Scene of the Accident Revisited

June 24, 2011

We plan to leave Cambridge in less than a week, and there are many things we have been wanting to do ever since we got here, that we haven't done. So today we each took a book and we headed back to Grantchester.  We took the walking path where I had my bike accident, but we got off the path, following another path along the Cam River. Many people were out- walking, riding, picnicking, or punting down the river.  And many of them were going where we were-- a place called The Orchard.  The Orchard is indeed an apple orchard with a tea room where Cambridge students have been going since 1897.  There are tables with lounge chairs spread all over the rather wild, unmanicured orchard, some in the shade and some in the sun.  You can take your pick.  Or if it rains, you can sit inside.  They are best known for the huge scones they serve with clotted cream and jam, but they have other nice breakfast or lunch options as well.

It was a delightful day,  and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.   We had some soup for lunch, as it is in the mid 60's.  And we went all out on the scones, slathering them with clotted cream and raspberry jam.   People keep telling us to slow down, so we did.  We read a while, and we napped a while.  And we enjoyed the nice sounds of happy people visiting with one another.  We both noted that there was no sound of "loud Americans." I'm sure there were more Americans there than us, but something about the setting had a quieting effect.

We did go by the scene of my bike accident and I was surprised to find out that there was no cattle gap at this particular spot.  But there was a little bump in the asphalt that I now think threw me into the fence.  A good biker would have easily recovered, but I needed a little refresher class. I wish I had known about this biker from Scotland, so I could have taken a few lessons before the wreck.  Check him out.  He is amazing! And the scenery is great too. It starts at the castle in Edinburgh and goes to the Isle of Skye. Thanks to Tom Appleby for sending us a link.

http://bit.ly/CrazyBikeRide

In the evening we went to a cookout in the back garden here at Tyndale House,which was a fun time of fellowship with people from all over the world.  This is a weekly event, which we have attended whenever we were here. I finally got to meet Marion Jongkind, a mother of six from the Netherlands, who prepared 3 meals  for us after my accident.  Isn't that amazing?  She didn't even know us.