Stonehenge has been voted Britain's most disappointing attraction. One said it is a dull "pile of rocks". Another complained about its position at the junction of two busy roads, as he said that the "road does seem to detract from the spectacle".
It's true, it desperately needs a really good visitor centre. And rerouting the road into a tunnel it's a great idea.
Trust me, despite the crowds and the waits, the busy roads and the poor visitor facilities, it's still magical!
I loved the way Bill Bryson (with whom I remain in love!) defended Stonehenge:
"Stonehenge is a classic example: you've seen it so many times before you actually see it that you have a very powerful image of what it's going to be like and because of that the likelihood is that you're going to be disappointed"
This is the world we live in: mysterious ancient constructions, busy roads, tourist crowds, lovely queues...
Do not allow small things to spoil the charm of big, wonderful things! Let there be magic!!!!!
10 comments:
Oh I'm so glad you feel the way you do about it. Why let a road with some traffic take away the opportunity and experience that's right in front of you.
It's a matter of making the decision to enjoy yourself and not let negative stuff in.
This reminds me of a quote -
"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
- Abraham Lincoln
I'm so glad you took the high road. :)
"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." SO TRUE! TOO TRUE!
It's all in your head.
I love how the world works...I saw that you left a comment on my blog and thought, "I have to see who this is!" and now I'm completely in love with "the wishing steps." what a cool thing. Nice pictures too. Also, Stonehenge and the Lincoln quote made me think of this one..."What we see depends mainly on what we look for."
--Sir John Lubbock
Its weird- the picture makes it look so quiet there. hmm.
This could be why people are so disappointed... pictures don't have sound.
even so. even the sound of traffic can sound peaceful in the right context.
They should build an artsy coffehouse near the stonehenge. (and not one of those quick-fix coffee shops that brew factory made bags of grinds purely for the sake of being awake long enough to be bored... tourists are lame).
Just imagine a cool evening of jazz music and aromatic blends (fair trade, of course), overlooking the moonlight giants. mmm. It doesn't get very cold at night there, does it?
Have you ever read Pratchett's first book, "Colour of Magic"? It's not as good as his later ones in the discworld series, but the druids make an appearance as computer geeks who are making Stonehenge as a giant, astronomical computer. It's hilarious.
I haven't read it YET :) It sounds interesting, I'll read it as I like humourous imaginative stories. Thank you!
I have not been to this monument but if I were to arrive there I think I would test the environment a bit to see who is there with me. I mean I can't see how anyone can go to a place like that without thinking about all those who were there before. Lots of history. Lots of souls walked there.
Visitor centers seem like the commercial way and maybe not meant for here.
It is your great pyramid and not a pile of rocks.
Thanks too, for visiting my blog. I do appreciate it. And I hope you will look at the bottom and try my bird blog and my website some day.
I AM NOT GOD, BUT I HAVE BUILT STONEHENGE !
....... AND THOU,POOR LI'L EARTHLINGS, SHALL OBEY ME WORD ... ELSE YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER TO MY CREATIVE WRATH ... AS BLACK AS THE DEVIL PAINTETH ...
SHALL I SAY IT LOUDER ? ... MIN DEORE ...
BELOW, IS THE PROOF OF ME ANCIENT ARTWORK ... mwahahahahahahaha
http://picasaweb.google.com/razvan.dragut/Misc2/photo#5104220921727929058
darn google is breaking me links :
http://picasaweb.google.com/razvan.dragut/
Misc2/photo#5104220921727929058
now, do join the lines above :D
Hahaha, so it was you with this Stonehenge " the ultimate practical joke" !!!!
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