English Countryside

If you travel to London, I beg of you... schedule some time to visit the countryside! London was a fine city, full of beauty and tourist attractions; however, the best part of England (for me, at least) was found outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. The rolling hills, streets devoid of the massive tourist crowds, the quaint shops and kind people made it hard to leave England. I would have to say, though, my favorite part was meeting up with my friends Amy and David, and their three amazingly sweet (and absolutely hilarious!) children. Amy and I have been friends since high school, and even if we haven't keep in regular contact, we have a friendship that is easily re-started when we are able to connect. Their hospitality provided me the opportunity to re-charge (and wash a load of laundry- clean undies, woo!), something I hadn't realized I needed. Traveling on your own can be invigorating, challenging, a tiny bit terrifying, but also lonely. I made friends throughout my trip, no doubt, but none of them have memories of my younger self or know my family well enough to ask about them by name. I have been lucky to make and maintain friendships all over the country and now in some parts of the world, but there is nothing like seeing someone and feeling as though you're home, even if the particular space you're in at that moment isn't really "home". I think that's the strangest but most comforting thing to realize, that people can be home for us, too.

I shall digress, though, and make a few recommendations. It is only an hour-long trip from the center of London to Epping Station (on the Central Line), although watching the city dissipate through the dirty train windows made it seem like a longer (though not unbearable) trip. Now, I will be frank with you and say that I have no idea what is in Epping, nor do I know where one should stay if you do happen to make it to the area. However, there are buses that could most likely carry your travel-tired bones into the village, or you could simply walk up the hill and to what seemed to be like the main drag of the town. (Random note from Amy: many of the villages and small towns have a street named "The Road", which used to be the main pathway through the area.) I have no photos to share of Epping, mainly because I was too excited to see Amy and her younger daughter to do anything but talk and be slack-jawed at everything I was seeing. After picking up her kiddos and their friend at day camp, we headed to Bury St. Edmunds. This was my absolute favorite place (until the next day, when we drove out to Framlingham!), mainly because of the Abbey and the garden beside the Abbey. (Read all about the history here: english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/bury-st-edmunds-abbey/history-and-research)

This Abbey has been renovated and maintained and is, frankly, stunning. On site, there are ministers who are more than willing to chat with you about the history of the church the grounds, although I'd be willing to bet that they would also be more than happy to talk about more substantial topics, as well. I meandered around the inside of the attraction while Amy and all of the munchkins visited the aviary and ruins, both of which are part of grounds (along with a giant garden and overly friendly squirrels). I met up with them after touring, but, as custom in England, it began to rain shortly after I found them scampering around the park. But if you're interested in seeing photos of the park and the ruins of where the old buildings stood, you can check out the English Heritage site. I should note that if you're going to be traveling throughout England and want to visit these types of sites (and you should want to do so, if you have any inkling of a soul), then it would be worth it to sign up for an English Heritage membership. They have not only a website but they also provide you with a guidebook of all their attractions, divided out by region, so that you can easily skim through the many historical sites they have under their care. (Nope, not paid by them... although I wouldn't object to it!) 

Amy took me to two other sites, Framlingham Castle and Lavenham Village... and I'm sad that I ever left either place! Framlingham is another English Heritage site, a former stronghold and the site of a poor house that still stands today. Now, going to a castle would, for most children, be akin to torture or being grounded. But Amy's kiddos loved it- because those in charge of the site have taken care to make it family (and child!) friendly. There are games and blocks that are kept out on the lawn for folks to play with, coloring pages and books inside, and tactile displays in the museum area. But the coolest (yet terrifying) part of the site is the catwalk that runs on top of the wall. It provides you with a spectacular view of the area and allows visitors to see the upper ruins of castle, all of which is breathtaking (not only because it's gorgeous, but also because of the dizzying height). I forgot my camera on this outing, but I found the following photos on Google that can give you a good idea of the site. 

The last place we visited was Lavenham Village, home of the crooked houses (I thought Amy kept calling them "cricket houses", so I was surprised when we arrived there and they were all askew and not just tiny... I need my hearing checked, I think). I won't say too much about this part of the trip, mainly because I feel as though I've rambled enough about the countryside and because I think the photos are self-explanatory. Again, these photos are from Google.

These photos really don't do justice to the village or to how absolutely crooked these homes really are! I was slightly concerned that one would fall on us as we were passing by on the sidewalk (not really, but it was pretty serious). We ate dinner at The Swan Hotel, which I absolutely must come back to one day so that I can stay in what I can only imagine are stunning accommodations. For more info on Lavenham and the attractions in the area, visit: discoverlavenham.co.uk. 

I left early on the third day so that I could catch an afternoon train to Paris, an experience and trip that I cannot wait to write about tomorrow! Until then, bonjour mon ami!