Let’s Get Stoned

There is nothing quite like avoiding the multitudinous crowds when visiting a popular attraction. Something about being among a throng and herded around gets my goat. So it was with some delight that I recently visited the sanctified stones of Stonehenge for an hour with just nine others. There was no herding around, and you could walk where you liked, right up and in between the gargantuan stones (normally one has to stick to a specified and delineated walkway).

Visits can be arranged outside of normal operating hours, and the best of these is the first dawn visit. Our small group was at the site as the sun was coming up at 6:30am; the new visitors centre was not even open yet, it was just us, a few security men, and a bus driver. Once we had gathered we were taken the short journey to the sacred spot. The usual dividing banners were lowered and we strode across the green right into the stone circle.

You can look at photos, and read all the theories (there seem to be new ones cropping up even now), but there is something about being close up within these ancient boulders that makes the spine tingle, as you gain a true sense of their sheer size and magnificent circular structure. If you ignore the noise of the cars in the distance it could almost be spiritual. Almost.

Anton’s goat was kidnapped by a large tour bus of foreigners visiting London in the fall of 2010. He answers to the name Avery, and was last seen with a group of rams in the southern Alps. Anyone with clues to his whereabouts can contact our Toronto office directly.