No, we're not tourists...

[icepixie]

Went touristing and shopping today. Exeter's main attraction is the gigantic cathedral in the center of town that dates from 1200 or something like that, and we visited that today. Took lots of pictures, which I will be linking to in the big picture post I'm making after this one(!!!) and gaped in awe at the gigantic vaulted ceiling and the flying buttresses. Had an interesting "cheese and bacon savory" from a neat litle bakery on High Street that was quite possibly the saltiest thing I've ever had, and those of you who know me well know how much I like my salt. Then we did another batch of grocery shopping, where I discovered that no grocery store in Exeter stocks either cream of celery soup or celery seed. Do Brits have something against celery? I got some "Scotch broth" with which to improvise my hamburger-and-onions-and-cream of celery soup-over-mashed potatoes dish, but found out that, no , it's not going to work, so Pezzers, it's chicken, pasta and broccoli tonight. Sorry, Ellen. You can have peas instead? Anyway, now I've completely filled up my freezer and refrigerator shelves, so there's no possible way I can buy more food for at least a week. Ugh. Now I need to turn my attention to things besides survival, like laundry...

One of the things I noticed yesterday was that the clouds here seem to hang lower in the sky than they do anywhere in TN or Ohio. It's not just the fact that we're in the hills, because it wasn't this way in the mountains this summer. I always thought those old English painters had poor depth perception or something, but no, it really happens. They look close enough to touch without even stretching very far, and thick enough to smother. Even on sunny days, the few clouds invariably left in the sky It's a little claustrophobic at times, but does make for some gorgeous sunsets.

Next up for touristing is these underground passages in the center of town...

Comments

[fiara.livejournal.com]

I'm almost positive we stayed overnight in Exeter, but I have a faulty memory. Is the Cathedral near a school or something? I think we ate in a cafeteria that looked liked Hogwarts' main hall. I seem to remember my dad chatting with a little old lady who told us they buried the stained glass in the ground during WWII and it had to be reinforced afterwards b/c it deteriorated.