Yesterday was the first of several excursions into the english countryside to explore the history and culture of this great country. We were joined by our tour guide Janet, who was full of energy and knowledge, even if we were not. We started out the day just on the outskirts of Cambridge at the American Military Cemetery. This memorial to the men and women who gave their lives in the second world war contains the graves of over 3000 Americans, and a great wall with the names of over 5000 more whose bodies have never been recovered.
Our next stop was the town of Ely to the northeast, where we were given a tour of the Ely Cathedral. This magnificent structure was constructed in the 11th century as a shrine to Etheldreda, or St. Audrey. Over the ensuing centuries, parts of the cathedral/monastery were destroyed and reconstructed, resulting in a peculiar blend of architectural styles and features, most notably the "octagon lantern" of the central tower. We were allowed to climb up to the top of the lantern to view the cathedral from the perspective of the many archangels that adorn the walls.
After lunch in Ely, we then proceeded to the town of Bury-St. Edmunds in the neighboring county of Suffolk to the east. There Janet took us through the ruins of a great abbey at the town's center. It was in the church of this abbey where in 1214 the barons of England met to force King John (the one in Robinhood) to accept the Charter of Liberties, which influenced the creation of the Magna Carta. In addition to this event of great historical significance, the town is also known for having the smallest pub in all of Britain, called the Nutshell, which is about as big as a modest walk-in closet. A few members of the group, upon Janet's instance of course, indulged in a pint before we had to get back on the bus.
The final stop of our tour was to the town of Lavenham, a quaint medieval relic in the heart of Suffolk. The town was a booming wool town in the 13th-15th centuries, and a majority of the town's timber-framed architecture has remained intact to this day. After a quick walk about the town, we were treated to a proper English afternoon tea at the Swan Hotel. Spreading butter, jam, then cream on a scone is an art that very few of us mastered on the first attempt.
Today we continued our coursework on industrial revolution, and finished the morning with our first lecture on Contemporary British Economy from Solomos Solomou. This being our final class of the week, we then had the much anticipated Euro Cup match between the favourite Spanish side and Pavel's Russia. Unfortunately the Russians were once again greatly outplayed, exiting the cup with a 0-3 loss.
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