I think I fixed the problem...

I had some people tell me they were unable to post comments on the blog.  I think I've fixed the problem, so we'd love to hear from you.  It would also be great if you would try commenting just so I know it's working.  Thanks for keeping up with us!

Last day in London

Scott was leaving out of London, so we all traveled up to have a day in the city.  We did the usual tourist sights and then finished out the trip enjoying the play, Les Miserables.

Big Ben:

         

Parliament:

   

Westminster Abbey:

     

We enjoyed a pint at the Salisbury Pub just before the play.  After the play, we came out to a city that was teeming with people.  It was 11:30 pm on a Thursday night every Pub was packed.  It was quite different than Cambridge, where everything closes down by 5:30 (not kidding!).

 

Colleges in Cambridge

There are actually 31 colleges in the Cambridge college system.  Students live and eat in their college and are assigned to a tutor to lead them through their years of study.  

The chapel at King's college is below.  The organ was donated by Henry VIII.  H & A is inscribed into the woodwork - representing "Henry and Anne".  Obviously, it was donated before he decided to behead her.

     

St. John's college:

     

Below is the entrance to Trinity college.  The tree just behind me was planted from a graft of the apple tree that Isaac Newton sat under when he discovered gravity.  The original tree was struck by lightening and they planted this graft outside his college.

    

Here is the pub where Watson & Crick discussed their discovery of DNA.  They eventually won the Nobel Prize.

The Orchard

My favorite spot in all of Cambridge is actually just outside of the city and is called the Orchard.  It is an old apple orchard with a tea house that has served Cambridge students for over a hundred years.  Various writers, poets and scholars have met here - it is an idyllic place to sit down, enjoy a cup of tea and have a scone with clotted cream and jam.  One day while Mike was working, I took Scott for a visit.  It is about a mile and a half bike ride to get there, traveling past fields, raspberry bushes, cows and the River Cam.  On the way back, we got to enjoy a double rainbow - it was an amazing view!

Rupert Brooke wrote a poem about the Orchard (it is in the hamlet of Grantchester).  Here is a portion that fits it so well:

I only know that you may lie

Day-long and watch the Cambridge sky,

And, flower-lulled in sleepy grass,

Here the cool lapse of hours pass,

Until the centuries blend and blur

In Grantchester, in Grantchester...

Ely Cathedral

Just down the road from Denny Abbey was Ely Cathedral.  

I love stained glass and the Biblical stories they tell.  Here are two of my favorites - I'm not sure if they are large enough here, but can you figure out the stories?
    

Kate, whatever you are thinking about doing, it is probably not a good idea.

 

Denny Abbey

Our friend, Scott, was in town this week, so we took to the road and saw some sights around Cambridge.  Our first stop was Denny Abbey.  This abbey was first established in the 12th century and eventually was converted to a private home.

     

This archway was filled in when the abbey was converted to a private residence.

     

The Laundry room made me thankful for my washer and dryer - we have it so easy!

 

John and I got to build a stained glass - it made for a great home-schooling project.

They had some fun dressing up places for the kids.  I'm still unsure of what the beach picture has to do with an old abbey, but the kids enjoyed getting to take the picture!

Mountfitchet Castle

Today was our first "field trip" with the kids.  We took them to Mountfitchet Castle, which is a restored castle from medieval England and shows what life would have been like in 1066.  It was amazingly well done.  

       

The most striking thing for all of us was the various forms of punishment used to keep everyone in line.  There was a whipping post, a "Hell Hole", where you were placed to die, the stocks and various others below.   The punishment for women was the most interesting to me.

Here is the jail.  On the left, a man is about to have his hand cut off for stealing (they showed the blood, knife, everything... yes, this was a castle for KIDS!)  The man in the center is being hung by his wrists from ropes.  The third man on the right was placed in some sort of iron cage and hung up with an iron mask.

  

Here is the "Hell Hole" where people were placed to die.

  

In the middle of the courtyard a man was hung.  I was warned about this from a nice British lady who said her little girl was quite upset the first time she saw it... well I guess it is a rather unusual sight.

The most interesting one to me was the Ducking stool, used to punish women.  Here is the poem that goes along with the stool:

There stands, my friend, in yonder pool

An engine called a Ducking Stool;

By legal power commanded down,

The joy and terror of the town. 

If jarring females kindle strife,

Give language foul, or lug the coif;

If noisy dames should once begin

To drive the house with horrid din;

"Away" you cry "you'll grace the stool'

we'll teach you how your tongue to rule."

Down in the deep the Stool descends,

But here, at first, we miss our ends;

She mounts again, and reges more

Than ever vixen did before.

If so, my friend, pray let her take

A second turn into the lake;

and, rather than your patience lose,

thrice and again repeat the dose.

No brawling wives, no furious wenches,

No fire so hot, but water quenches.

WOW - I guess that would be a serious reason to stop all gossip and inappropriate language.

John needed a time out:

The Castle complex - in medieval times they were built of wood instead of the stone castles we usually see.

Sir John, the Knight:
   

A fertility chair:

  

The Loo - with grass to use instead of toilet paper!

The mill stone for grinding wheat:

They had animals wandering the castle complex.  We all loved feeding the little sheep below.

Scooters and Bikes

Cambridge is a biking city.  It is completely flat and very friendly to bikers.  Pedestrians have to constantly be aware and listen out for the "ring" of a bike bell meaning that someone wants to pass.  Truthfully, you are much more likely to be hit by a bike than a car!

The kids are getting around town on their scooters.   After spending our first couple of days complaining about walking everywhere, John declared yesterday that he didn't want to ride in a car anymore, just use scooters and bikes.  I am finding that instead of refueling my gas tank, I'm having to feed three hungry kids all day long to refuel them after all the activity.

Home-schooling

While we are here, I am home-schooling the kids.  So far, we've had a lot of fun.  Every morning John asks, "Can we please have school now mommy?"    However, we did run into a snag yesterday.  The letter of the day was "D" and John kept wanting to call it an "M".  By the end of the day we had gone over it so many times that even Kate was calling out "D" when asked what letter was on the board.  I'm enjoying teaching again - it is nice to have a classroom of two!

Our house

I never posted pictures of the house, so here they are.  Our house is called "Hawthorne House" and is owned by Wheaton College for their professors.  It was available for our time here and they graciously allowed us to rent it.  We love it.

     

The Lane leading up to our house:

Kids playing with new friends in the garden: