Last night our late arrival in Arundel precluded any opportunity to view the city so today we began our morning with a brief bit of wandering. The hill above the city is dominated by a cathedral and a very large castle. In planning we scratched out Arundel Castle from our plan as much of it was built in the early 20th century which in our book qualifies as a fake. The city was teeming with people and cars as a large Saturday market was closing off streets.
Our Saturday morning plan was to escape for an early morning stroll around Amberley, a village that holds a special place in my heart. Several years ago, Mike took me and visiting Portland friends there during a day tour of places not to miss in England and we each bought hand-made dishes from the village pottery. Sadly, on this brief revisit we were too early for the pottery. The narrow, curving streets are filled with stone houses topped with thatched rooves and front gardens with colorful flowers. Residents were out walking dogs and chatting with neighbors. To the visitor it seems like an idyllic life. I did notice that nearly all houses had prominent security systems. Mmmmm?
While looking for possible B and B's we passed over the Amberley Castle, being hesitant to spend $£300 ($450) a night. Thinking it deserved at least drive by inspection, we were foiled by securely locked electric gates. Not to be discouraged we parked and I snuck around the end of the fence for a few pictures, expecting the security guards with dark suits and ear pieces to come raising up any moment. Could not resist the chicanery to capture a picture of their very elaborate tree house.
Our primary destination for the day was Winchester Cathedral. Cathedrals are always breathtaking. How did they ever construct them and make them last for millennia? What makes them exceptional for tourists are the guides. At Winchester we were rewarded with three excellent docents. Our first was a tour of the main floor of the cathedral with an older gentleman with a very droll sense of humor. Racing from one tour to the next we climbed the tower with a small group of seven that included two guides. The staircases resembled the slot canyons of Utah. Carefully placing our feet sideways, holding on to the rope, and breathing in allowed us to slither up the stairs. The roof, sans fences and barricades, allowed a 360 degree view of the city of Winchester. If anyone is interested we have certificates signed by the bishop to prove that we completed the climb unscathed.
A modern sculpture from the crypt of the Cathedral
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