3 days in the lovely Saffron Walden.

Saffron Walden, producers of the finest Saffron spices and goods to the greater Essex county since the middle ages! Ah such a quaint little town, quite the change of pace from London. The beauty of the town and surrounding English countryside are indescribable. A town of only 15,000 and most of the city proper dates back to the 14th - 16th centuries. Being so small and condensed, most everyone walks here. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of cars and several modern suburbs on the edges of town that require the use of cars. But for most residents, including Paul and myself (for the last 3 days), nothing more than walking is really necessary. My feet are still sore as piss though.

Paul is a fantastic guy, great host, and just a generally cool guy (in true British mod style!). I've had a fantastic time hanging out and going to the pubs with him. Tomorrow we make a daytrip to Cambridge before getting in his girlfriends car and driving to South Hampton/Brighton. Unsure what awaits me beyond that.

Anyway, here are just a few pics from Monday and Tuesday. Paul had work, so I was left with only my wits to survive in this rough and tumble (I mean picturesque) little English village.

 Here is Paul's place. Cozy little place, with a cool room-mate as well. I think Paul is playing 'Here Comes the Sun' or something in this shot.

 On this day my camera started to get a little wonky, so there are some weird lines and awkward colors happening in some of them. Anyway, here's a shot from the Bridge End Gardens, my mother should appreciate this. But really there isn't much to do in this town lol.
 A hedge maze @ Bridge End. The excitement of my 10 year-old self emerges after a long dormancy.

 St. Mary's church. The largest parish church in Essex, as a result of their booming Saffron exports in the middle ages.

 Skewed picture, but a beautiful view as you walk down into the town from Paul's house. That church can be seen from almost anywhere in town.

 A closer shot of St. Mary's

I leave you with these 2 panoramics. They were taken at the Audley End Gardens. More like a park actually, it is the grounds/woods/rivers/fields surrounding the Audley End House, a former stately/royal mansion thing. I dunno really, it used to house some really rich treasurer dude. Anyway, the weather was nice and lots of people were out enjoying the trails, but I managed to avoid the CCTV and hopped a fence so that I could get a better vantage for panoramics.
While the grounds seem quite removed from the city, the entrance is seriously about 2 blocks from the mainstreet of the village. You can even see St. Mary's spire in the top pic.