing.
Next, we went inside an ancient burial chamber, an unusual site where we were the only visitors.
Our main highlight was the site of Stonehenge. It was simply amazing to walk around the stones and marvel at their beauty.
We loved the ruins of Old Sarum castle where an iron age hill fort once stood before the medieval castle whose ruins can still be seen.
Salisbury Cathedral was spectacular. We were very fortunate with the weather and got some dramatic photos.
Inside the Salisbury Cathedral the architecture was gorgeous and we loved the reflecting pool in the center of the church.
An exhibit in the Salisbury Cathedral also featured one of the four original copies of Magna Carta. This was a very special day!
In the evening, back in London we walked down Great Queen Street and found a lovely Indian restaurant.
Bhatti is an award-winning restaurant housed in a beautiful 17th century historic building and has been around for over 20 years offering some amazing traditional Indian specialties. The dining room features bright colors and a relaxed and elegant atmosphere. The staff is very friendly offering a wonderful service. We started with the Indian crackers, papadum or papad, with sweet chutney and really enjoyed these.
Our first dish was Lamb Rogan Josh, our favorite Kashmiri specialty, a wonderfully aromatic lamb curry cooked in oil at an intense heat. We've enjoyed Rogan Josh with yoghurt, ginger, and garlic. This version was tomato based with a pleasant mild curry flavor.
Next, we tried a Lamb Pasanda, thin lamb fillet marinated in spices and yoghurt and served with mixed vegetables and chutney. The lamb was especially tender in this preparation.
We enjoyed these dishes alongside a delicious saffron rice and a special Naan bread stuffed with dried fruits as well as regular Naan. This was a very authentic and delicious meal to end an amazing day!
