Cambridge the 13th of March 2026

Our travel journal is coming to an end with our last full day in Cambridge on Friday the 13th of March. First thing that morning we walked to The Locker Cafe on King St. After we arrived and ordered it became quite busy.

This day would turn out to be a blustery cold day and our coats stayed on.

We ordered the Shakshuka and it was delicious.

After breakfast we walked to the Market area of Cambridge to see if St. Edward King and Martyr church was open before their scheduled mass at 10:30. We wanted to pop in before mass started.

Along this passageway Greg spotted our first dinky door!

Some of Cambridge’s most charming architecture is tucked away at ankle level. Since 2019, an anonymous couple has been working toward their mission of “Saving the World” by installing little portals to whimsical delight throughout Cambridge.

You can see why they are easy to miss. Can you see it?

You can read about dinky doors here.

The church played a unique role in the early days of the Reformation. A group of evangelicals in Cambridge, of whom Thomas Bilney was the first, had been meeting regularly in the early 1520s. They were influenced by a fresh translation of the New Testament by Erasmus and by the ideas of Luther, and they believed passionately in the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

At the Christmas Midnight Mass here in 1525, Robert Barnes preached what is thought to be the first openly evangelical sermon to be preached in any church in the country, proclaiming the Christian Gospel and accusing the Church of its heresies. This event led to St. Edward’s often being called the cradle of the Reformation in England.

Other reformers preached regularly at St. Edward’s, including Hugh Latimer until he left Cambridge in 1531. Some of his sermons preached here have been preserved, and the pulpit from which the reformers preached is still in use today.

Barnes and Latimer were both put to death for their beliefs. As he comforted Nicholas Ridley at the stake in Oxford. Latimer said ‘Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.’

These windows are in honor Thomas Bilney and Hugh Latimer

To the Glory of God and to honour those from this Parish who in the years 1523 to 1525 met near by at the White Horse Inn and there sought out the principles of the English Reformation Thomas Bilney + 1531 – Robert Barnes + 1540 – Hugh Latimer + 1555 who through faith quenched the violence of fire.

Since mass was about to start we didn’t take a lot of photos or hang around for long but we were happy to put more pieces together of the history of the Reformation in England.

Making our way next to ‘Bodies in the Bookshop’ we came across this bookshop that was not open.

The wind and the cold prompted us to pop into any shop along the way that looked interesting. We were thankful that there was no rain! As it turned out the Bodies in the Bookshop would not open till noon so we made the quick decision to pop into Fitzbillies and enjoy some hot tea. Greg started to feel under the weather and a spot of tea sounded good.

We were happy to get a seat far from the front door.

Greg opted for tea and a scone but I went for the classic Afternoon Tea.

When in Rome as the saying goes…

I didn’t want to leave England without enjoying High Tea.

Earlier in the week we did partake of the famous ‘Fitzbillies Chelsea Bun’. I neglected to take a photo of them.

We enjoyed our food leisurely knowing we’d be out in the cold again.

The bookshop opened while we were having our tea so we backtracked to peruse the offerings.

We bought a used book by Elizabeth Goudge and a gift book and then started our trek back to our lodgings.

We managed to find two more dinky doors. We heard there are at least 14 of them sprinkled around town.

Before making it all the way back to our lodgings we stopped at the Round Church which was finally open when we passed by. That post I’ll save for another time.

After the Round Church Greg retired for the afternoon and evening in our aparthotel room. He was not feeling well. I ventured back out and about to see what I could see.

I wandered about taking photos.

I popped into a church, I passed along the way…

St. Ephraim Orthodox Parish

In looking up this church now that I’m home I found out the history of it.

On December 2, 2023, celebrations were held dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the parish of the Sourozh diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in honour of St. Ephraim the Syrian in Cambridge, UK.

I didn’t realize I had stepped into a Russian Orthodox Church. I learn so much after the fact! I knew it was an Orthodox church and different from other churches we have visited in the U.K.

Via Crucis Via Lucis ~The Way of the Cross, The Way of Light

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum ~ May the Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Before I joined Greg for the evening, I popped into Pizza Express and ordered a pizza to go for us to have in our room.

One more post coming up for the finale of our time in Cambridge, England. Thank you for traveling along with us.

A Lemony Hodgepodge

Our lemony day lilies in their glory.

Joyce has some fresh squeezed questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. 

If I had unrealistic goals or dreams, I would probably be exhausted. These days I have simple goals and dreams and they energize me. I like to plan and I love a good plan. Truthfully, I get a little melancholy if I don’t have anything to plan.

