The last of my very long posts, as 2008 was the last year I kept my web site up to date. The last few to bring us up to the present I will post as separate visits.
2008 Glastonbury visits
Sat 16th Feb 2008, visit 55
I went down to Somerset to stay with a friend who lives not far from Glastonbury. We visited Burrow Mump, and Meare Fish House first. The latter was an outlying part of the abbey. We went on into Glastonbury and had lunch at Rainbow's End and had a quick scoot round the shops. I popped into the White Spring and then we climbed the Tor. It was clear and sunny but very cold. Then we had a wander round the gardens which were full of daffodils. Sunset was watched from the Hood Monument and nearby Walton Hill.
You can see the moon in this one
Robin in the gardens
The angel seat and daffodils
Shadows in the gardens
Me in Rainbow's End
Sat 5th July 2008, visit 56
I had a lovely day in Glastonbury yesterday exept it was a being thwarted by buses day. My first bus was about 10 minutes late but I had left myself plenty of time. Then when I got to Bristol there wasn't an 8.30 376, I had looked at the Monday to Friday timetable. If I had known I would have pottered about Temple Meads station for a while! I got the 9am bus in the end and got down there just after 10, and as it was sunny I went straight to the gardens. It was way too windy to go up the Tor! I spent ages in the gardens, sitting in
various places, thinking and reading. I am re-re-reading "Mists of Avalon" at the moment and one of my favourite chapters is the one where Morgaine has strayed into the faery country, about half way through the book. I happened to get as far as that chapter on Friday evening so I saved it to read, and sat in the summerhouse in the gardens to read it.
I went round to the White Spring too but it was't open.
Then I went and wandered round the shops, lots of new ones have opened. There is one which sells lots of bath smellies, and an ice cream shop, and some gift shops and one called The Cat and Cauldron which is owned by the same people who own The Magick Box. My favourites are still "The Magick Box" and "The Goddess and the Green Man" and for books, "Growing Needs" which is where I bought three of the books I bought. I had lunch in Rainbow's End, cheddar and broccoli quiche, with salad. Then I resumed shopping. I had time to have a wander round the abbey too but by then it was just starting to rain and was chilly so I had a quick wander then had a nice warming hot chocolate.
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Sun 24th Aug 2008, Visit 57>
A friend and I had a lovely day yesterday which turned into an ancient sites tour :)) We left here just after 8, and went via the A303, so of course we went past Stonehenge. Only we didn't go past- it was already open when we got there so we went and visited. It had been raining really hard but it was just stopping as we got there, and it was fairly quiet as it was early. No hares this time. (I had a close encounter with a hare when I visited in June 2008)
Then we headed on down to Glastonbury and arrived about 11am. Much much shopping was done! I still had some birthday money left so I spent that on a patchwork skirt in lovely shades of blue, a Celtic ring with a crescent moon in the middle, a little book of views of Britain from above, and a pewter hare pendant which came from the Chalice Well, a moongazing hare figure. I also bought a silver hair clip, patchwork trousers, some Jasons natural hair care stuff, and a black bag with a picture of the Tor on it
Then we went to the gardens. It was a healing weekend there, so there were lots of marquees pitched all over. So they were very busy. Then we climbed the Tor and it was lovely up there. I have never been up there at that sort of time of day before, with the sun in that position in the sky. If I am down for the day I will usually have been there earlier in the day, morning or early afternoon, because of getting buses home. The sunlight on the tower was perfect so many photos were taken. We stayed up there quite a while.
Then we headed to Avebury for the sunset. Sadly the sun didn't want to play and decided to set behind a big bank of clouds so there wasn't much colour except a bit of pink tinge. But we had a wander and had a hot drink in the pub as it was chilly by then, and had a bit of an after dark wander. Then headed home and I got in about 10pm.
Wed/Thur 5th/6th Nov 2008, Visit 58
This was a special visit because it was my 20th anniversary visit. 5th Nov 1988, a Saturday, was my first.
Wed 5th Nov
I went down for an overnight stay with my friend Anne. We were booked into Chalice Well Lodge. We had a leisurely drive down via Marlborough, where we stopped for coffee, Devizes, From, Trowbridge and Shepton Mallet. I don't drive so most of my Glastonbury visits are by public transport, but this cross country route is my favourite one.
We arrived about 1, and parked at the Abbey then had some lunch in Heapheys, then we had a quick wander round the shops. At 3, we went to the Chalice Well to check in.. and they had had some cancellations for Little St Michaels so we were able to stay there. We had Holy Thorn room which I hadn't stayed in before.
We had a quick walk round the gardens, then as dusk is early in November, we went up the Tor. It was very grey and overcast all weekend, so there wasn't a sunset but it was still nice being on the Tor at dusk, and seeing the lights come on in the town. When we got back to the well I had a quick walk round the gardens in the dark. Then we went into town for fish and chips at Knights. We had another night time walk round the gardens before retiring with hot drinks.
Thur 6th Nov
I had a walk round the gardens in the early morning, the only other person about was one of the gardeners, it was lovely. That is why I love staying at the well, being able to have access to the gardens at any time. We had breakfast then headed into town.
We had a really long wander round the Abbey ruins and grounds, looking gorgeous in autumn colours despite it being so grey and overcast. The colours made it better for photography, otherwise it would have been dull. Then we met one of my Livejournal friends, Laura, for lunch in Rainbow's End, my favourite eatery. We had time to just finish our shopping before heading home via the same route as before only with a very short coffee stop at Avebury.
Although I have been to Glastonbury so many times, because it has been spread over 20 years, it averages about at about 3 visits a year and to put that into contect, visit London more. But London doesn't have a spiritual pull!
I took over 500 photos, my most ever anywhere. Here are a couple of my favourites
View from our room.
The Sanctuary
The flash was firing on my camera so the inside of the tower lit up.
Our room
There was no water flowing into the Vesica pond so the water was still.
Abbey in autumn.
I also created a set on Flickr.
Glastonbury 20th anniversary visit
Some of the people I have visited Glastonbury with have been various online friends who I since lost touch with, hence some names being omitted!
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