Busy at Bury St. Edmunds & Tower of London

Late May sometime 2012, but not really sure

Ok, I know it seems ridiculous to be posting about things that happened so long ago, but this is seriously the first chance I've had to try to wrap up our trip.  I've been a little in denial about the fact that we're back and longing for the bubble of awesome called Cambridge.  Not to mention our UK family.  It was so nice for the boys to spend so much time with Grandad and their aunt and uncle and cousins and we miss them so much.

So Grandad came to visit us in Cambridge and we took a day trip with him to Bury St. Edmunds, a lovely town not too far away, where many of the cottages are faced with flint, accidentally-on-purpose bedazzling the town with a textured & twinkling finish.  Stephen planned the day, so it's no surprise that it ended with a few pints at the Greene King beer and food festival.  (Greene King brewery is based in Bury St. Edmunds.)

THEN my good friend Kathryn (and Bryce's good friend, Layla) came to visit from Brooklyn again, this time with Ricardo and the brand-new Mateo, who was born in February (I think).  Like I've mentioned in the past, my memory is kind of fuzzy.  We met up with them at Tower of London, where Bryce and Layla had a ball.  So did the grown ups.  In fact, Grandad and Stephen disappeared for a while-- getting their history fix.

I will try to be all caught up by 2013 so I can start filling in my new international friends on Brooklyn life!  (Sorry to bust any bubbles, but it's not nearly as exciting as our past year in the UK!)

Love to all!  XO

Freckles!

Don't remember the occasion-- probably another formal hall at St. Edmund's.

St. Edmund's chapel

Nightcap in the CR

This was actually a useful tool in helping Bryce to potty train.  In hindsight, I really miss English toilets.  Max NEVER got flushed there.  At least, he never went all the way down.  We brought home Max II to put in our pot here and it entered the NYC Sewer System on it's first flush.  Poo.

Everything is better with Grandad around.

On the train to Bury St. Edmunds.  Grandad can answer any and all railroad-related questions to keep Bryce occupied and informed.

King Edmund!

Initial excitement.  Then fear.

BSE Market

Um, eew.  This was a pretty graphic display and Bryce didn't stop talking about it for weeks.

Fierce, right?

Stephen could barely stand up with that chain mail on.  I'm not sure why he's smiling.

Clapping for some street-performers.

Strolling the Abbey gardens

Up to no good.

Abbey ruins

Cleaning his shoes on the boot scraper.

Why does everything have to be so cute?

A-Ha! The motive for choosing our day trip destination becomes all too clear!

Multitasking.

Yum.  Artisanal bread and Lancashire Bomb cheese.

Random photo of Magdalene College (pronounced "Maudeline") in Cambridge.  I heart wisteria.

Yippee!  Another visit from Layla!  Met her and her family at the Tower of London!

Getting more confident on his feet

The Ravens of Tower of London.  Read about the superstition here.

Three Beefeaters!

Three-year-olds standing still!  What???

Oops, got busted taking a photo of the scepter bearing a 530 carat diamond.  No photos?  I guess I missed that sign.

"Look, Mummy!  A little tiny knight, just like me!"

Fencing with their new swords.  (Thanks a whole bunch, Kathryn)

I didn't get the fluorescent sneak memo.

Tower Bridge

Cheers!

Hooray!  I finally get to snuggle Mateo in person! 

Bad influence.

Buddy cuddles

The lovely Mora family.  (Mateo is in there, too!)