🏃 | 324.0 kcal |
|---|
This run helped steevc burn 324.0 calories.
Description from Strava:
The weather has not been bad lately, so I expected the parkrun course to be dry and went with my road shoes. It has been windy as Storm Dave hits us. My shoe choice was fine as even the bits that usually stay muddy were almost dry. I spotted an old Ford Capri by the station on the way there.
Most of the usual crowd were there and it looked like a good attendance. I think I started out a little too quick and paid for it later as it felt hard. The result was slightly quicker than last week so that is my new best for the year.
I did not hang around afterwards as we had decided to take a trip to Ely. I do not remember ever going, but it is only an hour away. The route was a bit cross-country on smaller roads, but not too bad and with some interesting views.
Ely is famous for its cathedral that dates back nearly 1000 years, with various alterations. You can see it from a long way off in the flat landscape of the fens and it may be the tallest building in the city. Ely was considered an island as it was surrounded by marshes that helped it fend off the Normal invasion longer than other places. I expect a lot of that has been drained since. You do have to pay to visit the cathedral and that includes an audio guide. That was very educational.
It is a very long building with a ceiling that was painted with bible scenes in Victorian times. The original central tower collapsed about 700 years ago and a new octagonal one was built that is really impressive. It is mostly made of wood, but covered in a large amount of lead.
Next to the nave is the lady chapel that is really light thanks to the huge windows. The stone carvings are impressive, but most have been deliberately damaged when the church turned against the Catholic icons.
The cathedral complex is quite extensive, but we only saw some of it. Our tickets last for a year, so we may go back. We had some lunch in the neighbouring restaurant that has a vaulted ceiling. After lunch we went to check out the museum in the former home of Oliver Cromwell.
For those who do not know, Cromwell was a leader of the parliamentary army in the English civil war who executed King Charles I and was made Lord Protector. He is a controversial figure, but then our history is messy and bloody with different religious factions fighting for power. He died of natural causes in 1658, but his body was dug up and hanged when the monarchy returned. His house gives some idea of how people lived back then and has displays about the civil war.
I am not really a fan of religion or monarchy. Both have caused a lot of conflict through history and still do now. I can still admire the architecture they produce, but that was often whilst ordinary people lived very simple lives with little possibility of improvement.
If you would like to check out this activity on strava you can see it here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/17970951395
About the Athlete: Older guy trying to keep fit, but still hope to go quicker.
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