Eight of us, in the end -- well, eight and a half. Jerry (
lushattic), Judith (watervole), me, Paul, Adam-and-Eva-and-a-half, Dirk and, after motorway delays, David (aeglefinus).From the station, we went across to the Great Hall, part of the castle dating from the time of Henry II, a former courtroom, and bearing the mediæval replica of the Round Table. From there, we went to the Westgate museum, from the roof of which you can see over the whole city, and then down the high street to the pastie shop next to the Buttercross.
Mmmm, pasties.
DougS: Last time I was in Winchester, the steps of the Buttercross were covered in about forty loud and excited French schoolgirls.
Dirk: Yeah, they do that. Yeah.
From there, through the Square to the cathedral grounds, and a discussion of placement of the 10th Century structure which the present building replaced. We had the swamp/raft/diver conversation, and then went round the south side of the cathedral to look at the flying buttresses. A pint in a pub (can't remember the name) not far from Jane Austen's house.
Back to Ælfred's statue (erected in 1901, the 1000th anniversary of the old fellow's death), and then down to the river and round the south-east side of the Bishop's palace, to watch a cricket match and discuss the distaste felt by all slouchers for any school sports more violent or vigorous than cricket.
Adam+Eva+½ had already taken their leave by this stage, and Dirk and Paul now left in their respective directions. So Jerry, Judith, David and I wandered around town looking for somewhere suitable to eat, eventually finding the "Los Amigos" tapas restaurant where they looked after us very well and fed us all sorts of interesting and entertaining things. And then I came home.
A good day.
