Following the end of the NATO summit in Wales, President Obama carved out a bit of leisure time and made an unscheduled visit to Stonehenge, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Wiltshire, England.
“How cool is this!” Obama said, according to pool reports.
On his way back to Washington D.C. from the NATO summit, Obama “knock[ed] Stonehenge off [his] bucket list” and was given a guided tour of the 3,000 B.C. megaliths by Heather Sebire, the property curator.
“It’s spectacular, it’s spectacular. It’s a special place,” Obama said.
Obama was given privileged access to the ancient site and was able to walk right up to the stones and inside the monument. “Regular” visitors need timed tickets and the nearest one can approach the stones is about 10 yards away. The site is roped off by a low barrier.
The sightseeing stop means that Obama returns to the White House Friday an hour behind schedule, according to the Associated Press.
With this week’s NATO summit focusing on the escalating crisis between Ukraine and Russia and the horrors of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Obama probably appreciated the breather.
Pretend you were there, courtesy of Twitter:
President Obama makes a surprise visit to Stonehenge, one of the wonders of the world. pic.twitter.com/TW8KS7vhPD
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) September 5, 2014
Obama being the sightseer-in-chief at Stonehenge pic.twitter.com/63SHVd5kfu
— Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) September 5, 2014
Not a bad end to the trip. Obama making surprise stop at Stonehenge pic.twitter.com/WNKMx0SFIT
— Julie Pace (@jpaceDC) September 5, 2014
