We are leaving for Taipei, Taiwan in one week. I finally admitted to myself that I'm not going to write my final posts about Europe. As a compromise, I'm posting snapshots. If you are intrigued about any of these pictures, ask, and I might be able to tell you the story behind them.
Normandy Beaches
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| After reading so much about D-Day, Taylor is experiencing a peaceful Omaha Beach. It's hard to believe this is the scene of the horrors of war. |
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| The American Military Cemetery |
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| Utah Beach. Can you see the barbed wire that is part of the landscaping? |
Mont Saint-Michel Abbey
This is a huge tourist attraction. The good part of this is it is easy to get to. The bad part is that it is over run with people who are not on a religious pilgrimage.
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| Mont St-Michel rises out of the ocean. We crossed a causeway to get to it. The village is at the bottom, and the abbey is at the top. |
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| To get to the actual abbey, we had to work ourselves through our fellow pilgrims. It was a steep up hill march through lots of gift shops, bakeries, restaurants, hotels, bars..... |
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| On our way down from the abbey, we took a side street where it was very peaceful, and saw charming views. |
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Surprisingly enough, touring the abbey was peaceful. I guess we left the other pilgrims behind to eat, drink and shop.
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Cambridge
Being with Syvart was the most important part of our visit to Cambridge.
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| Cambridge Botanic Garden |
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| We stayed in the guest room at Darwin College. It was fun seeing what college life is like at The University of Cambridge. |
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| We ate breakfast here each morning. Can you imagine all the young scholars, in their gowns, having formal dinners here? |
One afternoon, Syvart took Taylor and me on a long, leisurely walk to the village of Grantchester, right next door to Cambridge. The walk, along a river, through wooded areas and pastures, and over a few stiles was delightful. The real prize, however, was ending at The Orchard Tea Garden
www.orchard-grantchester.com.
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| This was typical scenery on our walk to Grantchester. |
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| This is what we saw when we climbed over the final stile. |
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| Here we are having cream tea in the orchard, just like Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, Maynard Keynes, Rupert Brooke and their friends. Our conversation, of course, was intellectual and witty. I discussed literature, and Taylor and Syvart discussed economics (tongue in cheek). |
London
Our trip to Hampton Court Palace deserves it's own post, but the story is long and complicated. We eventually arrived and enjoyed snooping around one of Henry VIII's palaces.
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| Syvart, Iris and Taylor catching their breath in front of one of the many garden walls at Hampton Court Palace. |
Now, we're on to our next adventure. Stay tuned for Taiwan!
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