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For centuries Glastonbury has fascinated artists, travellers and poets alike. Recently, the town has experienced something of a revival and has become a mecca for creative types and free spirited individualists (much to the chagrin of some of the more conservatively minded locals!). A walk along the High Street further confirms that Glastonbury is quite unlike any other town. Here, shops are called ‘Psychic Piglet’ or ‘The Speaking Tree’. Your more fanciful retail needs are definitely catered for here. Whether it’s Indian or Balinese home décor and furniture, crystal jewellery or second hand books on metaphysics that you’re looking for, you’ll never have to look far in Glastonbury’s High Street. Not only are the shops interesting, the crowd is worth a look (or two) as well. Take the colourful array of buskers, musicians and street artists for instance, who are out and about on all but the rainiest of days. Recently these have included bagpipers and saxophone players, as well as a guy with an electric zither – and they’re surprisingly good (well, most of the time!). For a town this small, Glastonbury has a staggering amount of tourist attractions and places of interest for you to visit (in fact, they’re so popular, you’ll meet many of the locals there, too). One of the
most prominent sites in town is the Glastonbury Tor (tor means rocky hill
or peak). This famous structure is one of Somerset’s most renowned landmarks
and has become inextricably linked to Glastonbury. You’ll meet it in many
guises… on silk cushions, jewellery, plates and paintings. The Tor is a
500-foot-high conical hill which is crowned by the Tor Hill single tower
- a ruin of what was once a church dedicated to St Michael. The Tor is
remarkable in that it is visible at vast distances from across the Somerset
levels and yet is invisible at certain angles close-by. It really is a
striking and inspiring landmark. I highly recommend climbing the Tor on
a clear day. The view you get from the top is well worth the effort: to
the north you will see the Mendip Hills together with the city of Wells
and its stunning cathedral, to the west the island of Steep Holm in the
Bristol Channel, to the southwest the Polden and Quantock Hills and the
Black mountains of Wales in the far distance. You can even see all the
way to two bordering counties from here: Dorset lies to the south, whereas
to the east you’ll find the Alfred's Tower on the borders of Wiltshire.
The Tor has inspired many myths and legends. Some claim that it was the
birthplace of King Arthur, or, alternatively, the location of his stronghold.
According to another legend it’s the home of the Faery King and the top
of the Tor is a place of fairy visions and magic. A Celtic legend, on the
other hand, says that the hill is hollow and that the top guards the entrance
to the Underworld, as well as being the residence of the Lord of the Underworld,
Gwyn ap Nudd.
Another place of interest that is well worth a visit is the Glastonbury Abbey (or, rather, the ruins that are left of it). Reputedly the oldest place of Christian worship in England, the Abbey has long been thought to be the legendary burial place of King Arthur and his Queen, Guinevere. In 1191, monks at the Abbey claimed to have found the graves of Arthur and Guinevere to the south of the Lady Chapel of the Abbey church. It’s hard to tell today how much of this story is true as the remains were later moved, and lost during the Reformation. Modern researchers suspect that the discovery was a pious forgery to substantiate the antiquity of Glastonbury's foundation, with the aim of increasing its renown. However, this kind of scepticism does not seem to bother the hords of tourists (people from over seventy countries on six different continents visit the Abbey every year) in the slightest. Whatever your beliefs on the matter - and even without Arthur - the appeal of the Abbey remains … these ruins are without a doubt unique and the grounds (36 acres of beautifully peaceful parkland) offer a peaceful and tranquil place to relax and reflect, right in the centre of town. Finally, there are the Chalice Well Gardens, another attraction unique to Glastonbury and quite unlike any other in the world. The Chalice Well is one of the oldest continuously used holy wells in Britain. Archaeological research has shown that the spring was used by prehistoric tribes who lived in the area. It is thought that the spring has been in continuous use for the past 2,000 years. A beautifully landscaped English garden has been created around the spring, filled with flowers in vibrant colours and containing two ancient, majestic Yew Trees. It’s a unique place of quiet reflection and beauty, and one of my favourite places in Glastonbury. Now, if all this sight-seeing has made you hungry (or thirsty), there is a great selection of cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars to choose from. As you might expect, many specialize in vegetarian, vegan and/ or whole food options. Particularly good are Rainbow’s End (excellent lunch menu, huge portions) and Café Galatea (quality home cooked veggie food and cakes, organic wine and beers). Another thing about Glastonbury that is unusual for a town its size … there’s always something on. From weird to wonderful, you’ll find it all here. The town plays host to such diverse events as an annual Crop Circle Symposium, a Children's Festival (music, art, dance and play), an international Dance Festival, a Goddess Conference and a Carnival. The biggest and most popular by far though is, without a doubt, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (it actually takes place on a farm in nearby Pilton, but who cares), the largest greenfields and performing arts festival in the world. The 150,000 or so tickets are usually sold out world wide within 30 seconds of their release and are more coveted than gold dust. (Maybe you saw the festival on the news this year, the terrain was flooded after a thunderstorm and the site looked like a third world refugee camp for days – yes, I was there.) So, now you’re thinking, all this has to be seen to be believed, right? How do you get here? Well, you’ll need a little bit of determination but, don’t worry, as any true Glastonian will tell you, ‘if you’re meant to be here, you will be’. Glastonbury can be difficult to get to but it's worth it. It doesn't matter what method of transport you use, the final leg of your journey will have to be by bus, taxi, car or foot. The nearest airport is Bristol International. London Heathrow (which offers a much greater choice of international flights) is a 2 – 2.5 hour drive. If you’re thinking of seeing Glastonbury on a day trip, be sure to base yourself in the nearby cities of Bath or Bristol. London is too far away to make for an enjoyable day out. There is a connecting bus from Bristol Airport into Bristol centre and to Temple Meads Railway station (it’s called the Bristol International Flyer service). From Bristol there is a local bus to Glastonbury. I strongly recommend hiring a car though. Somerset is a rural county (which makes for its charm, of course) and you’ll enjoy greater freedom and get to see much more with a car. In Glastonbury, there are dozens of B&Bs, as well as a Backpackers and some smaller family hotels to choose from. Many offer extras, such as Reiki, Meditation, Chanting and Mandala Painting. Not sure what any of those are? Don’t worry. Come to Glastonbury, and you’ll soon find out… Of course, once you’ve been here and seen for yourself all that Glastonbury has to offer, you might find yourself thinking about joining the likes of Arabella Churchill (granddaughter of Sir Winston) and Eckhart Tolle (author of The Power of Now) and move here. It’s an addictive place. You’ve been warned … External Links Official town and council and community website (http://www.glastonbury.gov.uk/) Unoffocial town guide and commercial directory (http://glastonbury.co.uk/) Glastonbury: A modern mythical approach (http://www.isleofavalon.co.uk/) Glastonbury Zodiac (http://labyrinthina.com/zodiac.htm) Glastonbury Festival (http://glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/) BBC Somerset (http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset) To contact Katharina Click Here The following is the previous article Katharina wrote for the magazine:
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