There is a reason why The Amazing Race is not done with children. There would be no survivors and I would vote myself off the island. I had lofty hopes of capturing the full adventure on film: giddy and excited children, giddy and excited husband, kids sleeping peacefully while in flight and so on and so on.
Yeah, well…..
We found out upon arrival at the Vancouver international airport that our flight was two and a half hours delayed. No matter, we partook in the first Pumpkin spice latte of the season, made new Irish friends and passed the time with contentment. And while there were absolutely no free hands to take pictures, I would by lying if I didn’t say the kids did quite well. They slept for most of the flight, but Mom and Dad did not, as we tried to keep our wiggly children settled on their seats/beds.
Red-eyed and loaded down with a carry-on suitcase, two backpacks, two laptops, diaper bag, book bag, Thomas the train suitcase and purse, we finally arrived at London Heathrow around 3:30pm (London time). From there, we hopped on a coach to Cambridge. Drenched in sweat and weary we watched the sun set over the English country side and finally pulled in along Parker’s Pieces around 8:00pm.
Kind new friends were able to meet us and take us and our luggage to our new home: 37 Vinery Road.
All in all, it is a fine house in need of a little TLC to make it a home. While it is quaint, very old and basic, it is bright and has a lot of potential. The kitchen and bathroom have been redone very tastefully, the floors have all been replaced and the walls painted very bright, bland colours. There is a long rear garden in need of a little love, complete with apple tree and a chestnut tree in the alley.
Have a little look-see:
I am sure there will come a time when jet-lag will be the death of me. I will never forget wandering the halls at the Central Baptist Church in Kiev and I will probably never forget our first night here in Cambridge. My head was pounding, I was completely exhausted, having gotten no sleep on the plane and the kids were awake and ready to go. Morning came slow but when it did: refreshment. The house slept as I savoured my instant coffee (Starbucks Via’s that I had packed for such an occasion -BRILLIANT might I add). The street was full of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.
The day that followed was short and busy. We took a walk to Jakob’s school, then down to Parker’s Pieces, into downtown and to the legendary Fitzbillies for tea and a famous Chelsea bun.
We took a quick stroll down King’s Parade where there just happen to be a man in a garbage can…singing….and playing guitar.
And then went on a tour of the North side of town, thanks to Ben’s not-so-impecable sense of direction.
Cambridge truly is a beautiful city, despite the typically English overcast weather. There is much to soak in and enjoy. Anywhere you go, you might hear any number languages, see any number of different colour skintones and eat any number of different kinds of food.
There are definitely more differences and nuances than I thought there will be…or at least perceived and you can be sure I will share them with you later but for now I leave you with just a few more images from our first day here in Cambridge.
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