Well - when these posts began my pictures were all fairly in order and all that but now - a lot of these are just snapshots from throughout the last few days, cobbled together with no rhyme or reason! When you only leave the house to take walks (sometimes long walks) the days can end up running together just a bit! I honestly can't believe I've already been in the U.K. for over a week and only have about 6 and a half days left...
The Abbey Gardens continue to be absolutely one of the best spots for passing the time. Ambling among the ruins of the old Abbey, peering around hedges and hardwoods and even just sitting in the Rose Garden on a bench to read a book. The weather hasn't been too cold - usually in the mid-50's during the day with plenty of sunshine (hard to believe) but I still find myself in awe of the fact that so many flowers (and roses) are still in bloom!
The little village (I suppose it's not that little) of Bury St. Edmunds seems to be growing more festive by the day... One day there were lights along the streets, the next a tree had been placed in the square, the next lights and a star were added and now when out on walks at dusk, it's easy to spy Christmas lights twinkling from people's windows. Thanksgiving is not a holiday celebrated here so it certainly makes sense to jump right into the jolly - no point is waiting!
There is an open air market every Wednesday and Saturday - stalls filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, pastries, breads, cakes, warm nuts, loose leaf tea... I could go on and on. The market normally also has craft items but during the lockdown only food items are allowed as they are considered "essential". Even though it was only a glimpse of what the market would truly look like, it was a thrill to wander between the stalls purchasing tiny red strawberries, cinnamon roasted almonds and a loaf of Lemon & Rum cake (which sounds delicious but ended up tasting like a bitter brick).
Churches are closed during this lockdown - so the closest I'll get to seeing the inside of the St. Edmondsbury Cathedral is the picture I snapped peering through the doors on a walk a few days ago. It certainly looks stunning and I wish there was the opportunity to investigate a little more closely. I suppose that will be something to do on my next visit!
My sister and I took a little evening walk to pick up some delicious Indian food over the weekend and stores in town are putting decorations in the shop windows. I snapped pictures of a store that I particularly love called Tudor Rose - it's a floral shop with gifting options - it reminds me a bit of a pharmacy style store in the states, although there is no pharmacy element with this shop! Just lovely lights, festive florals and little gifts dotting the windows and shelves! I wish I could have the chance to take a peek inside...
Remembrance Day is the U.K. equivalent to Veteran's Day and there are an abundance of poppies all over town. The Abbey Gardens (as you saw above) had numerous wreaths laid in honor of those who have served and in the center of the square there is a large Celtic cross that was suddenly adorned with wreaths of poppies - and I wanted to take a look. So while my sister was doing some homework, my Mom and I wandered down into the square to take a peek. We've learned how to navigate the winding streets, alleys and cobbled walkways all over the little town - especially all the ways you can walk toward the Abbey!
The wreath pictured above is from the squadron that my younger sister is in - The Bloody Hundreth stationed out of RAF Mildenhall. She didn't know that the wreath was there and so when we discovered it, it required an additional walk to the memorial to let her snap pictures of her very own. Granted; I'm always up for a walk since... that's one of the only things we can do right now. Ha! One of those walks involved discovering Pink Hot Chocolate, made with Ruby Cocoa Nibs that was delightful and perfect for sipping on a brisk walk home.
There is certainly plenty to see in this little town and I'm sure even though it can seem like we've walked the paths again and again over the last week and a half, there always seems to be something new to discover every time we step outside the door! I'm looking forward to the final 6 and a half days of vacation - especially since on the final three I will get to do some real exploring!
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