2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor?

I am a fan of lemon flavor.

What’s a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? 

I really enjoy this salad dressing that calls for fresh lemon juice.

Lemon curd is a favorite to enjoy on scones or in pastries.

3. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade“…is this something you’re pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. 

Yes, I’d say I do pretty good at managing but that is because of knowing who holds the world together and who is the author of life. I’m in His hands.

Recently when our heat pump stopped pumping out cold air we managed with other tricks of the trade by cooling our house down overnight into the morning. We also bought a tower fan that moved the air for us quietly.

4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color? 

I like the lemony border on these plates. We don’t have a lot of lemony things in our home. I love the lemon colored day lilies that pop up in early summer in our yard.

5. How would you describe your attention to detail? 

When it comes to planning a trip, planning a meal for company, planning how to set the table or planning holiday decor, I’m all about the details.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of Lemons, this memory of our Grands with a Lemonade stand at their Granny’s birthday party was so sweet to revisit.

Hope your summer days are filled with refreshing treats like lemonade.

Cambridge Off the Beaten Path

It was still Thursday March 12th as we made our haphazard way to Emmanuel College from the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge. There were a few more stops to include in our travel journal. These were not your normal tourist stops.

It was nice to see some signs of Spring arriving soon.

It was about a half a mile walk to St. Andrews Street from Trumpington.

Don’t forget to look up!

Someone called Emmanuel College the “Seedbed of the English Reformation”.

“I have set an acorn, which when it becomes an oak, God alone knows what will be the fruit thereof.”
– Sir Walter Mildmay replying to Queen Elizabeth I on the founding of Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1584.

We were curious as to whether we could see that quote written somewhere on campus and we got some information from the porter’s office that was a wild goose chase. But while heading to the area where said quote was to be found we made another discovery.

St. Andrew’s Street Baptist Church.

The church was all locked up so we couldn’t go inside. That was a disappointment.

1855 Josiah Chater records that Charles Spurgeon came twice to preach at St Andrew’s Baptist church, 6th April and 8th August. “Agnes and I heard him and liked him very much indeed: he gave an excellent sermon.”

Charles Spurgeon is a favorite of mine and of many others as well. “The Prince of Preachers.”

On our back roads walk to our lodgings we passed the King’s Street Brewery and decided we’d return there for our dinner.

One more Fish and Chips meal in England.

This back roads walk also helped us choose where we would enjoy breakfast on Friday the 13th, our last full day in Cambridge.

Simple Joys

It is the sweetest experience to be doing my regular shopping in town and having these two find me in the store with a big hug! Simple but a very special joy for me.

It is also so sweet to enjoy flowers that pop up year after year that I had no hand in planting!

We had a wild thunderstorm come through on Friday morning! We had lightning and thunder and a good soaking of our planters. I’m happy when God does the watering for me!

During our heat wave which is continuing this week it was a good exercise to finish this summertime puzzle.

On Saturday afternoon, JJ had a Taekwondo exhibition at Yep Kanum Park.

It was time for the Yep Kanum Park Celebration in Colville, the celebration will bring neighbors and visitors together from July 17-19, 2026, for a vibrant weekend of activities. Attendees can enjoy live music performances, local artisan markets, food vendors, and family-friendly events. This year’s celebration promises to be a wonderful celebration including performances by musicians, local artists, a classic car show, a youth baseball tournament, a pickleball tournament, and plenty of entertainment for all ages.

JJ gave a demonstration of his kick that split the wood in two. I have a video of that but I’m not able to share it here.

On Sunday after church we enjoyed the finale of the World Cup with Spain defeating Argentina. I’m one who has enjoyed every World Cup soccer game despite the teams I was cheering for coming up short. We were rooting for Spain in the end and were happy for their accomplishment.

I’ve been following ‘Drew Cooks‘ on Facebook and we enjoyed two of his recipes on Sunday.

Blueberry biscuits were very good. We also enjoyed chicken thighs in the crockpot with a soy sauce, brown sugar, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Delicious!

Our area is experiencing wild fires with smoke making our outdoor spaces unhealthy. We can identify with those of you on the east coast experiencing smoky skies and hard to breathe air. Praying for our firefighters!

Last and least, it is always fun to spot these frogs in our yard, as long as they stay in the yard!

How was your weekend and what does this new week hold for you?

