Thursday, July 26

(Sorry for the delay in posting - it's been more difficult to get to the internet.)

Greetings -

Today is DUMB DAY. Although some may wonder if this is a comment on the intelligence of some not-to-be-named group member, in fact it means only that we are not singing today. :)

Our afternoon off allowed us a much longer excursion today. After breakfast we departed for Gloucestershire to visit Glastonbury Abbey and Wells Cathedral. Glastonbury Abbey was once one of the grandest structures in all of Britain - over 600 ft. in length and tall enough to "inspire even the dullest of minds to prayer" (quote from their museum). The last abbot was hung, drawn, and quartered by Henry VIII, at which time he also removed the valuable lead roof and stained glass windows. The property was then used as a quarry and stones from the Abbey continue to turn up in all kinds of houses and other buildings in the area. It is still unbelievably impressive in its current ruined state. Check out how small the people are beneath this arch over the high altar!



For more pictures of Glastonbury Abbey (the oldest above-ground Christian church in the world!), click HERE.

Because we did not have a service this afternoon, we were able to head on to Wells and view the magnificent Wells Cathedral. Here are the glorious stained glass windows that contain 56 scenes from the life of Christ:



Wells Cathedral also houses one of the earliest mechanized clocks. Click HERE for their website.

And for our fellow St. Mark's singers - check out these choir chairs from Wells Cathedral!! They are currently interlocked with the music stands and kneeling racks, but you can make out how the backs of the chairs rise to reflect the level of experience of the choristers. Imagine how tall some of our chairs would have to be since some of our members have sung in the choir almost 30 years!!



It was a long full day, so at dusk when we returned to the hotel, we were grateful to have our evening meal there in the restaurant. As with many places in Europe, dining is not just nutrition - it is an experience of itself, with courses taken one at a time with plenty of time for conversation in between. We have a full English breakfast every day at the hotel, which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, cereals, tomatoes, baked beans, prunes, grapefruit, and apricots. The food is excellent and plentiful. We are frequently on our own for lunch in whatever place we are visiting so a big breakfast gives us more time for sightseeing! Meals at the hotel usually consist of three choices for salads, main courses, and dessert. And when we are on our own for dinner, Bristol has many fine restaurants to interest every palatte, many of them just a few feet from our hotel.

Thanks for checking in. I'll post Friday's stuff soon!