Lindsay's Visit to the Cotswolds

While Lindsay was visiting we also took an extended weekend trip to the Cotswolds, popular for good hiking and quaint little villages. The Cotswolds are about 2.5 hours southwest of Cambridge. We stayed at the Old Stocks Hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold, built in the 16th century.

Walking in the Cotswolds

We walked through many wheat fields

Everything in out hotel was extremely crooked

cute Cotswolds houses

View of the valley

Cotswold houses are famous for being made from yellow limestone

Lindsay's Visit and London Olympics

Lindsay visited us in Cambridge for two and a half weeks in August. Her first weekend we stayed in London and saw three Olympics events: men's fast walk, women's triathlon and men's marathon! Since we weren't able to get any tickets, we chose these events because they were outdoors and free.

Hyde Park

Men's fastwalk event with Buckingham Palace in the background. Front row seats! 

USA!

The fastwalkers have very bendy legs

Tickets to Mama Mia

Men's marathon - again really good vantage point

Tower Bridge with the Olympic rings

Linds at Tower Bridge

Michelle and Jesse visit Cambridge

Recently, Michelle and Jesse were touring this part of the world, and they were able to squeeze us in between Iceland and Tanzania. Not impressed by volcanic hot springs and not expecting much better from Kilimanjaro, how lucky were they to get to punt on the Cam.

Michelle showing off her skills. Richard showing off his skills.

Jesse just making it under the Mathematical Bridge.

Such performance deserves a refreshment.

Hopeless amateurs, the collision was unavoidable and very satisfying.

That's how it's done.

Stonehenge / Plymouth / Devon and Cornwall

Over the four day Jubilee weekend we went camping on the south coast of Devon near Beesands. Without realising it, our trip took us right past Stonehenge, so of course we diverted our plans slightly to pay a visit. We also visited friends Patric and Julia and stayed at their house for one night in Plymouth. While camping we did several hikes and took a day trip to Padstow in Cornwall.

Stonehenge. Built before 2000 BC! Some of the stones weigh 50 tons.

Plymouth

Where the Mayflower left from Plymouth harbour

The farm where we camped

Campsite at Lower Beeson Farm

Hiking from Redlap to Dartmouth

Decorations in Dartmouth for the Queen's Jubilee

Padstow harbour

Beaches north of Padstow

Hiking north of Padstow- looking out to the Celtic Sea

We've Moved! No Longer Inhabiting Ireland.

We've moved! I've been in Cambridge five weeks now and Richard two weeks. We found a place to live and are settling in, emptying moving boxes and getting our new place organised. I've been at my new job five weeks and am just getting used to new spellings ('s' instead of 'z') and the '@' and the double quotation mark being switched on the keyboard. And accustomed to when someone asks 'Are you OK?', this doesn't mean that you look distressed or that something is the matter; it's just another way of asking 'How are you?'

Cambridge is really beautiful and we live in an area with a lot of trees and greenery, just a five minute walk to the River Cam and a few more to the city centre. I've been biking or walking to work, and once Richard starts his job (he still has another week of vacation) he will also walk or bike. The walk to work is beautiful, going through four parks with interesting names (Jesus Green, Midsummer Common, Christ's Pieces and Parker's Piece), some of which have herds of cows grazing and all of which have a lot of cyclists zooming through at all times. Bikes are definitely the preferred mode of transport here!

Waiting to board the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead

The crossing

Our little front entrance! It's a Victorian (late 1800s) 3-story terrace house.

One of four original fireplaces.  No longer in use, so they're really 'just for decoration'.

Tiny back garden- but enough room for a laundry line and hopefully some vegetable planting

The front of the house looks out onto a very green and pretty cemetery.
Good because it's unused and really quiet, and so far not too spooky.

The River Cam near our house

Third floor loft/spare bedroom-- for our visitors!!

The market square in Cambridge- lots of nice food and crafts for  sale

The daffodils are in bloom

River Cam

Cambridge, England

In December we took a trip to Cambridge, England. The city is beautiful with the university buildings, cathedrals, and the River Cam running through.

Cambridge University

The River Cam

King's College

King's College Chapel

The Mathematical Bridge

"Punting" on the River Cam is a popular activity during the summer.
Boaters use long poles to push themselves along the shallow river.