Our sudden trip back to the US alerted us that our time here in England is passing quickly, and we returned with an attitude to make the most of it. So just a few days after our return to Cambridge, we set off for a weekend in Canterbury. Travel by train is great. It's so much less hassle than flying and sometimes not much more time than driving. This photo includes the River Stour and a nearby street, proof that the towns here really are old, quaint and lovely, just as we imagine.
We started our weekend by attending Evensong prayers performed by the boys and men's choir at the Canterbury Cathedral on the evening of our arrival. The Cathedral has been a site of Christian worship for over 1400 years. The present Cathedral has sections dating to the 11th century. It is the site of the murder of St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170. The shrine dedicated to him quickly became a pilgrimage site, hence the destination of Geoffrey Chaucer's pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.
From there we explored various areas and attractions in Canterbury. The town center is much smaller than Cambridge, which isn't too big either. The streets are narrower, the buildings less grand and more crowded. Despite the modern shops and restaurants, the area still retains a medieval quality. We visited several museums which included seeing an actual archeological sight underground revealing the Roman city remains from the first 4 centuries AD, trying on lots of medieval armor and helmets, and making brass rubbings. The boys and I also took a boat tour on the River Stour.
Canterbury boasts among its other famous inhabitants St. Augustine of Canterbury, Christopher Marlowe, Robert Cushman, the Clangers (and their creators), Joseph Conrad, Orlando Bloom, and the head of St. Thomas More. The Canterbury Museum offered loads of information about them. The trip wasn't all fun. Poor Annie developed a very painful ear infection which required an emergency trip to the doctor and pharmacy. I'm sure her memories of Canterbury are not as fond as the rest of ours.
The children and I returned to Cambridge on Sunday afternoon while Mike stayed on for a few more days to work at the University of Kent, also in Canterbury.
1 comment:
Wow, i'm just accessing your blog for the first time (sorry). Greetings from 4109 Swiss Stone. I just sent you an email but you don't have to respond - all of my questions are answered in the blog. I'll forward the link to the blog to Tonia. What an adventure. Also, what's this little blurp about a 'quick trip back to the U.S.? I'll read on to get filled in - take care.
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