Housesitting in St Albans (Verulamium to the Romans)

St Albans cathedral from Verulamium Park

Max and Tatty are much more used to us now which is fab, they both know that the bed is the place for cuddles. Tatty spends quite a lot of the day on the bed knowing that I’ll come and fuss her every time I go upstairs. Max knows that bedtime is good for fuss, he’ll race either of us to the bed, leaping on and demanding strokes. Tatty will usually sneak on the bed at some point in the night and come for strokes while Max arrives with coffee! They’ve got it all very fairly divided! Tatty seems to have a strange thing for feet, I’ve found socks that should be in the bedroom on the landing, and slippers that should be by the front door on the landing or in the bedroom. Never seen the act but love the idea of her trotting round the house moving things around when we go out!

This is the Hypocaust mosaic in a free to entre building in the middle of Verulamium Park. It's original and was unearthed as it is. The gash in the bottom right shows the underfloor heating pipes that the Romans installed. There are many other mosaics even better than this one in the museum, but they have all been moved to the museum. Apparently they were moved in the 1930's when keeping them in their original location was not considered important

The Roman Theatre

The house is so perfectly situated that to go out we rarely need the car which is fab, particularly as parking outside the house is at a bit of a premium. We can even walk to Aldi if we don’t want too much! We’ve only moved it twice, once to go to Edlesborough to take Charles and Caroline climbing and once to go to the running shop. My Achilles’ tendon is giving me gyp, as it did a few years ago when we were in Arbroath after much hill walking. Sadly the running shop didn’t have any shoes wide enough that gave my feet enough support. Not sure how long I’ll have to wait till I can run again anyway. I’m hoping it won’t take too long!

We arrived at the waters edge just in time to see this heron staring intently into the bush on the right. He suddenly lurched forward and reappeared with a little field mouse or vole in his beak, which he swallowed whole and live. It was so quick we didn't manage to get a photo, but this was just after he'd swallowed it and there's still a bulge in his neck

Look at this baby Moorhen with his mum

We went to look at the Roman ruins of Verulamium and saw the mosaic on the floor of a villa with the underfloor heating (Hypocaust), but decided to return ‘tomorrow’ to go into the museum as it was rather full on a cold Bank Holiday. Apparently Verulamium was the third largest Roman city in the country, so there’s lots of mosaics and artefacts in the museum, the in-situ mosaic, the theatre and a few bits of wall visible. Much of the above ground tiles and flint have long since been recycled into the cathedral and town walls, while stuff that has been excavated and studied in situ has been re-covered and left where it is. It’s very odd to wonder what my be under foot as you wander about.

A swan washing himself in Verulamium lake on a hot afternoon

Charles giving Caroline climbing advice

Wednesday we went to Edlesborough and had the company of both Charles and Caroline. Charles had thought he wouldn’t be there, as he was planning on going out for his birthday, with a mate and then staying over. Checking the nightclub was open on a Tuesday would possibly have been a sensible plan, but hey, our gain, we got to see him! We had a good climb, but they are so competitive with each other they both got pumped very quickly. This did mean we could try the Vietnamese cafe I had found in the next door industrial unit. Most unlikely looking place to find some really good food, but really good it was. How Pho, a soup that looks like dishwater, can have so much flavour is completely beyond me, add in some noodles, some beef (or tofu for Caroline) some chilli and loads of fresh herbs, and wow.

Went to the Cathedral (or Cathedral and Abbey Church to give it its full title) on Friday to book tickets for a paid tour of the outside on Saturday to find there was about to be a free tour of the inside. Timing or what?

Jackie showing us all how it's done

Charles on a 6a

Both tours have given us a thorough grounding of the history of the town and cathedral. Alban was the first Christian martyr in this country, so he is the British protomartyr! Killed in 305 AD. The cathedral itself started as a monastery has long been a place of pilgrimage. It then fell into disuse, was a school and meeting house before being renovated in the 1800’s. It is the strangest looking cathedral built piecemeal in many different styles, of many different materials. The renovation was in an entirely unsuitable manner, but it was how Lord Grimethorp, who was paying wanted it! However I like it, it’s completely inclusive, we were invited in and guided for free, a Catholic mass was about to start, as happens every Friday, there are also Lutheran, Anglican and Greek Orthodox services regularly held.

We’ve started on our mission to eat, we’ve ticked off Thai, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Lebanese so far (click on each to see each restaurant - except the Lebanese, which was street food on market day), along with cakes and savouries from bakers and food stalls. Not to mention Vietnamese on Wednesday and Indian the day before we arrived. I’ve also roasted a chicken having not felt settled anywhere long enough to bother for ages so that was fab too.....

Brian also visited the market for all his breakfast fruit requirements and bought a huge great watermelon. On cutting it this morning it was a little bit over, so he’s whizzed it up and we have fabulous juice, coming out of our ears!

Brian on the same 6a

Inside St Albans cathedral. It has the longest nave in a church in England apparently. The building is, however a complete mishmash, look on the left, the wall at the top in Norman and constructed of, basically, rubble from the Roman city of Verulamium, however the wall on the left nearest us and on the right is Gothic and built in the 1800's. Apparently after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries the building fell into disrepair as the local owners had no money. The lead was stripped from the roof to make cannonballs to fight the Spanish Armada and the roof rotted and the right wall crumbled away. It was not until Lord Grimethorpe came along that it was repaired, and it had to be done his way as he was paying!

This is the front. No longer Norman, but Gothic. Lord Grimethorpe paid for and that's what he wanted. Its not inkeeping but it adds to it's historical character and story and it is quite attractive even though its out of character

So this is the reason the church is here, St Alban has it's name and the Roman city of Verulamium was not built over. This is the shrine to Saint Alban and, in it, apparently is a 'primary relic' of Alban and that primary relic is his collar bone. I asked how they knew it actually was his and she said it has been carbon dated to the correct date and they know it's history of where it's been and who looked after it, so they are as sure as they can be that it's his. He was executed by the Romans in the third century at a time when Christianity was illegal and all executions were carried out outside the city walls. The cathedral is on a hill overlooking Verulamium, the church grew here and the town around it to house the many pilgrims coming here to see this.

This is part of another shrine in the cathedral that has been renovated just last year in 2020, during the pandemic. A local stone mason carved this new section to match the others, but he made a slight change. Can you see the head on the right of the four? He's carved it with a mask on as a little note to the time in which is was done

This is the original Great Gateway to the cathedral/Abbey erected in 1360's

There are many old buildings in St Albans that seem to defy gravity. Not a straight line to be seen here

Market Place, St Albans, full of stalls on market days and another building in front that has few straight lines

A large Pudding Stone, apparently peculiar to this area

Things to see in St Albans, this is a restored signal box that is a listed building. No longer used, of course, but it still works.

This  apparently is a beautiful Art-Deco cinema, The Odyssey. Slightly disappointed when we got here as they've stripped off all the old plasterwork to replace it. However, the cinema is still operating and is supposed to be a fabulous experience, Tables and chairs, comfy sofas and meals are provided. I think we have to visit one day!

Right, some pussy cat photos. Tatty on the bed reading

Max drinking from my water glass by the side of the bed. I now bring him his own glass each night

Tatty checking her emails

Max hoping for some breakfast

Tatty cat weightlifting

Max catching some rays

And here's one of them both together

And Tatty cat looking cute and looking after teddy

This is the incredibly juicy watermelon we bought that is a bit too ripe, so I've cut it up, scooped out the flesh and liquidised the whole lot. There are now jugs full of fabulous watermelon juice, some of which we've frozen so we can spread out when we have it