Marlborough

In mid December we drove to Marlborough, Wiltshire to get a closer look at the beautiful town we had passed through on our way to Castle Combe, the week before.

I found a walk on the internet that winds up and around the town.

These road markers line the London Road, and this one showed 70 miles to London. We thought about Oliver Twist who walked 75 miles to London. Such a long way!



Hard to describe how cool this house was.



Fun to explore narrow passage ways.

We stopped for lunch and the boys got to work drawing piranhas.

by Michael.

by Michael

Earlier that morning Michael had asked me to show him photos of piranhas, so I googled them and let him look at the images. On the third page of the images, there appeared a mutilated human body, the apparent victim of a hungry piranha or two. It seems so obvious, but for some reason it never crossed my mind.


by Dominic
gold spotted piranha, gold piranha,
black spotted piranha, and unfortunate victim 



by Dominic



by Michael
red bellied piranha

At the next table three boys sat hard at work on their DSs. As Michael drew he longingly watched them, then turned to me and said, "I'm happy I don't have a DS, I would much rather be doing this!" Really? I asked him..."NO!!" He answered, "I'm just joking!"

by Michael
Not a piranha, but action packed none the less.

Choosing to live a DS-free life is challenging at times.

On the campus of Marlborough College is a 19 meter high, 4,400 year old man made hill. According to legend, this is the burial place of the wizard Merlin, and the name Marlborough comes from Merlin's Barrow. We had to check it out, fortunately the students were gone for winter break.

From the top there is a view of a horse cut into the chalk earth. There are 13 chalk horses in Wiltshire! As exciting for us, there was a beautiful sunset, a rare sight.

As we were leaving Marlborough College campus we met a family rough housing on a grassy field surrounded by dense yew trees. An intense hunt for dinosaurs followed with lots of screaming and squealing.

One of the beautiful campus buildings.

 And then we wandered back up the festive High Street to our car.