Travel Tuesday # 28 – Peterborough Market & Cathedral

August 8, 2005 was a beautiful today to be in Peterborough England. 

                        

We spent most our time inside the “Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew Peterborough” — that is a mouth full.   However, as I look back it is these outside photos that remind me of how nice the day was.

If you click the link above you will see a list of the 10 things of note at the cathedral.  For me, as a reader of historical novels since my late teens, Katherine of Aragon’s grave & Mary Queen of Scots’ former resting place were the spots I headed for first.

 

Travel Tuesday # 23 – Bishop’s Palace & Gardens, Wells England

If there is any place where the pictures in my scrapbook fail to do justice to my memory of its beauty  Wells Bishop’s Palace & Gardens is it.  I also believe there have been a lot of improvements made to this attraction since my August 2005 visit.  
The first time we went to Wells to visit the Cathedral we were unaware that the Bishop’s Palace & Gardens were there just around the corner.  Luckily we found out about them on made a return trip to visit both.  And my husband and I need to get back to Wells England again as we have yet to catch a service and hear their choir live.

Travel Tuesday # 20 – Bury St. Edmunds

Here are two scrapbook pages from an October 2009 day in Bury St. Edmunds:

After arriving by train we spent some time inside the St Edmundsbury Cathedral followed by a pleasant stroll around the Abbey Gardens.            

 

Travel Tuesday # 16 – Back to my scrapbooks

Over the years the way I have saved (or not saved) travel photos and mementos has changed.  Today I pulled a scrapbook / album  of our 2009 fall trip to Scotland and England off the shelf.  At that time I noticed that I had used software to make photo collages that I then printed on regular paper.  The quality and color maybe a little off but I still like the images.  Here is a page from a Sunday spent in Edinburgh that includes exterior shots of St. Giles’ Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh: 

Word for 12/27 – Structure

Medieval English cathedrals generally had two elaborate structures for the reading of scripture, one for the Gospel, and another on the opposite side of the aisle for the Epistles. But the more modern practice is for a single lectern, in the form of an eagle with outstretched wings.  This is the lectern is in Salisbury Cathedral.  The photo was taken at Christmas time as you can infer from the nativity figures in the background.  From the reader’s side of the lectern you can see how its structure is designed to support an oversize text.

Word for 12/14 – Drowsy

Wells Cathedral

What do you think?  Is the gentleman in black with the blue sash truly reading or is he drowsy?  And the woman in white behind him, is she engaged in prayer & reflection or is her head bowed because she is drowsy?

There is one thing I do know.  My husband took this photo, not me.  How do I know this?  Because I cropped myself out of the photo.  I was seated just across the aisle from the gentleman.  I am pretty sure I was drowsy, at the very least I had sat down because my feet were weary.  Sometimes it is tough work being a tourist.

Word for 12/13 – Surprise

Making plans when you travel can help you get the most out of your trip.  Then again the things you come across accidentally can be the most enjoyable aspects of a day.  When we took a bus to Tewkesbury, England we had two nice surprises:

Surprise # 1 –     this lovely little shop.

Surprise # 2 -     there was an adult choir festival taking place at the Abbey so we were able to listen to rehearsal.  We also decided to skip whatever it was we had planned for the rest of the day so we could stay for an afternoon performance/service.

 

 

Word for 12/7 – Provoking

I am still stuck on my photos of Wells Cathedral.  This picture shows the pattern of wear on the stone stairs leading up to the Chapter House.  It is thought provoking to consider the number of feet that must have gone up and down these steps that date back to around 1306.

Word for 12/6 – Brilliant

There is a brilliant amount of light pouring into Wells Cathedral in this shot.  I also like the image of couple, although dressed in casual tourist attire, walking up the aisle. Brits use brilliant the way Americans use awesome.

Word for 12/4 – Clear

One look at this effigy and it is clear that it honors someone who was wealthy and important.  Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury, or Bess of Hardwick as she is often known, was responsible for building the original Chatsworth house and the ‘New’ Hardwick Hall (known as more glass than wall).  She also designed her own memorial, pictured above, which sits in Derby Cathedral above the vault containing her coffin.   A one time lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, Bess is also an ancestor of the current Queen Elizabeth II.  Marrying & burying 4 husbands, becoming richer each time it is clear she  was also the greatest ‘social climber’ of her day.