Museums, anyone?

Meet Sedgwick.  We guessed that must be this planteating Iguanodon's name, as he greets all visitors to the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences here in Cambridge.  Also in this museum we were fascinated by a monstrosity of a hippo found a few thousand years ago here in Cambridgeshire.  We decided hippos have just always been...well...big.

This "supposed to be swimming" Plesiosaur is not supposed to be headless. (I'm in discussions now with our photographer to ensure there'll be no more headless plesiosaurs in this blog.)  He lived during the Jurassic Period, along with his other friends from Jurassic Park.

The museums here are intentionally kid friendly.   They are very interactive and have dectective-type activities specific for each museum.  In fact, in Westminster Abbey in London, I found myself following along with the kids kit, as opposed to the adult one, but that's a story for another day...  The bust above Caleb here is Charles Darwin.  Since he is a graduate of the University, there are many of his collections around town.

So many things seem grand here.  For example, this entrance to the Sedgwick Museum...really, concrete sculpted into animal shapes?!?

The pull was just too great...in between the Science Museum and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Fitzbillies Bakery just called my name so longingly...aren't these adorable frog cupcakes?  Makes me think of Kermie. :)

Our friend Janine, from the Netherlands, joined us for this part of our Museum Tour.  She'd never been to Mr. Simm's Olde Candy Shoppe, so we popped in and bought a round of giant bubble gum balls for all.  We decided that no one must have bought any of their giant bubble gum balls in YEARS. :)

One of the highlights of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology included materials collected on Captain Cook's voyages of exploration, like this 14-metre-high totem pole from Canada.  (He brought this back ON HIS SHIP?!?!)  We smiled at this, as Brad's sister Kristie and family live near Cook Inlet (named after Captain Cook's exploration) in Alaska.  Ahhh....a sweet reference to home...

We just giggle and giggle that everything over here stops for tea time.  I'm growing quite accustomed to this tradition, actually.  So, never mind that we'd already hit a bakery and a candy store...it was tea time! :)

Bury St. Edmunds, Here We Come!

So, we visited this village nearby called Bury St. Edmunds with our friends the Leonards.  It has all these ruins that folks are allowed to climb on, play hide and seek in, and jump off of.  GREAT FUN!! 

Our day began in a red, double-decker bus, and we were, of course, on the top "decker".  This is Victoria's friend Ginny Leonard.  She is as American as they come and her accent (after living here about 3 years) is as British as they come...cute, she is...

Travelling to Bury St. Edmunds, we went thru Newmarket, which has been the headquarters of British horse racing since James I days (early 1600's).  The first recorded horse race was held here in 1622.  There are today more than 2500 horses--BEAUTIFUL horses-- in training in and around the town.  (Sara Kathryn, you would LOVE it!!)

Our children's new favorite breakfast food is called a "Scotch egg".   Angie Leonard introduced them to us as we stopped in a butcher shop (which was in-and-of-itself a field trip for the kids) along this street in Bury.  They were warm--a boiled egg surrounded by sausage then bread crumbs then deep fried into this round, holdable, eatable shape...y-u-m-m-y!!

We next happened upon this book shop in which this 12-year-old (!)  author was reading her book to the kids.  At the end of the story, all the girls received crowns, which you'll see in some of the pictures.  Caleb and Daniel were very kind big brothers to indulge Victoria and Ginny by sitting thru the ENTIRE book--well done boys!

Time spent here was the highlight of our day.  Thru this entry (note the still-working port-cullis) lies the abbey ruins of what was the wealthiest abbey in the country, until it was razed by fire in 1347.  Here's the story:  St. Edmund, the last Saxon king of East Anglia, was decapitated by Danish raiders in 870.   Edmund was canonized in 900 and buried in Bury (hence the village name--Bury St. Edmunds), where in 1014 King Canute built this abbey in his honor.

Just inside the gate were these squirrels that would COME UP TO YOU AND EAT OUT OF YOUR HAND!! It was unbelievable.  (I DID ask about rabies.  They don't have it here.)

The ruins were impressive and extensive, providing hours of fun.  Get a load of the roots of the tree in the above photo!  They were a maze in and of themselves.

I just love these two shots...my boys...my girl...friends...England...adventure...memories...

