May 13, 2008 3:36 p.m., Tinturn Abbey

What a treat Wells Cathedral turned out to be! That, I think, was the most moving of the Evensongs we have been to so far, especially for me because the last anthem they sang was the Tallis “If Ye Love Me” that Mrs. Norbut tried to teach the choir in Carbondale a year or two ago. (I love to remember now, after having returned from England, those moments of beauty. They are rare.)
Also while in Wells we ordered take-away pizza, which, unlike take-out in the States, is more like gourmet pizza. Father Boonzaaijer also took the ladies out for drinks and sent Josh and Nevid away to get the food and drinks. By this time in the trip, I was so tired that any alcohol just about knocked me out! But I managed to drink my half pint and walk back to the park in front of Wells Cathedral where we ate and watched some native college-age guys doing flips and handsprings, and the like. Free entertainment.
We drove that night to Wales to spend the night with Fr. B’s seminary buddy Jonathan Isaac and his wife Caroline at their beautiful home in Cardiff. It was a nice place to stay, very comfortable, and the fellowship enjoyable, but the visit for friends too brief. I liked how their house seemed all centered around the tile floors—it seemed as if the floor attracted the primary attention, and all the architecture and furnishings coordinated with and complimented it. The Isaacs graciously served us meals and allowed us to take showers.
That was yesterday—this day, or last, we came to Tinturn Abbey, which is an impressive ruin on the bank of the River Wye. The setting is beautifully wooded and hilly, which provided us with a place to hike for a couple of hours or so and eat lunch. Afterward we headed out thinking we might make it to Stourhead Gardens and maybe evensong somewhere.