Act XVIII- There and back again

Hello all,

 I am writing this closing post for our England adventures from the comfort of my own home in Gettysburg. As you might surmise from this fact, we made it home safely (though some of us were a little worse for the wear- more on that later) but I thought you may want to hear about our last few magical days on our dream sabbatical.

Our last week in Cambridge was filled with cleaning and packing, the weighing of the worth of objects we collected and the continued usefulness of things we had brought with us. But there was also a bit of celebration with friends and some sad goodbyes salved with the exchange of email and social media contact information. Both of the boys' classes had term presentations meant to show parents what they had been studying for the last few months. The school is paperless so not much came home with the boys and I had to rely on their spotty memories to hear what they were actually learning about. The presentation was a nice little recap to fill in any of the gaps Leif and Klaus had left in their own re-tellings. Their school dance club also had a short recital and they regaled us parents with some avant-guard dance routines choreographed by the students themselves. Surprisingly one was of a highly stylized fight-scene.

 Our last cycle to school started out routine enough with me crossing my fingers over these final two rides, hoping to avoid any incident which would adversely affect my planned sale of said bicycle in a mere 24 hours.The push over the train bridge did feel especially difficult but I just chalked it up to an old ankle injury and kept going. But by the time we got through the last cattle grate in Coldhams Common it was clear that there was something wrong with the bike. I pulled over immediately to discover a completely flat front wheel. As we were close enough to the school to foot it the rest of the way I locked up the bike on a nearby rack and marched the boys the last few blocks. After dropping them at their classroom doors, I managed to push the bike the three mile walk to the nearest bakfiets cycle shop, further irritating my ankle but in the end successful. Jay and his crew fixed the flat in no time and gave the bike a good once-over so that I could present it to my buyer in good confidence. As long as nothing happened on the way home from school. <<nervous cringe>>

 After school the boys and I went for one last time to the football pitch with the little friend group that we have collected here. As always, bouts of football and football-related arguments were interspersed with snacks of every description, including a huge ziplock of leftover Hershey's Kisses that the boys gave out to their classes. All the kids and mums signed a card for us complete with addresses and we had a round of group photos before the sun set at 3:30. All sugared-up and sad we cycled home for the last time through Coldhams Commons, over the train bridge, through the Asda car-park, behind the B&M, up Vera's Way, through the neighborhood and back to home safe. Whew!

 That night we ate our last meal in Cambridge at the same place we had eaten our first- The Cambridge Blue. I will definitely miss this cozy pub, its excellent pies, and fabulous garden. Luckily I am one of the few American's who has a neighborhood pub situation (Though ABC can't really be described a cozy)but I think on,the whole more, Americans could use this type of establishment in their lives. It is stress relief and community building all in one:) 

  On Saturday we planned a leisurely move southward to London not setting any sort of time-table for ourselves so as to avoid any unnecessary stress. Since we lived in a furnished rental we were required to wash all of the linens before we left. That meant five loads of laundry were left hanging to dry all over the bathroom when we finally locked up the place. 

  A little after 9:00, Stuart, the kind gentleman from Peterborough who was buying my bike, arrived as planned. He took the bike for a spin, found it to be in the same condition as when he had first tried it and handed me a wad of cash totaling 900 Pounds. I was really sad to give the bike up but I know it would have been a terrible, possibly marriage-ending, struggle to get it home. Stuart, who had originally told me he was going to take it home on the train, took his leave with the plan of riding it all the way the Peterborough, a good hours drive from Cambridge by car. I have resisted trying to contact him to see if he made it alright but in my mind he did and it was a grand adventure filled with gnomes and fairies. 

 

Our train ride to London was uneventful but the weather was dark, cold and wet and so when we finally arrived in the city around 4:00 we just snuggled up and watched BBC at our Air B&B. You will be happy to know that we learned our lesson from last time and did not dare broach the Tube with our scads of luggage, instead opting for a sensible taxi ride. 

 

 By Sunday morning the weather had cleared up and we took a stroll though some of the famous streets of the city starting at the grand Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament. We had toured this area on our first trip to England in 2013 so we didn't really trouble ourselves to try to get into any of the buildings but just tried to jog the boy's memories with the sight of things. Big Ben was not as helpful in this as I would have expected since he was absolutely covered in scaffolding.  Probably didn't matter though- Leif and Klaus couldn't remember anything. 

 We walked down to Trafalgar Square and then down the Strand to the original Twinings Tea shop. Unfortunately the shop was not quite as charming as I had expected and was fairly crowded for a Sunday morning. We bought a few teas and then promptly hopped back on the Tube (which was Klaus' favorite London activity anyway) and headed for the five floors of Hamley's Toy Store. Even without the impending Christmas holiday I think this amazing store would have been just as packed. It was a child's wonderland filled with every toy imaginable and very enthusiastic and encouraging staff willing to push parents into spending all sorts of money there. We let the kids pick out small items reminding them that they would be required to carry whatever it was home as mommy and daddy's bags could not hold anything else. 

