Hello from Cambridge! I have so much to tell you, but no opportunity to tell it. Wifi unavailable at the hotel last night. So it will have to wait until we’re in London tonight. I’m very briefly in a coffee shop on King’s Parade, and wanted to check in.

The shot above is from a punt in the River Cam yesterday; that’s the King’s College chapel in the background. When we arrived late yesterday morning, Julie ran off to pay a professional visit to Heritage School; the kids and I did a little bit of shopping, and then met theologian James Orr, who teaches philosophy of religion on the Divinity faculty here. He graduated from St. John’s College, and as a graduate, had the privilege of taking the kids and me up to the top of St. John’s Tower, the highest place in the town. We had to ascend an incredibly narrow, winding staircase. It felt like trying to push out of a Thai cave. At last we emerged on top, and had marvelous views of the flat countryside all around.

Here are James and Self, on the roof:

When we descended, we crossed the street to the old Round Church to visit the Cambridge Scriptorium.  I will tell you more about this incredible place in a separate post, when I have more time. It’s a Benedict Option refuge in the heart of this great medieval university.

Then we said goodbye to James, and met John Shelton Reed, the great sociologist, barbecue expert, and friend of TAC, at the Maypole pub for lunch. Afterward, John gave us a short walking tour of Cambridge; he’s a fellow of St. Catharine’s College. Here’s John, Julie, and Self in the courtyard of St. Catharine’s:

Again, I have a lot more to tell you, but we are about to take a private tour of Trinity College, led by a friend who is on faculty there. After lunch, we’ll be off to London. I trust there will be wifi in our Airbnb there. More later.