week in wales.

Well we're back from a wonderful week in Wales! It was a really relaxing week where we got to spend lots of quality time with each other, with the Summa group and also a lot of quiet time alone, reading, wandering and playing with sheep. We were in Pembrokeshire on the south coast and the area was GOR-GEOUS. It was even better than we had imagined.
(descriptions will be under their photos)





The Hookses, the Christian retreat centre where we stayed, was wonderful. It was very nicely remodeled and had about 11 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, including three cabin-like buildings not connected to the main house. It had a large and comfortable family room and deck with a killer view, where we all spent lots of time.







The cliffs and the countryside were so picturesque and the sheep perfectly completed the scene.



I loved watching how the view from our house changed with different light and weather (this time the photos are below):












The guys studied every day as well as doing presentations on related topics/issues they are studying on their own. They also held disputations where they discussed, argued and worked out all the world's problems.




We did group dinners each taking a night to make a meal. It was fun to all be able to sit together at ONE table.








I worked on paintings, explored, read, cooked, played with babies and went on walks with Brandon or the other ladies. I am reading Emma which is my last Jane Austen book to finish and I will have read all of her works since living in England.




The roads were scary skinny, windy and hilly. They were surrounded on both sides by hedges or mounds of grasses that covered what you knew was breathtaking scenery. Every once in a while a small gate would give you a little glimpse of what you were missing. Luckily, we got plenty of time to explore on foot. The roads were so thin that we TWICE hit mirrors with on-coming cars. The other people didn't even seem to notice.





We had perfect weather the whole week. There were a couple of fittingly over-cast spells but the rest of time was clear and sunny and in the mid-high 70s. Weirdly, I even got quite a tan.





The Hookses has an abandoned WWII runway as part of its driveway. There are several runways on the cliff-tops and many old airplane hanger-skeletons in the distance. It was interesting to imagine the planes flying in and out of there during the war.







We spent one afternoon deep sea fishing and could see The Hookses from where we dropped anchor. The Swanson's owned by catching 4 mackerel (and two cod that were too small to keep) and Kody caught one big cod. Brandon and Kevin fried them up for dinner and we each got a nibble. Very tasty!




There were two large islands a ways off shore, which are home to PUFFINS! We really wanted to go and see them but didn't get the chance.

The group took a few beach excursions. The guys took freezing afternoon dips while the ladies stayed hot and dry on the beach. One night we built a bonfire and watched the sun set around 9:45pm. It didn't get DARK dark until after midnight while we were there. It was wonderful to be out in nature enjoying some of the longest days we will likely ever experience.





Another night, we went to Marloes Sands beach and the guys climbed out into a natural rock tunnel with a pool in front of it. While we were out there we got stranded by the swiftly in-coming tide and ended up having to walk out through the breaking waves to get back to the beach. Brandon and Peter helped Jill navigate with the baby. Kevin also found Brandon's sandals floating in the waves as the place he had left them was completely submerged.




Our last night we saw a friendly little badger atop one of the hills in front of the house. He probably wasn't friendly at all but he was adorable. I found a super cheap and water-damaged book about Bill Badger on our way home and bought it as a nice little souvenir.







We drove there and back again with Peter, Jill and Juliann. On our way home to England we took it very leisurely. We drove on smaller country roads so we could enjoy the beautiful countryside, and made lots of stops.





The men arranged an outing for us at Hay on Wye, a little book-town right on the border of England. It was a very charming place and had plenty of good antiques and desserts to keep Jill and I entertained while the guys hunted for books. We had dinner there and then headed back to Cambridge.

Well that wraps up my summary of our adventures in Wales. To see over a thousand more photos of our week visit our set on flickr.

getting a pint with Lewis.

With our guests over the last few weeks we visited two of C.S. Lewis's regular pubs. The first and more famous of pubs is in Oxford. The Eagle and the Child (known as the Bird and the Babe to locals) was the meeting place of the Inklings. This was a group of scholars who met regularly to discuss their work and literature. Lewis's good friend J.R.R. Tolkien was also a regular of the group. We went with Dan and Meg (Andrea's brother and his wife) and sat at the table where the Inklings used to sit. It was surreal to sit where these men who have been so informative in my life used to sit. We had a pint, dinner and read a little from some of Lewis and Tolkien's writings.

The other pub is the Pickerel Inn, which was Lewis's regular pub while he was at Cambridge. It sits across the street from Magdalene College (pronounced Maudlin), Lewis's college here (and in Oxford as well, although they drop the 'e' from the end). This pub also has the perk of serving one of my favorite real ales - Old Peculiar. It was nice to visit this place with good friends.

Lewis said in Four Loves:

Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, 'What? You too? I thought I was the only one'....

In our own time Friendship arises in the same way. For us of course the shared activity and therefore the companionship on which Friendship supervenes will not often be a bodily one like hunting or fighting. It may be a common religion, common studies, a common profession, even a common recreation. All who share it will be our companions, but one or two or three who share something more will be our Friends. In this kind of love, as Emerson said, Do you love me? means Do you see the same truth? - Or at least, 'Do you care about the same truth?' The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance, can be our Friend. he need not agree with us about the answer.

On these visits, Lewis himself was our common interest. He is part of our friendship.

it's been awhile...

Our apologies for so neglecting our blog over the last month! We have been busy in a good way.

Here's an overview of our shenanigans:

(photos below their descriptions)

- A visit to Stratford-upon-Avon ... Shakespeare's hometown. We visited the room where he was born, explored the town, visited the church where he is buried (closed when we got there) and saw Romeo and Juliet performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.





- A marvelously magical visit by Dan and Meg (who arrived late because of the volcano)! We did a shot-gun Paris tour, scurried through London, explored Cambridge, compared it with Oxford, and spent lots of quality time together on our many adventures.

- An abundantly blissful visit from Heather and Adam! We spent our time betting at the horse races, relaxing, picnicking, strolling, cycling, river-floating, sun-soaking, eating, tea/ale-sipping, shopping and laughing.

- Met the mayor of Cambridge at a garden party at Corpus Christi.




- Threw a surprise baby shower for Philly at The Orchard (with Jill and Dee).

- Went with my knitting group to give the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge a scarf hand-knit by our knitting fiends. I knit her a flower broach which we also used to decorate the box.

- Went to a lecture by Alasdair MacIntyre, one of the greatest living philosophers.

- Intense Summa study by Brandon (all throughout).

We leave Sunday to spend a week secluded on the south coast of Wales. We will be staying at "The Hookses" the old home of John Stott, which is now available as a retreat centre. We are going with Brandon's Summa Seminar group. The men will spend time studying as well as giving talks on things they've been learning and researching on their own. The ladies will explore the coast, enjoy the beach, get in some good reading (hopefully painting and sketching as well) and prepare meals. We will have no internet. *sigh*

I hope to do some of these events more justice when we return, but these are a teaser until then. Cheerio.