March 2024: Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds, And London, U.K.

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Cambridge

Our three-day trip to Cambridge got off to a rainy start.

a rainy day seen through a window — The train station, as seen through a window in our hotel

But we still enjoyed the art at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

a sculpture of a woman’s head covered in a veil — “The Bride” at the Fitzwilliam Museum (from the Copeland Factory after Raffaelle Monti)

The rain cleared long enough to walk the cemetery grounds of Little St. Mary’s Church.

a stone building with trees and a cemetery — Little St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery

We checked out the inside too.

A Station of the Cross — A unique Station of the Cross in Little St. Mary’s Church

A stroll through town led us to a few cool shops.

a storefront with a window — The House of Wizard – need I say more?

plates and cups in a store window — Harry Styles and Taylor Swift plates and cups in a shop window

The grounds of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden were still in winter mode, but the greenhouses were full of flowers.

a stuffed animal next to a plant — Mojo enjoying flowers at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Bury St. Edmunds

Steve and I were delighted with Bury St. Edmunds. Even though it’s a small town of only 35,000 people, there is a lot to do. We saw two great shows at the APEX Theater and learned more than we wanted to about the history of capital punishment in England at the Moyse Hall Museum.

The most interesting thing we did was the Masters of the Air tour. We learned about the role Bury St. Edmunds played in WWII and the large number of U.S. service members stationed there.

A lighted statue of a man shot with arrows — A statue of St. Edmund, the original patron saint of England

Here is the story of St. Edmund.

In Bury St. Edmunds we pet sat for two loveable dogs, Angus and Mollie. You can read about our pet sitting experiences in “Everything You Need to Know About Pet Sitting While Traveling.”

a dog looking in a door — Angus wanting back in

Mighty Mollie and Angus at play

The Abbey Gardens includes the ruins of a Benedictine abbey, gardens, and St. Edmundsbury Cathedral.

a stone building with a gate — The 12th-century Abbey Gate, entrance to Abbey Gardens

Ruins with a church in the background — Some of the abbey ruins in Abbey Gardens with St. Edmundsbury Cathedral in the distance

a rainy winter garden and a sign on a brick wall — The Old English Rose Garden in the Abbey Garden

the exterior of St. Edmundsbury Cathedral — The exterior of St. Edmundsbury Cathedral

stained glass windows — Stained glass windows in St. Edmundsbury Cathedral

London

Our first stop in London was Hamley’s toy store. We searched all seven floors, looking for a carrier for Mojo, but we had no luck.

a collage of toys — There’s so much to see at Hamley’s toy store

Our first museum stop in London was the Churchill War Rooms. We loved it. You can tour the underground rooms that housed a British government command center during WWII. Entry includes the Churchill Museum, where you can learn about Churchill’s life. Plan to spend several hours there.

a man at a table full of telephones and a photo of Winston Churchill — Top: a room in the Churchill War Rooms; Bottom: a photo of Winston Churchill surveying bomb damage

We appreciated the blue skies as we walked around the Borough of Westminster where we saw Big Ben and learned the difference between Westminster Abbey (Anglican) and Westminster Cathedral (Roman Catholic) You can read more about the difference here.

Big Ben against a blue sky with clouds — Our first view of Big Ben

the front of Westminster Abbey — The front of Westminster Abbey

the front of Westminster Cathedral — The front of Westminster Cathedral

two photos of mosaics — Mosaics in Westminster Cathedral

Of course, we filled up on fish and chips.

a plate of food with a hedgehog toy — Mojo marveling at the huge offering of fish and chips. I love the nod to vegetables – a tiny amount of mushy peas

Steve and I took a tour of Highgate Cemetery, one of the first privatized cemeteries in London. There were many foxes in the cemetery, but it was these two headstones that caught my eye.

headstones with text on them — Apparently, Henry was nicer than Gabriela; he was loved by all, but she was only loved by many

We also toured the Tower Bridge, which we loved. There are glass floors high above the road. Many people were afraid to walk on them, but those who weren’t scared had a blast.

The exterior and interior of the Tower Bridge — Clockwise from top: the Tower Bridge exterior, one of the glass floors in the elevated walkway, and sculptures in the bridge

Until Next Time

If you’ve visited Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds, or London, Steve and I would love to hear about your favorite places and experiences.

Happy traveling,
Linda

March 2024: Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds, and London, U.K.

Cambridge

Bury St. Edmunds

London

Until Next Time

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