Over Ely way

We didn't do much the next week - went dancing, had a few punctures on the bike, grocery shopping and then Thursday went to a quiz night with Jane and David - where we got 77% - a great score for us but not good enough to get anywhere near the top. It was local body elections week and of course the referendum and neither had much good news for the Lib Dems. The next Friday we headed off to Ely (Eelie we were told) and found our hotel with relative ease. Went for dinner at a Chinese restaurant where you could eat all you wanted for £12 - but ordered off the menu which was kind of different but much better than a buffet. On the Saturday we arrived at Burghley house (a tad late as we still haven't refined our skills to accurately judge the time it takes to get from A to B along country roads) and met up with Marion and David in the chapel. The house was rather immense and had some interesting furniture and art collections - and the garden was fun. Behind the wall we expected a rather pretty English garden but instead found follies to explore, mirror mazes, statues and water exhibits. The gardens were designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in the eighteenth century but I am not sure what he would have thought of the more modern works of art. So, we played with water, turning the wheel to make a spring in a footpath a few metres away - waiting for some poor unfortunate soul to walk over the spout just as the water sprang a few feet high.  Lucky for them, and perhaps for us, no one got the timing just right.

Ely Cathedral was our next stop and we left Marion and David to enjoy the cathedral (painted ceilings which were rather intriguing) and the seat where Colin Firth sat when he was crowned King in the King's Speech (part of it was filmed in the church).  We wandered upstairs to the stained glass window museum which had a fascinating array of windows over the centuries (some over 600 years old) and commentary on how the art had changed over time...always thought I would like to make some...perhaps one day when I buy the old little wooden church in the NZ countryside!!  We visited the museum housed in the tourist information bureau which used to be Oliver Cromwell's home.  A lovely old house with a good story to tell. Cromwell was born on ANZAC Day in 1599 and although we knew the name well - probably drummed into us by our history teachers - we couldn't remember much.  He was a military man and political leader who as an MP helped to overthrow the monarchy - Charles 1 believed he had been given powers by God - and didn't call Parliament as he felt he had the power to make all the decisions.  He went a bit far and tried to influence the Anglican church by bringing in more 'catholic' rituals which was a bit of a mistake cos he was executed in 1649 and with him the royal family died.  One of the interesting things about Cromwell's life was that the farm workers were up in arms about the draining of the fens (the lower lying land around this area), as it would take away their livelihood. He was MP of the fens area at the time  As the water was drained the land became lower - much of it below sea level - some dropping by more than 1 foot a year.  Driving through the countryside we could see the drains built for irrigation and the roads higher to help prevent floods - not too dissimilar to Holland - and there is the occasional windmills as well. The change has given generations good farming and horticultural land once the risk of floods and high tides were reduced. Besides trying on head gear in the museum there were also some interesting little facets of information. In 1664 a book called the "Court and Kitchen of Elizabeth Cromwell" was published.  Most of us would think this rather an honour to have a book written about us but it was actually an attempt to blacken the Cromwell name - Elizabeth was portrayed as plain and frugal. Marrow pasties with grated marrow and apples, a salad consisting of raisins, almonds, olives, pickled cucumbers, lemon, french beans and eel pie with oysters. Doesn't sound too frugal to me. There was also lots of information about Tussie Mussies (nosegays) and the meaning of each flower eg lavendar (lovers true), rosemary (remembrance), sage (sustenance), marigolds (marriage), thyme (try me), roses (to rule), carnations (graciousness), cowslips (counsel).  So mixing it all up could tell quite a story.

We also went to a Saxon archaelogical farm which had been explored a few decades ago - and then reconstructed over the ruins.  So we didn't find any ruins - but in the museum found quite a lot of artifacts or replicas of ones in different museums.

Melford Hall was the substitute for not getting to the Gainsborough museum (closed on Sundays).  Another old house in large parklike surroundings.  It is still a family home and so we saw one wing and the main hallway which was pretty impressive.  Beatrix Potter was a relative and she came to visit often with all her little animals, hamsters, porcupines, mice, rabbits and then left drawings as a thank you.