Playing Tourist in Cambridge

The number one touristy thing to do in Cambridge is going punting. We've been saving it up for when we had visitors. Now that Mom and Dad are here we could finally try it out.

Punts are flat boats, harder to tip over than a kayak or canoe, pushed along the river with a long pole. The one person who sometimes falls in is the punter, so we took a tour instead of trying it ourselves.

The tour goes along The Backs - through the backs of some of the oldest colleges of Cambridge. There's a lot of views of bridges and college grounds that you can't easily see without being a student.

Our pictures don't quite do justice to the beauty of the colleges and the river. It's a fun experience if you ever find yourself in Cambridge.

Another Cambridge tourist site I've been saving up is going to the American Cemetery. It might sound like a little of an odd thing to do on a vacation. It's so nice though. The land was a gift to America from Cambridge University after World War II. There's interesting displays, a wall memorializing unrecovered fallen soldiers, a museum about American soldiers in World War II, and of course graves for fallen soldiers. Everything is really well done and nicely presented.

I don't think you can read the marker in my picture. It says, "Here Rests in Honored Glory a Comrade in Arms Known But to God." I would definitely recommend making the time to see the American Cemetery in Cambridge.

Another day Mom, Dad and I took the train to Ely to see the cathedral, have a nice little lunch and visit Oliver Cromwell's home. If I could only remember even half of all the history I've read since I've been here, I could be the world's most boring dinner guest by the time I get home. I still might be the world's most boring dinner guest, but it probably won't be due to my detailed knowledge of British history. As interesting as these little museums can be, I'm afraid a lot of the facts are not sticking. Sad face - as my daughter would say.

Chawton, Winchester. White Cliffs & a Bit of History Too

I really couldn't live in England for a year and a half without going to Jane Austen's home could I? No, I could not. My parents left all the travel planning to me while they are here, so they got to come as well.

It's a comfortable sized home one can imagine Jane, her mother and her sister being happy in, located in the southern part of England.

This is the very table that Miss Austen used for her writing. She'd spend the morning writing, while her sister took care of the household. 

In one of the rooms visitors wrote notes about their experience visiting Chawton. I liked this one: "Dear Jane, Thank you for Mr. Darcy! With love ..."

Don't Mom and Camille look fetching in their straw bonnets? 

The gardens of the home were quite pretty. 

My Dad enjoying some moments of sunshine out in the back garden, with a view of the house.

Jane Austen and her sister were said to spend two or three hours every afternoon out walking in the local countryside. I would have enjoyed following in their footsteps, as it looked like a pretty walk; but it was closed due to a restoration project.

That evening we stopped by Winchester Cathedral on our way to dinner. Unfortunately, by the time we had driven south through traffic, had lunch, toured Jane Austen's home, got settled into our hotel and then made it to the cathedral, it was closed. The outside is so pretty that we would have liked to have seen the inside too. It was the original burial place of Alfred the Great and is also the burial place of Jane Austen. It has three memorials to her inside.

Our next day we took Mom and Dad to see the Seven Sisters, white cliffs that are easier to view from the land than the white cliffs of Dover. We had been last summer and had put it on our list of places to see again.

It was a very brisk and breezy day, but it's a beautiful place in any weather. That's me trying to be positive, as truth be told, I'm a little unimpressed with the weather this summer. How can August be so cold?

Mom, Dad and Anya barely had time to explore the beach before the tide was reaching high tide. They had to make a quick dash to the stairs to make it up before the beach disappeared. Mike, Camille and I were too slow making it down to get to the beach at all. 

Last stop on our super-quick tour of the south was the Battle of Hastings site and abbey. 

Really, all there is to see of the battle is the field and hills where it took place. The audio guide was excellent though, so we all felt it was worth visiting. 

Too quickly, our two days in the south were gone. We fit in as much as we could. 

Visitors! and Remembering in London

My parents' visit has been hoped for and planned for a long time. As they've had a crazy year, we've spent a lot of time worrying it wouldn't happen at all. But as you can see, circumstances came together and the happy day finally arrived! 

We spent their first couple of days showing them some of our favorite Cambridge walks and sites.

We also went to our favorite place to eat scones in the countryside - The Orchard at Grantchester. But then it was time for a bigger adventure.

Saturday it was time for a day out in London. I'd read about a new art installation at the Tower of London that I was interested in seeing in commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of World War I. I think it is beautiful and a touching tribute.

