Church has been a treat for us. We are attending Eden Baptist church, a strong evangelical church in the heart of Cambridge. The pastors, Julian Hardyman and Marvin Wong, are good expository preachers and we are blessed to sit under their teaching.
The church body is very warm and welcoming; we've been invited over for dinner several times and are getting to know the people who sit near us each week. And most important for us as parents, we have been impressed with what our children are learning in Sunday School--good lessons, memory verses, etc.
We also sit together as a family in church, (even Andrew) until it is time for the sermon, (typically the first 45 minutes of an hour and a half service.) They have a children's element to the service, typically a talk with props, and the children look forward to this very much.
We walk to church every Sunday because the church is only about 2 miles away (40 minute walk). Needless to say, getting this energy out before church really helps our children sit well in the service!
Julia and I were the only ones who walked last week because it was raining, but I was able to take some pictures of our way to and from church. Here we are walking on Sedgwick Street between Newnham and Selwyn Colleges; we left our flat just two or three minutes ago.
Notice the huge trees that line the street and which the sidewalks are built around. Trees are very important here in Cambridge. No-one is allowed to cut a tree down without permission, and many are registered trees that will never be cut (you don't know what's registered until you ask!) If you are given permission then you have to replace the tree with another. Permission is even needed to trim some hedges!
We also pass some beautiful architecture. Sometimes there are no signs--maybe just a crest, a coat of arms, or something in Latin--so we have no idea what this impressive building is! If you are supposed to know, you do, I guess.
Walking down a typical street . . .
The children love to walk on this wall outside a museum we pass. You can't see this clearly, but there used to be an iron railing sunk into this wall. It is gone because things were so hard during World War II that every conceivable piece of scrap metal was gathered to be used in the war effort. And now the concrete patches are still there in the stone where Julia's standing.
On the way home we went another direction, good thing we left the horses at home...
When we see the Cam River, we know we're only ten minutes from home.
Here are some punts which are not in use today. Punting is a favorite past-time here, although standing up to steer a boat with a long pole is not as easy as it looks (just ask Jim) but it is a very fun way to see certain parts of Cambridge.
Another pretty Inn that I like to look at. Here they also rent canoes to travel down (or up) the Cam River.
Then up a little, narrow, cobblestoned lane~one of my favorites . . .
And we finished by walking through Newnham College~
The nice thing about this College is that there are no rules posted about walking on the grass. So we do! This is also the College where we gather apples.
Julia and I especially like exploring all the winding paths through this school.
Almost home~as soon as we leave these grounds we are right across the street from our little pea gravel lane, and home to lunch!
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