Anglesey Abbey

What do you DO all day?

I get that a lot, even more here than in the U.S. I think even less women here stay home with their kids, for many diverse reasons. I even get the question from fellow SAHMs, who maybe have more kids, younger kids, homeschool their kids, etc. I never take offense to the question. I really do have a lot more free time than many, many people. Anyway, today I came up with one answer: I hang out with retired people! If you understand that by "hanging out" I mean I seem to enjoying going to the same places they go. Today's example, Anglesey Abbey. Just me and the retired folks, soaking in the autumn beauty.

Anglesey Abbey is about six miles outside of Cambridge. It's a fairly easy bike ride, unless you're like me, obeying your GPS and ignoring your commonsense. I mindlessly obeyed it, slopping through muddy fields, dodging cow pies, bowing under heavy brush, carrying it across steep stairs - all within view of a perfectly paved, lovely bike path. But by that time I was not going back, nor trudging through the muddy fields and over the fence to get to the bike path. But anyway, a fairly easy bike ride (or drive) from Cambridge if you take a normal route, as I discovered on the way back. (Basically, follow bicycle route 51 until you hit Church Street, then turn left.)

Part of my special GPS route on the way there.

I haven't lived someplace with a real fall season for quite a while, so I'm really loving walking anywhere with fall color. The grounds at Anglesey Abbey are gorgeous. It's maybe not quite fall peak yet, but still very pretty.

One of the many statues that are throughout the gardens.

The silver birch trees and flowers are part of the winter walk. All the grounds are divided up into different gardens and walks, with different themes.

Anglesey Abbey has a Dahlia festival in mid-September, but they were still looking pretty now a month later.

For some reason, this is the spot I can picture the Lord of the Manor strolling about with his house party guests.

I wasn't in the mood for touring the house, so maybe I'll come back either for the Christmas lights or later in the winter for the snowdrop flowers and check it out then. It was lovely having a perfectly sunny day to enjoy a day of fall.