It's an installation of ceramic poppies, one for every fallen British soldier in World War I. They'll slowly be adding more, filling the moat, up until November 11th of this year, reaching a total of 888,246. I'm sure most everyone has read the poem "In Flanders Fields," which inspired the symbol of the poppy for war veterans:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

The Tower of London is very near the Tower Bridge, so we had to take a quick peak at that as well.

Next we decided to explore the Imperial War Museum. It was quite crowded, but it has nice exhibits on the Holocaust, families living through the second world war in London, planes and other war equipment, a new World War I exhibit (we we came too late to get tickets to it), among other things. A real history buff with lots of patience could easily spend the day. 

This picture is Camille trying out a World War II bomb shelter. My girls can be a little hit and miss with museums, but both seemed to enjoy this one.

We decided to take a quick walk to get a few more glimpses of iconic London.

The crowds and intensive walking required in London are a little tiring, so it was time to call it a day and take the train home. Another day closer to seeing everything London has to offer!

Picnicking at Old Sarum

Mike read the book Sarum this past year, so was inspired to stop by Old Sarum on our way home. I gave him a bad time about taking time to see some old rocks. It's a lovely spot though, and I imagine after having spent all that time reading about it that the spot would be even more inspiring.

This is Mike's look of evil laughter. He's trying to convince the girls that the signs are encouraging them to climb on the rocks. Either that, or he's laughing at me for taking way too long to take my picture.

 As in just about every other place in England, there's green, peaceful places to walk.

I should have made Anya put down the phone for the picture, so I could pretend we have all kinds of electronic-free, old-fashioned family fun.

Then it was time to head home. And here's the sad reality of going anywhere south for us: it involves traveling the dreaded, traffic choked M-25. You've got to pay the piper to dance to the music, or insert applicable cliche here.

An Estate, Countryside & Fossils

We hadn't planned on visiting Montacute House. However, as our rental was right next door we thought we might as well pop by. In a country full of beautiful estates, I think this one stands out as especially nice.

In an effort to avoid sounding obsessed, I almost hesitate to mention that this estate has a Jane Austen connection - it was Cleveland House in the Ang Lee version of Sense and Sensibility.

This is where Marianne leaves for her walk out into the rainy evening.

And here's where Colonel Brandon moons about, worried for her health.

Oh, but the grounds are so lovely it doesn't need a movie connection to be a nice place to visit on a summer afternoon.

There are lovely flowerbeds everywhere, along with walled gardens, a fountain, yew trees and groomed paths.

And the estate opens up to a deer park full of countryside walks.

There's so much to see in Somerset and Dorset, but we were drawn back to the sea. I'd read that part of the Dorset coastline is known as the Jurassic Coast. It's famous for its many fossils that people still find and are allowed to take home. Charmouth is known particularly as a place for fossil hunting, so that's where we went.

Mike and Camille headed up to the paths in the hills above and along the coastline. Mike could happily spend all day walking there.

Anya and I headed for the beach instead to hunt for fossils. There were a great number of people out hunting, most of them with special equipment. I worried that we might come away disappointed. Anya, however, had seen a documentary about hunting for fossils so knew just what to look for. And she found an ammonite! I couldn't believe her luck.

Yes, the wind was cold enough for coats, and we got drizzled on, but I'd still go back again, English weather and all.

Tintagel and Boscastle

Mike and Anya had decided we should spent one of our vacation days at Tintagel Castle - Mike, because it's the mythical birthplace of King Arthur, and Anya, because it's on her English Heritage Monopoly board. As we made the long and traffic-filled drive over, passing many tourist opportunities along the way, I grumpily wondered if it was worth the effort. I was already feeling better when we hit the very cute town of Tintagel and found a nice outdoor table for some scones and cake.

Then when I saw the view at the castle site, who could possibly complain?

If you go to Tintagel looking for an impressive castle, you'd be bound to be disappointed. The castle is now just a few rocks with a spare wall here and there. However, if you go to Tintagel as a place to admire the Cornwall coast and as a romantic spot to imagine the birthplace of King Arthur, you couldn't do better.

Everywhere you look and turn is another impressive view.

The view of the town of Tintagel from the castle.

One of the few remaining doorways of the castle.

The area is quite steep, with lots of stairs to climb. But the view payoff is worth it.

We enjoyed seeing this little group relaxing in the afternoon sunshine on our way back to the car.

Within a few miles of Tintagel is the fishing village of Boscastle, which we also stopped by.

The town is situated on a little inlet from the ocean, with paths that take you out to the ocean and all along the coastline. 

View from the cliffs back to the town of Boscastle.

Our very brief tour of Cornwall has definitely made us wish for more. Maybe someday we'll go back and spend a nice long time so we can really explore.