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Friday, August 5, 2011

Prior Scouting

Emily is behind.  I moved to the town of Newmarket, Suffolk several months ago, and she's been stuck in the States.  European wanderlust has seized me, but I've been fairly patient in waiting for her.   I've done a small batch of traveling to tame the travel bug, and here are a few photographs of places and things that she has missed.

I traveled locally...

Punting on the Cam in Cambridge is at the top of everyone's "must-do list".  Emily and I should accomplish this without much difficulty - Cambridge is just ten minutes away.

Kings College entrance, Cambridge

More of Kings College in the morning

Trinity College, where the footrace at the strike of twelve was made famous in Chariots of Fire

The path from Calvary Chapel

T-Rex skull at the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge

Bury St Edmunds is a half hour to the east.  Here is the beautiful flower garden in the abbey grounds outside the cathedral.

This scene felt very British to me:  balding old man walking, red telephone booth, Queen's Head pub, and narrow street with the cathedral in the background.

Close-up of Bury St Edmunds Cathedral
I also traveled around the island...

A buddy and I went hiking in Snowdonia National Park in Wales

At the top of Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales and England

Caernarfon Castle on the Welsh coast by the Irish Sea
And even made a trip to Scandinavia!

The same friend and I took a cheap Ryanair flight to Stockholm, Sweden for a weekend.  Here is the Vasa, a three hundred year old warship that sunk on its maiden voyage in the harbor.

The Nordic Museum beside the Vasamuseet - like most of the city, it mixed chic modernity and viking legend

Typical scene in Stockholm (with a bonus seagull)

Stockholm's City Hall, comprised of eight MILLION bricks, hosts the Nobel Prizes every year - check out the kayakers near the shore

Stockholm is situated on an archipelago that is both gorgeous and expensive.  We found a moored sailboat that was selling local beer.  Skol! (Cheers)
But I spent most of my time in Newmarket...

There's even excitement back in Newmarket!  Known as the birthplace of thoroughbred racing in the UK, Newmarket takes horse racing seriously.  Here is the Darley Cup at the July Course on the west side of town.

The race courses in Newmarket are straight, so everyone cheers from the finish line

The final stretch

Back at our flat in Newmarket.  The view of the Heath from our living room was the main selling point for me.
Most of the places represented by the photos are local.  Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, and even Newmarket should provide adequate adventure for the average weekend, with the more out-of-the-way locations like Wales and beyond providing bonus excitement.  As you can see, I haven't tramped all over Europe, spoiling travel opportunities that are meant for the two of us, but on the other hand I haven't just lazed in our flat either. Still, Emily is lagging behind, and she had better cross the pond soon to catch up!

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