Day 31 The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

(A passing note - John has just realised that the dates at the top of these posts look like Australian time, not UK. Bear in mind some posts are written a few days after the event)

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge 

We'd driven past this magnificent building many times on our forays into Cambridge over the years, and never had a spare few hours to go inside for a look. Today's the day!

Never mind the artefacts, it's a magnificent building!

The Corinthian columns are immense

How's that for a grand entrance?

We actually entered by a side door to see a special art exhibition or two. One called "In Nature" about painting in the open air, and another about David Hockney and some of his favourite artists.

Barb did feel that getting this close to an active
volcano was taking things a bit too far

She warmed up when she spotted a Monet

And this lovely Venetian series

This was not entirely to Barb's taste

Nor this .....

A Hockney ... we think

More recognisable ... a Breugel

We moved on from the art and looked around at other displays in the museum. They do workshops on the lower ground floor. Barb liked some of the embroidery work here.

Each square made by different contributers

Would've been fun to do a workshop

Some friendly knights

Marble statues

One statue? Here's a whole room of statues

Barb loved meeting Ramses III in the Egyptian Room
(She asked a museum guide a question, and it was like turning
on the tap only to have the handle come away in your hand.
He was unstoppable! Barb was his new bestie!)

A painted sarcophagus

Lots of burial antiquities

All very interesting ... but we have a dinner
date at Christine's tonight. We must go.

Christine's place is just on the outskirts of London in Woodford. John managed to navigate his way there (it's where he grew up - amazing!) and we arrived a little early but to a rapturous reception. Christine and Barb bonded years ago, so John was not really necessary except to open the champagne and carve the meat.

Christine invited her neighbour and good friend Leonie to dinner as well

It was a good opportunity to bond with Thea too

She's such a pretty dog!

We stayed overnight at Christine's so we could (depending on the weather) go into London on the train or to Southend-on-Sea if it was fine.