I'm off the Map

I biked off the map today. I've been using this fold out Norwich map that Thel had (one of those ones that makes me look like an extreme tourist as I pull it out on the street and unfold it, the size of a poster board). Anyways, I went on a post dinner rendezvous, planning on doing a little loop (for Granny, go to Heartsease roundabout by Thel's, take Plumstead East for a while, take a right, then loop back around on St Williams Way) and accidentally going WAY too far on Plumstead, and when I got out the map... I had passed its borders! I was into the unknown I guess

Ha, unfortunately I took the boring cautious route then, and turned right on around the way I came. It was almost ten at night and getting dark annndd I wanted to catch the Glastonbury rock festival on TV at 10pm (Beyonce was headlining, and she was oh so good. Gave me chills. and it was on TV. how does that even happen?).

But, on the ride, I did see a thatch roof bus stop. A new one there. And some fabulous wheat fields with a setting sun and mist trailing around. Fabulous view.

For church today, I went to Thorpe St. Andrew parish church. Great service and kind people. As soon as I walked in, this elderly lady (Virginia) took me under her wing and invited me to sit with her and her husband Jack who have lived in Norwich for 11 years now. She showed me the ropes of the service, telling me who everyone was and helping me find the right hymns. It was way cool to have service in the same church that Thel got married in. In 1953! Gotta lotta history, that place does.

Front of Thorpe St. Andrew Church

Thel herself gettin hitched in '53, with Geoffrey at her side and a bridesmaid on
the far left I believe.

There they are with the cake. Cute, eh?

It was the sung Eucharist service, and as such they had communion. The sacrament there is done a bit differently, the congregation having to go up for the sacrament and all.

 In the program, it says that you can go up just to get a blessing if you don't want to take communion-- you just take up your hymnal with you as a sign you only want a blessing. I had my hymn book in hand to do so, but perhaps the priest didn't notice... cause he handed me the Eucharist wafer to eat. I went ahead with it, as I know the importance of the sacrament and figured that would be better than making a scene. But then, he also had the cup of wine. I was put in a bit of a tight spot there. So, I just held my lips tight when the cup was to my mouth and the wine just touched. Man, I felt a fool. The symbolism was still there, and I didn't actually drink any wine, but I hope to never be in that spot again! Yikes.

Also went on Elm Hill today, this time knowing that it was Elm Hill! Very cool. Boasts that it is the oldest cobblestone street in Norwich.

Elm Hill. I gotta be honest, it was raining when I went down
the hill the first time, and those cobblestones are slippery!
Photo by Andrew Hurley

Hope to catch a boat tour around the Broads soon. We'll see how that turns out. Only got until this Friday with Thel, and then I'm off to London on Saturday morning.

love to all.