Last Day

What a fantastic trip!  It has been a privilege for Ray and I to travel through Britain with our LFMSS parent and students - definitely a fun, adventurous group!  Thanks for joining us.

Our intrepid travel companions

Our most professional Cockney coach driver Tony

Cambridge

Lots of local shows advertised all over Cambridge - like this charming version of Macbeth

This insect eats time

Ray at the entrance to King's College - with his personal hero Henry VIII in the niche above him.

Sorry chap, no entry today

Nice pose Adam

Overlooking the "cam" - the Cambridge River

Near the entrance to the King's College Chapel grounds.  We had to pretend we were prospective students or their parents to get in today.  So we did.

Ray tells us all about perpendicular gothic and the King's College Chapel behind him.

Someone punting on the cam.

How'd these Canadian Geese get over here?

A regal exit awaited each customer.

Our turn to punt

Michaela has a far-away look in her eyes as she sets out for adventure

Ray gets the hang of it

Collisions were frequent on the student-captained boats

Everyone got a turn being head punter

Zach was definitely the most skilled punter of the lot.

He brought us far down the river and never once bumped his head or lost his pole

An idyllic scene on a day that started with pouring rain

I think Zach should move to Venice and become a Gondolier.  They charge a lot!

Nathan's turn

I think Emily (with the pole) and Sophie (with the paddle) were working against each other.

Ray lets his daughter Maddy do the work

Now it's Lexi's turn.

Top of the chapel from river level.

Relaxed

Kyle's turn.  Don't touch his glasses.

Brian's turn.  He got about 50 feet worth of punting.

The weather has really been "variable" in the UK!

A fine day

Nathan looks quite nervous with me at the helm.

I took us deep into some willow branches, but we all survived and nobody fell in!

Old York

Old York, the one the flashy new one is named after, is a medieval charm, a shopper's delight, and a feast for all the senses.  Dominated by the enormous York Minster (the cathedral of York) and partially surrounded by intact city walls, the city has a large amount of things to do and see, like London, but is all in a very compact space, unlike London.  There's no need to take a bus or cab when you are in York - you can get around the town faster just by walking.

Our sightseeing goals included the York Minster, the York Castle Museum (an excellent collection of Victorian England artifacts with a reconstructed main street right in the building), the Jorvik Viking Underground (the centre of the city was actually the site of an archeological dig in the mid-70's that led to the creation of this underground ride/museum), and the city walls.  We spread those out over our day and a half, and sprinkled in lots of free time for the kids to explore in their groups.  I believe a grand time was had by all in my favourite city in England.

Michaela exits the city walls

The Sawatskys pose with their favourite Roman Emperor, Constantine, outside the York Minster

Stay gold.

In front of the York Minster's huge west wall facade. The doors behind are only opened on Sunday.

The chapter house of the cathedral, a wonder of 13th century engineering for it's wide roof with no central support.

I think I'd rather have the king on the left - the guy on the right doesn't look confident enough to rule.

The pulpit

Another view into the chapter house.

The 200 foot tall central tower of the cathedral, taken through a mirror inside.

Birthplace of Guy Fawkes - 15th century rebel - hung, drawn and quartered for his crimes against the state.

Medieval soldiers from Yorkshire prepare for battle in the York Castle Museum.

The twisting beams and uneven floors of York's half timbered houses in the Shambles.

In the middle ages, constricted by city walls, they built up and out over the road when the population expanded.  You could practically reach out the window of one building and touch someone in the window of the other building!

The York Minster dominating the skyline of the city.

The 1000 year old Holy Trinity Church in the centre of York.

This small church had fascinating pew "boxes" - I've only ever seen pews like this in a synagogue before.

Inside the House of Trembling Madness - a very unique cafe/restaurant/bar in York.

The Shambles is the very heart of medieval York - the former butcher's streets.

Ray snaps a shot down the alley leading to the Holy Trinity Church

The purple man said my hat was nice, but my beard needed some colour.

The Sawatsky girls get some colour too.

The York Minster.

My dinner.  Too much for one.

Constantine was in York when his father died in Rome and he was declared the new emperor.  It took him a couple years and a battle to actually make that title his.  Soon after he made Christianity the state religion, and York had its first Christian church within a year.