Theo and the Twins

It isn't that often when a new member of the family comes along, so naturally we had to make the trip to see the newest, Theo, a couple weeks ago. Lissa and Jeremy are now proud parents of the cutest little guy in South Minneapolis, and that means Erin and I are now aunt and uncle! We made it home a couple weeks ago and Lissa, Jeremy and Theo were waiting to greet us! It was quite the treat to meet the little guy, I can't wait to take him to the skating rink! Did I mention my dad is now not just a dad but a grandpa too!

We played with him for a couple hours before Betchie picked us up for the Twins. He was barely two weeks old when we met him, so naturally he slept, ate and went to the bathroom. We're thinking he's on pace to sing the Gopher Rouser in 14 weeks. 

We love our little nephew!!

We met Linsey, who arrived from SF and met us at the light rail station and the four of us headed to Target field. This has been such a long time coming, suffering in the dome for my entire life has now came to an end that the Twins have a new home! As perhaps the most geographically removed season ticket holder, I intended to make every game I could when home!

The game was crappy, the weather was worse, but the sights and sounds of Target Field made up for the unpredictable weather and Twins hitting. We stopped by Hrbek's bar after the game for another Summit. Betch and I were in heaven, Lins and Erin were just happy to see eachother. 

Day Trip: Canterbury, England

A few weekends ago, Erin and I were craving an excursion outside the city. With an abundance of day trip options, we wanted to choose wisely as free Saturdays cannot be taken lightly. We opted for a trip to the Southeast of England, specifically Canterbury. Much of medieval England history was written here, as Canterbury Cathedral was the head of the Catholic Church in England for centuries and is where the Archbishop sits today. 

Canterbury’s history dates back to prehistoric times, with a significant roman influence.  Christianity came to England in the sixth century where St. Augustine set up the Cathedral and it has since been central city in England. There are several monasteries, churches, an old priory, an inn dating to the 13^th century, and lots of great historical buildings and streets. 

Getting to Canterbury from central London is about as easy as getting lost in the medieval streets of the town itself. Trains depart from St. Pancras station every half hour on the Southeastern train link and take about an hour, with part of the journey being on the new high speed track. A round trip day ticket costs about $40.

The town is two blocks (5 minutes) from the old town, which still has a respectable portion of its medieval walls in tact. We spend the first 90 minutes just getting our bearings, checking out the old inn/hospital/chapel on the main street, where the gentleman working at the desk was extremely well versed on the history of the town.

After walking around some more, we worked up an appetite and got a picnic at a cute little café/gourmet foods shop and had a nice picnic along the river surrounding the old town. 

After lunch, we made our way to the famous cathedral, which is still where the head of the Church of England sits today. The church became a site of pilgrimage when King Henry II murdered his old friend Thomas Becket in the church after power struggles came to a head. 

I strongly encourage reading a non-fiction book by Ken Follett titled Pilars of the Earth, which focuses on the struggles between the Church, State, and people and culminates around the time of the famous murder. There is even stain glass depicting the famous murder. 

The church was impressive, larger than many, smaller than York Minster Cathedral, but without question the centerpiece of the town.

Following the church, we wandered around a little more before catching the 3:30pm train, capping off a highly successful and stress free day trip. 

Day Trip: Greenwich (Mean)Time

A few weeks ago, Erin and I took a lazy Saturday to make our way to Greenwich, which is on the eastern side of London, about 45 minutes commute from us on the opposite side of the city. Greenwich is the home to Astrological Museum and a Maritime Museum. It is best known for its maritime history and as giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time.

Along with establishing itself as an instrumental research center in plotting distances and locations at sea, Greenwich was home to impressive palaces that housed many of the Tutors, including Henry VIII. The area is now a UNESCO heritage site. 

When we arrived, we grabbed a cappuccino at the Greenwich market before heading up to the Royal Observatory, which is where the Prime Meridian was born.

Erin and I took the opportunity to kiss from each side of the world!

After wandering around and checking out the old time and mapping instruments, we headed for lunch at the Greenwich Union, which is the flagship store for the Meantime Brewery, one of the highest regarded in the country. They had about 8 Meantime beers on tap, from the common ones you can find at other bars (being the few that actually serve the beer) to seasonal taps such as Meantime Porter and IPA. I would agree with the critics that the beer is among the best I’ve had in England. The food is excellent gasto pub style food which makes it a must visit when visiting Greenwich. 

All in all the day was a success and it is a good day trip for those spending an extended trip in London. I would suggest if you are in London for less than a week, not to commit over half a day to the site, instead see places such as Windsor or Hampton Court.