22 Jan 2007: Ely

Mom with her Fish-n-Chips and smashed
peas at the Maltings, me with a recently
dedicated eel statue,
two shots of Ely Cathedral
Mom and I took a short train ride to visit the Ely Cathedral. Parts of the cathedral date back to the 11th century, and the ravages wrought by the Reformation are still visible: recesses with missing statues, carvings with heads cut off, missing stained glass windows and traces of colorful paint that was white washed over. Ely was once an island, before the Fens were drained, and it was known for its eels (hence its name). Our tour guide told us that Barnack limestone used to build the church was gained by exchanging eels for the stone. The only other thing that I should note is that the first religious community in Ely was founded in 673 A.D. by St. Etheldreda. It was because many pilgrims came to the area to visit her remains that a cathedral was built.