Somerset

I'm having a difficult time figuring out the new blogger set up so these photo's are in opposite order of what I wanted but I don't care enough to redo them. I'm sure you won't mind. 

A friend and I went for a day trip yesterday, down through areas of Somerset (Somerset, like Gloucestershire, are like counties in the US). We went for a hike, to the city of Wells, drove through Cheddar Gorge and then to a henge circle. By the time we got to Cheddar Gorge and the henge circle it was raining cats and dogs so we weren't able to get out and hike around. Hence no photo's. But if you've ever traveled through Southern MO and the Ozark Mtns you'll have a good idea of what the gorge looked like. It was gorge-ous.  

Wells is a beautiful 'city' (roughly 12,000 residents) and if any of my American friends come to visit this would be my top place to take you. There is an enormous cathedral that originates 1180 (that I don't currently have a photo to attach. It's too big and my camera is too crap. But you can google it. :) ) and then there is the Bishop's palace. It gives you a good sense of just how much power the clergy had in these times. 

This is a moat and wall surrounding the Bishop's palace.

 

 This is inside the grounds of the palace, and one of the walls along side the back moat. 

 The picture below is the Bishop's palace.

 This is the High Street. I think every town (city) in England has a High Street. It's the main commerce street. You can see the top of the cathedral in the background and can see that the cathedral and palace are basically in the center of the town.

This is a residential street that leads to the cathedral. I think I could have taken a picture at every single dwelling. Again, you can see the top of the cathedral in the background. 

 This is the same street from the view near the cathedral.

 Lavender and a wooden gate leading to a dwelling.

 Probably my favorite photo of 2012 so far. I just love how much lavender there is in England.

 There are these fund raiser swans all around the city. I was particularly taken with the dragon swan and thought it was the most clever design.

 So prior to us getting to the city of Wells, we had gone for a hike. Somewhere. I don't know where. I got in the car. He drove. I got out when he said we'd arrived. This is a monster who lives in the woods. I guess once upon a time he was fully developed but he's lost some of his twigs. The photo doesn't do it justice.

 My friend. Sorry readers. This isn't his blog so his face doesn't get put out there on the world wide web. :)

 

This was our view during lunch atop the cliff. It's easier to capture the beauty of a building than the landscape, but as the eye could see, it was more lovely than building with lavender.