 

After a quick lunch in Leicester Square, we headed to the London Coliseum for a heralded production of the Nutcracker. It was really spectacular scenically and costume-wise. There were a few choices that seemed kind of silly (the Nutcracker toy looked like a bulky robot) and the dancers seemed to be missing some of the beats in the music but they were gorgeous and graceful and I have been having dreams about dancing on point ever since. Our entertainment budget gave us seats in the top-most balcony which, upon first arrival, felt like we could topple down to the seats 50-feet below with the slightest misstep but once you got used to it the view was incredible. 

  As we had an early start in the morning, after the ballet we took one last Tube ride home, though we got to hear the bells of St. Martin-in-the-Fields play us out as we walked to the station.  

  Monday morning, our airport cab arrive at 6:30 as scheduled for our 11:30 flight. Now you might think that this 5 hour allotment seems a bit excessive even for an international flight but in this case my obsessive worry about the unexpected was totally justified. Our cabbie, Gregori, was able to fit all our luggage into the BMW SUV he was driving just fine but when it came time to close the boot, the latch would not latch. For a good 15 minutes Gregori tried slamming the door with increasing strength and frustration. While I twiddled my thumbs and Kurt apologized for having previously mocked my over-preparedness, Gregori called his employer and ordered us another car. Amazingly another taxi showed up within minutes and we arrived at the airport only thirty minutes after expected. 

  Having smallish children we were conducted to British Airways' special Children and Disabled

Check-in lanes where the boys were showered with books and crayons and our definitely over-weight luggage was accepted with helpful smiles. Security was no worse than expected and left us plenty of time for a last Full-English Breakfast at a airport diner, a turn through the Harry Potter store where we used up our cash, and even a small tumble for the kids in the Mr. Adventure playground. I would highly recommend both Heathrow and British Airways for traveling with kids. They were happy as clams for the entire trip home. 

 Kurt on the other hand was not (although this was no fault of the airline). After breakfast we had both felt a little queasy but chalked it up to both the quantity and quality of the food we had just eaten. But while my bad feelings subsided leaving me to enjoy all the food and treats passed out by the friendly airline staff, Kurt's condition became increasingly distressing to the point where he had the unfortunate experience of trying to vomit in a tiny airplane bathroom. He was no better when we actually landed and nearly passed out while going through customs. It was a pretty poor end for his amazing sabbatical but I think even with that he won't ever regret the experience. 

 Next sabbatical is in seven years this time. Where shall we go then?  

  

Act XVII- Quick! Do all the things you have been meaning to do!

Today marks the start of our last week here in Cambridge. By this time next week we will be making our way through London morning traffic to Heathrow while I check that we still have our passports for the thirtieth time since we got in the cab.
 The last two weeks have been a blur of Christmas Fayres, legistical planning on how to use up the random assortment of food in the pantry and the culling of items that we have amassed in our time here. I think we will be in good shape though I still find myself looking at the boys clothes for the smallest reasons to leave something behind. One inch too short- you are out of here trousers!
  Christmas Fayres are a huge thing in England. Every church, school, and organization seems to hold one. The shops on the main road near us put on one of the biggest in town and, even though traffic in Cambridge is already terrible, they close down this major thoroughfare for a whole day to hold it. The Mill Road Fayre as it is know is held every year on the first Saturday of December. Since the 1st of December was a Saturday this

year we did not have to wait long for this amalgam of food, music, and crafts. Our first stop was the pub a few doors down, the Cambridge Blue, where Father Christmas and his reindeer (complete with a set of elves constantly cleaning their droppings) seemed to be enjoying the back garden as much as we do. While Kurt and I sipped on mulled wine, the boys each took a turn chatting with Santa who rather cleverly did not actually ask the kids what they wanted (I suppose to help out those parents whose children were planning to ask for ponies and the like- well played Santa!). The boys did not seem to notice as they were each handed a wrapped present at the end of their chat. And these were not just cheap plastic crap but substantial toys from a real toy store. Klaus got a construction vehicle set and Leif got a paint-your-own wooden nesting dolls kit. Thanks Cambridge Blue!
 

From there we walked through the sea of people on the Mill Road gathering the free mince pies that were offered to us every few feet. I (everyone else quickly bailed)attended a tour of the Mill Road Cemetery, a huge over-grown place that takes up a sizable chunk of the land behind the shops and houses on the road. The graves there are mostly from the 1800s and are in various states of decay making it a rather spooky and fascinating spot. The cemetery is shared by several parishes and it is clear that some have more time to spend maintaining their areas than others. Our tour guide was a kind but soft-spoken woman who, along with six other "elderly residents", is attempting to compile a listing and map of all the grave plots as the records were not well-kept. Seems that there is no one of wide-spread fame buried there but she had some interesting stories about local celebrities.     
 

