I did a silly thing the other day. Even though the covid-19 pandemic has made overseas travel unrealistic for the foreseeable future, I bought two travel guides. An unabashed Anglophile, it would come as no surprise to my family and friends that both pertain to Great Britain. One book covers Northumberland, a coastal county in northeast England with more castles and gardens than any other county. The other guide describes Cornwall, a county on England’s rugged southwestern tip known for its wild moorland, sandy beaches, and picturesque fishing villages. So when will this UK trip take place? Most likely not before 2022 – but boy, will we ever be prepared!
For now, partner Carol and I will have to be content with our memories from past trips. That’s certainly not the worst thing in the world, however, because without those memories, we wouldn’t know what we’re missing!
On our first international journey, Carol and I traveled to – where else? – Great Britain (which consists of England, Scotland, and Wales; add Northern Ireland and you’ve got the United Kingdom). After the work part (two days of depositions in London), the game plan was to work our way north to Edinburgh by train. But before leaving London, we squeezed in a day trip to Salisbury and nearby Stonehenge.
While Salisbury is delightful in its own right, the highlight of this medieval market town is its cathedral. 
Most grand churches evolve slowly over centuries, resulting in a completed structure that spans a multitude of architectural styles. Not so with Salisbury Cathedral, which was built between 1220 and 1258 in a style now called Early English Gothic. Its spire – the tallest in Great Britain at 404 feet (see side image) – was a nice finishing touch added around 1330. And to really top it off, Salisbury Cathedral houses one of the few original copies in existence of the 815-year-old Magna Carta.
To my great (but pleasant) surprise, Salisbury Cathedral allowed interior photography at the time of our visit. The baptismal font in the foreground of the featured image is a modern addition with an amazing design. Though the reflection of the stained glass windows makes the water seem perfectly still, it actually flows from all four corners of the font.
Hopefully, you too have memories from past trips that will appease your travel bug until overseas travel can be safely resumed. In the meantime, if you happen to be in our neck of the woods on Bainbridge Island, please stop by our gallery in downtown Winslow. Carol and I always enjoy swapping travel stories with our guests, and the hand sanitizers and masks are on us! Plus, we carry a wide selection of images from our travels in different mediums, including metal prints, canvas prints, and fine art acrylic prints. If some of our images inspire a future trip for you, so much the better!
As always in these trying and stressful times, we hope everyone is staying healthy, safe, and strong!
Ciao for now,
Andrew (Andy) Bergh