Salisbury

No, it's not where salisbury steak originated. (I think that's a good thing?) It's one of the oldest cities in the UK - the Normans established a city there in the 11th century. When we stepped off the train, the city greeted us with mysterious fog. Sure felt medieval!

Facade of Salisbury Cathedral and me with my cool kid backpack

Salisbury is best known for its Gothic-style, Salisbury Cathedral, built in 1220 by a Catholic bishop. Lucky for us, the foggy morning turned into a lovely day, so we could embrace the town's charm.

Salisbury Cathedral along the Avon River

Cathedral's cloister

Brandon channeling his inner artist - John Constable painted this exact scene!

The inside reminded me of Westminster Abbey with its mosaic ceiling and carved choir stalls.

Ceiling mosaics

Choir stalls looking down the nave of the church

It has the tallest spire (point on top of the bell tower) in western Europe, and we saw the Guinness Book of World Records certificate to prove it! Brandon booked us a 120-minute tour climbing to the top of tower (332 winding steps!) and learning about architecture of the cathedral. It was so beautiful! 

Listening intently to the architecture lesson

View through the tip top of the spire

View from the spire window overlooking the body of the church

Cute little Salisbury

Salisbury is a quaint little English town with nice markets and pubs. We enjoyed a late lunch by a roaring fire, sipping on the locally-brewed, Badger Ale. EVERYTHING closed at five-o'clock on the dot, so we hopped the train back to London after a pick-me-up Earl Grey at a place called the Boston Tea Party – what an odd name for a place in the UK! It was a great little day trip. We definitely need to take more of those!