God of Our Fathers ~ Hymn

God of Our Fathers

God of our fa­thers, whose al­migh­ty hand
Leads forth in beau­ty all the star­ry band
Of shin­ing worlds in splen­dor through the skies
Our grate­ful songs be­fore Thy throne arise.

Thy love di­vine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our rul­er, guard­ian, guide and stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chos­en way.

From war’s alarms, from dead­ly pes­ti­lence,
Be Thy strong arm our ev­er sure de­fense;
Thy true re­li­gion in our hearts in­crease,
Thy boun­te­ous good­ness nour­ish us in peace.

Refresh Thy peo­ple on their toil­some way,
Lead us from night to nev­er end­ing day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace di­vine,
And glo­ry, laud, and praise be ev­er Thine.

Words: Daniel C. Roberts, 1876.

The Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge

On Thursday March 12th we reached our furthest destination on Trumpington St. in Cambridge, The Fitzwilliam Museum.

We could have spent a lot more time in the museum but there were about 100 elementary+ age children who arrived and it was hard to work around them in the different exhibits. They worked on projects sprawled on the floors and we literally had to try and not step on them. The noise level was not pleasant, either. Thankfully we saw some favorites before the rooms were taken over by exuberant youth!

Note to Self: Go to museums as soon as they open in the earlier hours or at night.

Monet, Degas, Renoir, Rossetti, Constable, Cezanne

The lower levels had these displays and more with a gift shop and cafe.

Overall this was a great museum with amazing architecture and art and artifacts.

We had a couple more walking adventures on this day before we called it quits for the day.

Truth for Today #195

Friday July 17th

On Fridays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!

Psalm 56:8-13

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

From Leonard:

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

From Vera:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.”

From Karen:

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

From Willow:

Psalm 106:3

Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!

Along Trumpington St. in Cambridge

Our Danube/Cambridge travel journal is creeping to it’s end. On Thursday the 12th of March we managed a variety of experiences. After our tour of Trinity College we popped into Gail’s Bakery for a fortifying treat before we continued. This was a cooler day than we had experienced so far.

After being fortified we continued along Trumpington Street. We noticed that Great St. Mary’s University Church was accessible. There was work on the church tower while we were in town and the main entrance had been sealed off most days. We decided to enter in while we could. The tower was not accessible during our short visit.

.

One of the features of the church when you first walk into the building is the large East window (the stained glass window above the Altar). This was installed in 1872, and tells the story of Jesus’ birth, from the angel’s visit to Mary, to the nativity scene, to the flight into Egypt.

I was taken with the wood carvings on the ends of the pews.

Great St Mary’s has played a central role in many of England’s religious transformations. During the Reformation, sermons preached here influenced the spread of Protestant ideas, while leading figures including Hugh Latimer, Thomas Cranmer and later university preachers addressed congregations from its pulpit. 

We moved further along Trumpington and saw the open door at St. Botolph’s church and walked in.

The church is dedicated to Botolph, a seventh-century abbot in East Anglia, who is a patron saint of travelers. The church was built by the long-demolished south gate of medieval Cambridge, through which travelers from the south and west entered the town.

This church had their kneeling pads on display.

Moving along we spotted this bookstore and we would come back to it once it opened.

Pembroke College was open to visitors so we ventured in to check out their Chapel.

Nicholas Ridley was Principal of Pembroke College from 1540-1553 and then became the Bishop of Gloucester. In the Hall at Pembroke (we didn’t gain access) are portraits of Ridley and of John Bradford, a Pembroke graduate martyred in Smithfield in 1555. Bradford was overheard encouraging a younger martyr with the words:

‘Be of good comfort, brother, for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night.’

The Chapel is the first building of Christopher Wren, consecrated in 1665. Its new classical style set the fashion for other College chapels and continues to afford a fine setting for Christian worship and music.

We moved on from Pembroke and noticed Little Mary’s Lane.

Back in my thrifting days I came across a set of three watercolors from the 1980’s that I purchased from Goodwill.

It was fun to spot the inspiration of these watercolors purchased years ago.

Our last stop on Trumpington would be the Fitzwilliam Museum and I’ll leave that for another post.

Summertime Hodgepodge

 

Another Wednesday Hodgepodge hot off the press. Thank you, Joyce!

1. “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen

Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate.
No, but I would much rather sweat in January than in July. There is less for me to do in January. July is filled with mowing, weeding, watering which makes me sweat. Even if I weeded everyday there would still be more weeding to do. I generally do not feel guilty for relaxing.
Found this welcoming gate on a beach walk way back in 2009!
2. What’s a telltale sign you’re upset?
I stop smiling…

3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative?

