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- Sep 24, 2024
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- EnglandCambridge DistrictCherry Hinton52°11’36” N 0°8’33” E
Cathedral Spotting, mice, shirts, pizza
September 24, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Another grey day dawned, but it wasn’t raining, so we decided today to visit Ely Cathedral. We haven’t visited a single one so far on this trip, and time is running out, So off we went with only one ugly roundabout junction road issue. We got to the biggest car park and found that everyone else had beaten us to it. So we navigated to the next nearest but got lost when the navigation system gave up on us. We parked in a supermarket car park and discovered I had no mobile access. I had also forgotten to preload the maps, which didn’t help. We drove by dead reckoning to the next car park and found it and the one remaining park. We walked back up the street, which was the main street, and found the cathedral - it’s pretty hard to lose a cathedral, especially this one.
We got our tickets and went in. It’s definitely a jaw-dropping place—very big and very beautiful. It’s challenging to explain in words - so I won’t bother. Attached to the cathedral is the Lady's Chapel. That is also huge and stunning, with massive clear windows and intricate stonework. Sadly, much of the detail and decoration was smashed or removed during the reformation (talk about babies and bathwater).
On the way out, staring at the enormous stone arches, a lady started a conversation and was interested in the fact that I came from NZ as she had a brother in Wellington. I think she was a guide. She showed me something missed by many tourists—the Cathedral Prior doors, which are on the outside of the Cathedral in a specially enclosed room and show intricate stone carvings from the 1100s—quite some time ago.
It's an amazing place.
Back home for another stale cheese sandwich. I then set off to solve a problem. I purchased a new rechargeable mouse a few days ago, but mine didn’t recharge. I located a branch of the retailer and managed to convince the spotty sales assistant that there was a problem. After conferring with a superior, he said that they would test it, which would take 40 minutes. So I went off and looked at the shops. In the Red Cross op shop (I was getting desperate for things to do), I found a nice-looking shirt. I then noticed it was a Superdry (posh) brand, which I liked, and it was only £7. I took it to the counter and discovered it was a new item with attached tags. I just checked, and the retail prices range from £45 to £50. Winner. So, my failed mouse had a silver lining.
I returned to the apartment just in time to set off for a pizza in a restaurant back in town. Apart from needing food, this was a celebration dinner for Tricia’s birthday. Pizza was her choice. I found a chain that made wood-fired pizza with sourdough bases (Franco Manca) and also had vegan options. It was a good choice, and we demolished our pizzas (I had an ale with the label ‘No Logo’ - nice). On the walk back, we spotted several impressive buildings. Cambridge University and the Church have left quite a legacy here.
I won the fitness challenge with 21,000 steps today - and my feet are not happy.Read more
Traveler Shame about the sandwich but looks like the day was good. Air museum must be next
Traveler Naves?
Traveler Yeah, that sounds like a churchy word.
Traveler Air museum… mmmmmmm