8 mile...

I know to some, 8 miles of walking doesn't seem like that much for one day. Heck, some crazy people run that much on their morning jog. However, I walked around that much today, and I think I'm going to feel it tomorrow. On the up side, I had good adventures because of my walking- saw some pretty lovely sights, stumbled upon some pretty interesting people, and bought some pretty handy merchandise. I tried my best to take pictures as I explored today, and I only took our little Kodak point and shoot...so they aren't that spectacular. Also, some aren't totally in focus because I was trying to be inconspicuous and walk while I snapped away. But, I hope you enjoy a little bit of what my world was this afternoon/evening!

So this is where my adventure began. This is the awesome gateway to the shortcut that I discovered and mentioned in my last post! So nondescript, yet so beneficial! When you walk through the door, you come upon...

Narnia! Not quite, but it is kind of magical to me. I just love a good path with trees on either side, and luckily, Cambridge is full of them. I then had another creeper moment of taking a picture of male athletes...

Rugby players, scrumming their hearts out! There were more spectators on the sidelines, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one photographing them. Oh well.

Further into town, I took this from a bridge over the Cam River (hence the name, Cambridge.) These are the boats that people go punting in - the boats are called "punts." Go figure. We are going to try and go punting before the weather gets too cold. It looks pretty fun and is similar to a gondola ride in Venice, the boat is just flatter and the drivers of the punts (I don't know their official names) are English instead of Italian.

Stopped at the market (where we saw that live band) and noticed this little spectacle. I was trying to be discreet, so I waited until he passed me. The man in the center of this photo with the orange striped hoodie (yes, it is a man, he just has long hair) was riding a segway. He was driving the segway with one hand and pulling his children in a wagon behind him with the other. I didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned. Surely, that was not a safe intended use of either of those modes of transportation.

Turned back to the left from crazy hippie segway manny to give you a view of the market. A lot of the stalls were closed because it was super duper windy. That church in the background is the one whose graveyard we borrowed to eat lunch in the other day.

My favorite little fruit stand where I stopped and got a mid-afternoon strawberry smoothie.

After leaving Market Hill, I took a little stroll down another tree-lined walkway on my way to the Grafton Center. I was bound for Poundland and Primark once again. I looked to my right, and there was an odd man sitting in the grass with a top hat and dread locks. I was not brave enough to take his picture. Then, I turned to my left and saw...

(angelic music in the background)...this breathtaking view! I don't know if this picture did it justice, but I looked across this green to see a bold golden tree against a bright blue sky with a gorgeous spire poking up into puffy white clouds. I could have spent a lot more time just sitting and staring. Who lives somewhere like this? It's like a scene from a modern Grimm's Fairytales book. Thank you, God, for my ability to see! I am very visually oriented, and I think sometimes He makes me see things as if they were framed pictures. Ok, enough artsy-fartsy jabbering.

Third time may be overkill, but this was yet another path on my route today. I hope the leaves change color here for the fall!

 So, my Poundland venture was mostly successful once again. I had originally set out to buy a "shopping trolley" to help make grocery outings more manageable. I had resigned myself to looking like a nerdy grandma for using one, but if it would keep my shoulders and arms from suffering under the weight of grocery bags, I was not going to be above it for the sake of my dignity. For those of you who don't know, this is the type of trolley I was searching for:

Literally the only people I've seen using them have been elderly women. Those old ladies are smart though. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate said trolley. Maybe next time. So I hauled my purchases the old fashioned way, but still ended up with some nifty items.

One of the best decisions I made was to put this little box in my cart at Poundland. Maxwell House makes a mean instant cappucino. Once I got home, I promptly made myself a mug while I uploaded all these pictures. It actually got a lot cooler this afternoon and evening. Right now (11:30pm) its actually about 45 degrees and raining. So, a cozy cup of tea or coffee is just what I needed. This weather makes me really feel like I live in England.

And finally, don't be alarmed. This is not a medieval torture device, it is just a genius little contraption for hanging bits and bops of laundry without taking up a lot of horizontal space on your clothesline. Once again, Poundland did not disappoint.

At the end of the aforementioned excursion, I had walked around 5.5 miles. The rest of the 2.5 came when I met up with Matt and a bunch of people from his class at a pub around dinnertime. I don't think I have the willpower to write more, and you probably got sick of reading like 10 minutes ago, but those last few miles were well worth it. I had a wonderful time meeting his classmates. They were so nice! We might come away with some friends afterall. More stories to come tomorrow about that. I will try to remember to tell about how our new Italian friend, Alberto, asked Matt if he was Mormon. Good times.

Thanks for your perseverance in reading today. Another special thanks for so many reassuring comments. Your words and prayers mean more than you know.