To Warwick Castle and Stratford on Avon (11/8-9) We we wanted to get together with one of our valued Camino friends, Karen, who was visiting in the Cotswolds (near Stratford) while we were in England. Although it was a long drive from East Anglia (Essex County in the middle, eastern part of England), we were glad to make it. Our first stop was to visit Warwick Castle. The castle has a long history, and they have done much to make it a family centered tourist attraction. It was a bit cold, and we’re off season, but we did enjoy a demonstration of falconry, and also a fun-&-frightening visit to “The Dungeons.” And we planned just one evening in Stratford on Avon – yes, the birthplace of the Bard. We considered catching a last minute seat at the Royal Shakespeare Company theater, but the only thing truly available was King John, a play which Evan detests almost as much as Titus Andronicus, and he knew that Sara would hate it. So we settled for a pub meal and a quiet evening in the hotel. On Saturday we walked the town in the rain. We shopped for a raincoat for Sara so she wouldn’t have to wear her hiking poncho and then met Karen in a restaurant around noon. After a good meal and a lovely visit reminiscing about our Camino journey with our Australian friend, we set off for “home” in Littlebury Green, getting very lost and confused only once along the way.
A Day Trip to Ely (11/29) Having spent a good deal of time in Cambridge and in Saffron Walden, we wanted to visit at least one more of the many great places to visit in this part of England, so we set out for the town of Ely just a bit north of Cambridge. We arrived and found parking easily, then walked to the historic center of town, but the TI (Tourist Information) Office was closed, so we had coffee at The Poet’s House – a very nice hotel in Ely right near the Cathedral. Post 10:00, we returned to the TI, housed in what was once the home of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the Puritan leader on the “Parliamentary” side in the English Civil War, and who became the “Lord Protector” (he refused the title of king) during the short-lived “Commonwealth” after the deposition and execution of the King Charles I in 1642. The house is nicely preserved and offers a great history lesson, giving visitors the chance to vote on whether – taken all in all – Cromwell was a hero (as the puritan’s saw him) or a villain (as the royalists saw him.)
After a visit to nearby St. Mary’s Church, which was quite lovely in itself, we headed on just down the block to the magnificent Ely Cathedral. This is the biggest attraction in Ely and one of the most admired cathedrals in the country. We toured the Cathedral itself and took the “Octagon Tower Tour,” which had us climbing close to 200 steps to various levels, including a close look at the magnificent octagonal tower, it’s architecture and building, and then we took a walk upon the roof of the cathedral itself. It was a cold but beautiful day, and we could see for many miles around. Hundreds of years ago, this town was built on an island surrounded by wetlands called “the fens.” The legend says that these wetlands were filled with eels, a popular delicacy, and that the town’s name comes from that. It is Ely, pronounced “eel-ee.”
Before leaving this lovely town, we stopped for a meal at another pub, of course. This one was called “The Prince Albert,” and the food provided by “The Prince” was excellent, indeed. We both enjoyed traditional pub meals: for Evan a great “bangers & mash” with boars meat sausage, and for Sara it was the “fish & chips.” The drive home was a little less tense than usual, so all in all, it was a great day.
To the Cambridge American Cemetery (11/30) On Saturday morning, we set out for Cambridge again because we had not seen the Cambridge American Cemetery. It was a cold and very misty morning, one of those days when you feel like you’re in a cloud, and the sun should break it up soon, but it doesn’t. There was also frost on the car and on the ground, making us extra cautious on the road and walkways. But the mist gave an awesome beauty to the grounds of this cemetery. The lovely manicured grounds remind us of the Arlington National Cemetery. This is one of many around the world in honor of American soldiers who gave their lives to defend the freedom abroad. The cemetery one holds the remains of 3,811 of our war dead; 5,127 names are also recorded on the “Walls of the Missing.” The Visitor’s Center includes displays and media well-designed to bring the history to life, including the individual stories of some American soldiers. We found our visit here to be educational and emotionally moving.
We followed this with a quick visit to Saffron Walden to check out the Saturday Market and get food for another day. Then we set out in search of a highly recommended pub, the Axe & Compasses in the village of Arkesden, just a few miles from Littlebury Green. Traveling to and from was very stressful – country roads wide enough for only one vehicle. But they are two-way roads with a speed limit of 40 or 60 mph. But the village was beautiful, with lots of thatch-roof buildings and a lovely old church. The pub itself was quaint and welcoming. We enjoyed such a good meal, not to mention great beer, that we made reservations to return on the morrow for the “Sunday Roast.”