I haven’t given AI deep thoughts. I probably use it mostly in my google searches for information. I ignore the prompts that ask if I’d like help writing, etc. False information connected to people or misrepresenting images are worrisome.

4. You’re invited to a summer pot luck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing?

Dessert is the easiest thing for me to sign up for. Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanut Butter Rice Krispie bars with Chocolate/Butterscotch Topping are what I’d probably bring.

5. It wouldn’t be summer without___________________.

It wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the beach…

…and Ice Cream.

We’ve had many enjoyable last minute adventures in the summertime.

Lavender Festival in Sequim, 2012. It always happens the third weekend in July. We enjoyed them very much in past summers. BTW: you pronounce Sequim -squim.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Update from last Wednesday’s Hodgepodge; I did manage to bake some blueberry muffins. I used this recipe. I left off the topping because I stay away from cinnamon these days, our grandson is allergic to it. I enjoyed them even more without the topping because the result was delicious muffin tops with just a bit of crispy edges.

I also liked the fact that this recipe makes 8 muffins, not a dozen.

Update on our A/C: A technician came out on Tuesday afternoon and within 20 minutes our unit was repaired and ready to cool us again. So thankful! Doubly thankful, as we are supposed to hit the 100’s next week!

Trinity College Cambridge

Working on the last few posts documenting our travels in Cambridge, England. Thursday the 12th of March we walked our feet off in between stops along the way. I booked a last minute morning tour of Trinity College for 10am to start off the sight seeing part of our day.

Our guide was a retired Porter of the college and he entertained us well.

King Henry VIII founded the College in 1546 as one of the very last acts of his life.

The open window is that of Isaac Newton’s Room while he attended Trinity.

The story of Isaac Newton and the falling apple is the famous legend behind his 1687 discovery of universal gravitation. While he wasn’t hit on the head as popular culture suggests, watching an apple fall prompted him to wonder why objects always fall straight to the ground, leading to his breakthrough. Above you’ll see the apple tree planted outside his room. Our guide said that this tree was grafted from the actual tree that led Newton to ponder the theory of gravity.

The Great Court features the iconic Clock Tower, where students attempt to run around the perimeter before the clock finishes striking 12 in the famous “Trinity Clock Challenge.”
If any of you have watched the movie, “Chariots of Fire”, you’ll remember the great court run, although a central theme it was not actually filmed at Trinity.

The College’s Great Court is famously the largest enclosed courtyard in Europe.

The Renaissance-style fountain in the center of Trinity College’s Great Court was first erected in 1602 and rebuilt in its original design in 1715. Historically supplied by a Franciscan monk conduit built in 1325, the landmark is famous for acting as a washing area for early students.

Overall, this chapel seemed to me, more a tribute to man than God.

The famous oil painting located behind the altar in the Trinity College Chapel at the University of Cambridge is St Michael binding Satan, painted in 1768 by the prominent Anglo-American artist Benjamin West.

King Charles III studied at Trinity from 1967-1970 and became the first heir apparent to earn a university degree when he graduated in 1970. Trinity College, Cambridge, has produced about 34  Nobel laureates, the highest number of any Oxford or Cambridge college.

 Trinity was the academic home to Sir Isaac Newton, who lived and worked there for decades, as well as legendary figures like Francis Bacon, Bertrand Russell, and Tennyson.

One of my favorites from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, King Arthur, on his deathbed voices to his friend some profound thoughts on prayer;

” Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

I’ve come to learn that Trinity had a scholar that I would most be honored to know, Thomas Bilney.

Thomas Bilney first found forgiveness through a translation of the Bible done by Erasmus. As Thomas grew in faith, he studied the writings of William Tyndale, and Thomas spoke out every chance he got—He preached that every man had a right to read the Scriptures in his own language. In 1531, Thomas was burned at the stake.

Thomas Bilney: the forgotten hero of the English Reformation.  

Thomas Bilney: The Flame Shall Not Kindle Upon Thee

Bilney Day in Norfolk

I learn as much as I can before we travel to a new part of the world. It is more of a general overview with thoughts about what we should see and do. Once we visit the sights and we come home, I learn even more while working on our Travel Journal.

There is always more to learn about any given college or historical site but this is all I’m sharing today. I was happy to have had this tour to start out our day of this and that in Cambridge.

Thank you for traveling along with us as I journal our traveling days.