We ended our day in St. James' Cathedral, built in the 15th century when the wool trade made the town wealthy.  I turned around and saw this sight in the choir section of the church.  The crowns just make it. :)

Most Famous Apple Tree in the World

Here it is, folks, the most famous apple tree in the world.  This apple tree, located near the entrance of Trinity College, is planted in the exact spot where the original apple tree stood when Isaac Newton observed the apple falling.   His window was the one to the left of the tree.  We pass it often...mainly because it's across the street from the Fudge Kitchen. :)

St. Bene't's church, named after St. Benedict, is the oldest building in "the whole of Cambridgeshire" (as they say around here) and is still holding services!  The Saxons(!) built it around 1025, and the church tower was the lookout for the Saxon rebel Hereward the Wake as he kept watch on the advancing Normans.   The ancient churchyard still stands at medieval ground level.  St. Bene't's is thought to be the birthplace of  'change ringing' (17th century), which is the system of sounding bells in an ever-changing, rhythmic pattern rather than an actual tune. 

Cambridge is considered the cradle of the English Reformation.  Robert Barnes, one of the scholars who met regularly at the White Horse Inn, preached the first Reformation sermon here at St. Edward's on Christmas Eve 1524.

The inside of St. Edward's looks today much as it would have when Barnes preached that first, now famous, sermon...

Proud to be an American

Who knew that right here in Cambridge is the only World War II American military cemetery in the UK?  Replete with a great mall, reflecting pools, memorial, chapel, and white crosses...almost 4000 of them.  Moving.  I love my country. 

Probably the most well-known person buried here is Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., which is President Kennedy's oldest brother.  All those buried here lost their lives in the skies over the British Isles, or in preparation for the battles to be fought on continental Europe, or were evacuated here after the invasion.

Kennedy's name is inscribed on the 427-foot long wall known as the "Tablets of the Missing".  His name, plus 5,126 others, are guarded by four statues (a soldier, airman, sailor, and coast guardsman.  You can see a couple of these statues on the right side in the first picture.)

Daniel found someone named Daniel from Tennessee.  Although we didn't learn about him, per se, both the visitors building and the website had some of these soldier's stories...made for a strong history lesson that day! :)

These doors to the chapel (at the end of the Great Mall) were enormous and extremely heavy. (In fact, the porter was summoned because word was out that it was locked.  Turned out the visitors were not pushing hard enough to open the door.)  The most impressive thing about the chapel was that the interior, including the ceiling, was decorated with tiny pieces of tile--millions of them--to form mosaics of exquisite detail...  

A good time was had by all...

Interesting Eats

Ostrich burgers anyone?  Yes, thanks to George and Pat Guthrie, we discovered this place in our local Sunday market, and it has become a real favorite! :)  You can choose either a "hot dog" (which is simply an ostrich sausage link to the size specifications of a hot dog) or an ostrich burger.  We all just love 'em, and go there for Sunday lunch often!

In other culinary headlines, PANCAKES were the order of the day for "Pancake Tuesday" around here.  The day before Lent begins, also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, is know as Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, in Britain, because it is the one day of the year when almost everyone eats a pancake. Traditionally, pancakes were eaten as a last chance for folks to indulge themselves with rich foods, such as eggs and butter, before Lent began. It's actually quite a yummy tradition. 

Our friends, Daniel and Elizabeth Robar, invited us to share pancakes with them at their place.  She is a "grind-your-own-wheat" kind of a girl, so these were the healthiest, heartiest, yummiest pancakes ever.   She sure set the pancake standard high around here...

Tyndale House, Sheppard Flats #18

So, this is Tyndale House, where Brad spends his days studying, reading, and writing. 

His desk is at the end of the building--very quiet.

Many have asked about our living accommodations.  So, here they are:  This is home.  Sheppard Flats #18.  Churchill College.  Cambridge University. 

Come on in thru our front gate...

...and thru our courtyard (front garden, as they call it).  Daniel has been building teepees in our front garden.  You'll see my hunter and gatherer's much needed supplies being collected near our front door. :)

Teepees outside.  Tents inside.  This is our den/living room/family room/school room/play room.  VERY large by English standards. 

Typical day:  Schoolwork in mornings.  Explore in afternoons (maybe 2-3 afternoons per week).

Kitchen...my sweet family blesses me every single night after dinner.  I captured the moment, as I'm not allowed in the room.  It's beautiful. :)

Our bedroom...one thing I must say about the comforters here.  They are like one giant pillow in a pillow case (and very toasty).  I'd never seen such before.  You take off the outer covering to wash it, just like you would a pillow.  Speaking of washing, the first (and only--ahem) time I washed ours, I walked into our den and discovered two boy-sized shapes wrestling this giant yellow monster with arms and legs flailing and lots of laughter.  It was the funniest sight.  There MUST be an easier way to put them back together...

Kids' bedroom (note homemade pillowcases, which the children adore, made by Grandma Lyda, whom they also adore--thanks Lyda!!)

And, as you're leaving our flat,  this is the view (on a snowy day) just across the field from our flat--our very own glass tower.  The boys want so badly to drop their parachuted army men from the top, as a sort of combat mission readiness exercise.  I'll let you know the results if mama caves...:)