Friday, May 25, 2007
Hospitality and Spiritual Refreshment in Cambridge, MD!
Photographing Hugh's house was the beginning of an exceptionally pleasant day in Cambridge, MD
Friendly neighbors stop to talk to strangers walking down Mill Street
Our Cambridge friends. Left to right: Skip, Jenny, and Hugh
Whole group invited to tour Mill Street Bed and Breakfast
Mill Street B and B, our friendly priest, and the gorgeous Christ Church rose window are shown here.
Wednesday, May 23. We meant to leave early this afternoon, but we simply couldn’t get enough of Cambridge. Within 20 minutes of our morning walk down Mills Street, lined with beautiful historic houses, we were engaged in conversation with the friendly folks of Cambridge. First, Hugh Wright noticed that we were snapping pictures of his huge, gorgeous home, so he came over, introduced himself, and tried to convince us to help him paint his house. Hugh’s family has lived in Cambridge since the late 17th century, so we looked to him for inside information. Pretty soon two more neighbors, Skip and Jenny, introduced themselves. Before long, we were invited to tour their historic, beautifully decorated bed and breakfast, the Mill Street Inn. The three Cambridge neighbors filled us in on more of the history of their town, and Hugh presented Bob with a fabulous pictorial history of Cambridge, which we are enjoying reading. Hugh is one of the authors, so we are especially thrilled. Their generosity, good humor, and genuine friendliness will certainly become one of our favorite Loop memories. Also, when we come back to the Chesapeake Bay, we will definitely plan a stop at the Mill Street Inn. (www.millstinn.com)
Hugh mentioned that the priest of the Christ Episcopal Church might be available to let us see the interior of the church, so off we went. Sure enough, he welcomed us and assured us that God didn’t object to Bermuda shorts and sandals. He was a charmer -- down-to-earth, friendly, and knowledgeable. To say that we were awed by our experience at Christ Church is an understatement. The deep, rich colors of the rose window, which was designed by James Powel and Sons in London, make it notable as one of the finest stained glass windows in the country. Below the rose window, five companion windows depict qualities associated with Christian life: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Humility. Across the church was the altar window, designed and installed by Tiffany in 1926. We were moved. When the priest invited us to stay for a Holy Eucharist service, we accepted. Again, we met some friendly parishioners, and the Staggs, Hicks, and Cowhigs left the church with warm hearts. Another Great Loop snapshot firmly tucked away in our minds.
A renaissance is clearly underway in Cambridge; this delightful place will surely continue to thrive. After lunch at the Cambridge Grill, (the owner stopped us outside and also welcomed us), we made several stops at various upscale small shops (the guys groaned the whole time), including a confectioners shop where we replenished our supply of dark chocolate. By the time we had gone through the Cambridge Maritime Museum, we were ready for a shared picnic dinner.
