Fun Times

So these past couple of days have been pretty good despite recent events. I have been feeling sort of guilty for having fun, but our program directors have been encouraging us to go on with our daily schedules, so I guess it's somewhat okay. Definitely keeping all those people in my prayers, though.

Yesterday after the chaos of the morning I went with a group of people to Grantchester, a little village near Cambridge. We walked along the River Cam for about 45 minutes to reach The Orchard, a famous little tea house where people ranging from Virginia Woolf to Stephen Hawking have drank their tea. Beautiful, peaceful stroll, complete with cows right on the footpaths. The Orchard was amazing in itself too, a little perfect world of plentiful flora and fauna. The tea house had a huge delicious assortment of cakes and pastries, but I stuck with the basics and got a raisin scone with jam and clotted cream (almost like butter but with a chunky top and a cheesier taste) and soothing cream tea. I reclined in the garden with my food and drink and just relaxed under the shade of an apple tree heavy with little ripe apples. A butterfly landed on my tote bag and a bird perched on the chair across from me. It was a little slice of heaven.

Later that evening we got all dressed up again for our 2nd Formal Hall, which was fun, just like last time. The food was immensely better this time, possibly because some distinguished faculty were joining us. The menu:

appetizer: cheese and tomato quiche
main course: juicy thin sliced steak with jus, steamed carrots, roasted potatoes, and the fluffiest, best popover I have ever had in my life.
dessert: coin-sized chocolate and nut cakes with tiny scoops of raspberry sorbet and raspberry sauce

I love these formal halls, they're so elegant and the food is amazing here, compared to Santa Cruz. At the beginning of the formal hall, Phil, one of our program directors, quieted us down just to say "Welcome to Hogwarts", which of course we all got a kick out of and made us loud again. After the FH I went with a group of people to wind down at The Anchor.

Today was a free day, and there were groups of people going to Ely and Oxford, but I felt worn out and really just wanted to spend my day relaxing in Cambridge (I can easily go to Ely and Oxford after class next week). Woke up late and finally got a decent amount of sleep and went to the special Open Air French Market at Parker's Piece with Joe and Rachel. So much delicious food, I could have eaten it all. Finally decided on a chocolate sauce crepe, which I relished so much that it dripped all over my jeans and an assortment of chocolate cookies and pastries. There were also lots of pretty smelling soaps, savory sausages, and leather goods. Lots of fun, so much fun that I later accompanied Scott back to the market so I could get another crepe. MMM.

Spent the rest of my day walking around Cambridge, just wandering around like a local and doing some shopping.

Dinner at the servery was delicious. I can't get over the food here at Cambridge, it's amazing. I had a roasted duck leg, new potatoes, and freshly baked bread for dinner, all for only £3. There was creme brulee available for dessert, but after eating 2 crepes and tons of cookies I figured I should pass. I'm going to miss this quality of food when I get back to Santa Cruz, we're so spoiled here with gourmet food.

After dinner I joined a group of people for a Cambridge Shakespeare Festival performance of Much Ado About Nothing at Emmanuel College. It was a well-done production. I just read Much Ado last quarter so I was excited to see it on stage and I like it a lot. There was a lot of physical slapstick comedy happening throughout, which I wasn't expecting, but I think it was done to help emphasize the comedy aspect of the play more because a lot of the references in the witty banter is somewhat inaccessible to a modern audience. Lots of good laughs though, especially because the actors playing Benedick and Claudio looked, respectively, like Owen Wilson and David Schwimmer. Good times.

We leave for Bath and Stonehenge tomorrow morning. I'm really excited, especially for Stonehenge because it's well, STONEHENGE. Will be back Sunday evening. Don't forget to check out the new pictures I put up. Have a great weekend, and continue to keep the resilient people of London in your thoughts in prayers.