August 8, 2015: Our stay in Reading and visits to Cotswold and Stonehenge Monument

Our room at the Hilton Hotel in Reading was so nice, especially compared to the little dorm room we shared at the University of Leeds! The following day we went to one of the local malls, which turned out to be a disappointment. But Mike got his first real haircut at a barbershop across the street from the mall, and I enjoyed watching the young barber cut his hair, plus Mike loved the haircut. 

We drove to a region called Cotswold and walked through a small village called Bilbury. The old streets are made of brick or stone and are uneven. The lovely old walls and fences are also made of stone or brick. And the roofs on the houses are made of either thin slices of limestone or covered with thatch--just like something out of an old story book. We passed a wedding reception that was taking place in a beautiful area, and the wedding line included three men dressed in kilts.

The highlight of the day was going to Wiltshire to see the Stonehenge Monument. When we were close enough to the stones to recognize them, it was so exciting and surreal! The experience reminded me of seeing the Acropolis in Athens for the first time. These ancient ruins are amazing to see in real life compared to pictures or movies.

Our very nice hotel room at the Hilton Reading UK

The hotel lobby

Shimmery chandelier in the lobby

One of the dining areas where we had our breakfast each morning

The VW station wagon with the steering wheel on the right side!

The Reading Minster Cathedral in Reading

 An old church and cemetery in Bilbury, a village in the Cotswold region

 Slate stone wall

 One of the very old buildings with a slate roof

A close-up of the slate

 A cluster of old buildings down a long narrow road in Bilbury

 Bright flowers that bring these old buildings to life!

I loved these little cottages

Pretty stone church in Bilbury

 A lovely private driveway in Bilbury

Awesome little hotrod

Old stone wall aside this home

 This house has an old-fashioned well in front of it

Flowering ivy and climbing roses adorn these stone houses

 Gorgeous spot for wedding reception photos

 Groomsmen dressed in kilts

 Beautiful swan in the brook

 You can see how old and crumbling the brick wall is in this photo

 But the walls look beautiful against these old homes

The brook in Bilbury with the wedding party in the background

 Cool looking thatched roofs we saw in Cotswold

 Peaceful herd of English cows resting in a field

 The highlight of the day was seeing Stonehenge for the first time!

 We walked through a field of sheep and along a fence to get the best views

Relieved to find the place after a difficult drive without a GPS 

So glad we made it before dark!

 The visitor's center was closed, but we still got to see the famous monument

 This was the AWESOMEST sight to behold!

 Stonehenge in all its glory--such a mystery to mankind

Some think it may have been a religious burial ground, but I just love that it has
 been around for so many years, and that it is a significant part of our world's history