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.