Our trek through the crowd on Mill Road led us to the "North Pole" on Parker's piece. Much like the other fairs that we have experienced at Parker's this one was fun but expensive and it took all our parenting prowess to keep the boys happy when it was time to go. We eschewed the tiny and crowded ice skating rink in favor of the carnival rides. The boys chose to ride the kiddie coaster and to take a stumble through the fun house.  Our graceful exit was eased by a bucket of candy floss and a giant tree shaped lollipop emblazoned with the boys favorite quote from Home Alone "Merry Christmas, you filthy animal."

 

 On Thursday the boys school held its own modest Christmas Fayre. Each
grade level was selling crafts that they made to raise money for class supplies. We bought some hot chocolate reindeer from Year 4 and an ornament from Year 2 (Klaus would not tell me which one he made so I just picked one at random. He was rather cagey about it which makes me think there was some incident involved in the Year 2 ornament factory. Maybe I will get the story out of him someday) Father Christmas made an appearance as did a local author and some players from Cambridge United. The boys were excited to buy the author's book and get it signed right there. Thanks to my librarian mother I have a collection of books signed by the author from my own youth so I was thrilled to keep up the tradition with my kids. After some cookie decorating and fooseball with the football players we trekked home to get a good night's sleep before our planned adventure on Friday.

 In one of my earlier posts I wrote about how parents are required to not only take their children to school here but also to walk them to the classroom door. For me this and the awesome park on the way to school has provided me with a couple opportunities to make some friends with some of the other parents. I have been lucky enough to find a great crowd and though our children only get along moderately well as sometimes happens, we mums have enjoyed a bit of social time on the sidelines of the football pitch. Very sweetly these mums organized a little going-away-outing for us at a local venue called Clip and Climb. This clever little place sports no less than twenty different climbing walls of various skill levels, all safe thanks to their easy clip system. The boys had such a great time that we actually went back yesterday. I can see hours at the climbing wall in the Gettysburg gym in our near future.

On Saturday, realizing keenly that our time here is short I forced the family to cross off another visit on my list and after two train rides and a stint on the the tube we arrived a Hampton Court Palace in Surrey. Hampton Court was Henry VIII's main residence for much of his reign and

Klaus turning the spit in Henry VIII's kitchen

was a wonder of Tudor architecture in its day. The original structure is made mostly of red brick which was a brand new building material at that time. Construction was originally begun by Cardinal Wolsey, Henry's Lord Chancellor and chief adviser. Unfortunately for Wolsey he hit the spot on the nose with his plans for Hampton Court and Henry liked it so much that he cleverly stole it from the man while the cardinal floundered in his attempts to get Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. Later royal residents of the palace included William III and Mary II and several of the Georges. William and Mary, ruling in the late 1600s desired a home more in keeping with their modern tastes and so they commissioned the famous Sir Christopher Wren of St. Pauls fame to remodel the palace in the Baroque style. The two monarchs died before all the plans were complete which has left Hampton Court looking like two different palaces that have been awkwardly glued together. This is not to say that the place is not gorgeous but it is a little disjointed.

Boys playing the part of the angels
 

 
There was a Christmas Fayre happening at Hampton Court as well which added a little extra fun activity-wise but meant we did not see as much of the palace as we might have on another day. We toured mostly the Tudor part which was what I was most interested in anyway getting to eat lunch in Elizabeth I's privvy kitchen and to walk the floor in Henry VIII's feasting hall. At our goading the boys participated in a "Christmas Through the Ages" presentation by some costumed Victorian characters who were attempting to compile a Nativity scene comprised of elements from the Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian Era. The boys were cast as angels and dutifully flapped their wings when instructed. Later they were able to make Christmas scented sachets and listen to a few carols as they echoed around the palaces courtyards. Perfect day in England.

 

On Sunday, before our second trip to the Clip and Climb and our last afternoon at the Center for Computing History, we finally took a tour of the lab that Kurt has spent most of his days in. I know I tend to look down on the cold starkness of modern architecture but I really did like the Maxwell building. Its tall windows and lovely view made all the difference and I think if I was a scientist I would find it a rather inspiring place to work. Seems like it has done the same for Kurt and I think it is safe to say that he is pretty thrilled with how he has been able to spend this sabbatical- not only having a great time at formal dinners but also getting some real science done with a few papers in the works and a ton of new connections. I think it is going to be bittersweet for him to leave.