Today we explore Glastonbury with Catherine. The place is not only known for what is probably the largest music festival in the world, but also as the mythical Avalon and where King Arthur is buried – a claim that the monks of the abbey used as early as the 12^th century to ensure that it became a place of pilgrimage and thus they had enough income to ensure the abbey’s continued existence. Much earlier, Jesus Christ is said to have visited Glastonbury together with Joseph of Arimathea. On his arrival, he stuck a stick in the ground from which a holy thorn bush grew.

The abbey fell victim to King Henry VIII in the 16^th century and was largely destroyed. Through the temporary entrance to the large park with its many apple trees, we first reach the kitchen house, which is the only building in the abbey that is still completely intact. The four corners of the house contain fireplaces for cooking and roasting, which is why the roof curves upwards into an octagonal dome. As we look around, a women’s choir begins to sing.

We continue our walk through the grounds and are impressed. The remains of the abbey show how huge and imposing it must once have been. In the centre of the ruins lies the tomb of King Arthur and his wife Guinevere. Whether this is true or not, the former abbey provides the motif for incredibly beautiful photos.

Glastonbury, with all its legends, is also a meeting place for eccentric and spiritual people. This is reflected in the shops throughout the town. Healing stones, crystals, incense sticks, fortune tellers, esoteric bookshops – you can find all of these and more here. Which is, of course, perfectly fine. Everyone is in a good mood and enjoying the day.

And there are also lots of cafés. We sit in the cosy backyard of one of them and eat delicious toasties for lunch.

Then we head to the ‘Tor’, the tower at the top of a hill in which, according to legend, the Holy Grail is hidden. A footpath leads up the hill. After a quarter of the way up, I leave Gabi and Catherine behind, with a view of a nice flock of sheep, and climb the steep path and over 300 steps alone. The view from the top is truly breathtaking and well worth the effort. And it’s incredibly windy here! The tower is hollow inside and has no intermediate floors or roof.

In the early evening, we drive back to the hotel and buy something for dinner at the supermarket: Salmon with potatoes and salad leaves, a pasta salad with chicken, fruit and something sweet for dessert.