Last weekend was a beautifully busy one. We spent it with two sets of friends who we haven't seen for years. The last time I saw Neil and Lisa and their family, who now live in Cambridge, was the day almost eight years ago when I found out I was pregnant with Jonathan. (Steve wasn't with me at the time, so Lisa actually knew first, and we spent the day celebrating.)
This weekend we were fed, loved, and taken to see the sights. We explored Cambridge the best way possible--on a punt. This meant Steve got a good workout as he pushed us along the river Cam. Throw in a picnic and a ride on a double decker, and well, it couldn't get much better.
Yet it did! Because on our drive back to York, we stopped at Sherwood Forest. We walked the trail to the Major Oak, the 1,000-year-old tree said to be the meeting spot for Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
On the way back to the car, the kids insisted on checking out a short documentary about the hero that repeated back at the visitor centre. All three became completely engrossed in what ended up being a history of Sherwood Forest. So much so that we almost got trapped by the ranger who was locking up for the night!
Though the kids enjoyed spending the afternoon at Sherwood Forest, I'm not so sure they'd feel the same way about spending the night there. Our escape added a sense of adventure to the area, just what we needed to help this legend come alive.
“So passed the seasons then, so they pass now, and so they will pass in time to come, while we come and go like leaves of the tree that fall and are soon forgotten.”
~ Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
