Gigi finally got her ride on a double decker bus. Couldn’t be happier and then wondered why we don’t have them at home, how they must be more economical and maybe I could email BC Transit and inquire. She has a point.

We spent two days covering Cambridge and a few small villages around Dunmow. Cambridge was great, the kids loved it, so full of history and beautiful colleges. Madeline especially loved it here and said maybe she’ll go to school there! Good grief, I’ll have to sell everything I own and still not make tuition.

We stopped for lunch at an old pub, Nick once again was in his glory and none of us can believe how much food he putting back. He is eating at the chip shop once a day at least, plus all the pork pies, bacon in the morning and then he eats with us as well. I am constantly on the hunt for a meal that includes vegetables which is oddly hard to find unless they are cooked to death. So far the salads in the cafes are iceberg lettuce and a little onion. It leaves much to be desired. But the strongbow cider is refreshing in the heat!

Nick and I went for an early morning ride through the countryside and England has a national cycle network which means you can bike or walk the length of the country without ever having to go on a road. It’s incredible, it cuts through farmers fields that are maintained by the farmer and there are pubs listed on the maps as well. So civilized. We found little 12th century churches and stopped to look at the headstones and try to make out some of the dates. I find it all so amazing, all the history, but for those that live here it is common and not exciting at all.

Creepy, bizarre, bat-like gargoyle!

This is Dick Turpins home in Thaxted, we just happened upon it. Nick said he was an 18th century highwayman and was eventually caught in York and hung there for robbery. They didn’t actually know he was the guy robbing everyone on the road, he confessed once he was convicted of an unrelated crime.

We were on our way to Wimple Manor but got way laid in Saffron Walden, a medieval town that is quite well preserved. We toured what was left of the original walled city and then had a picnic in the park and a nap under a tree. It was nice to slow down a little and have an easy day. Gigi insisted that we don’t walk all day everyday so I relented a little and it was nice to take a drive and see the countryside.

The marching starts again though as we are on our way to York and then Edinburgh.