The Abbey at Sutton Courtenay

First off: Thanks to those who have made comments through this blog page. I get them directly and enjoy them, but cannot respond directly. Darcy: No bangers and mash yet... lots of other really good food, though.
The second half of our first monastery week is three nights at The Abbey, an inter-faith retreat house in a pretty little village. There are six men and women in residence from a wide variety of backgrounds. The Abbey was built in the 1200's as a Benedictine place, but passed through many hands. It is owned by a non-profit group dedicated to spiritual enlightenment; they are seeking to raise a couple of million dollars and looked at us hopefully.
We entered through a rose-laden archway and found this welcoming sign. Our time was not structured, which can be a challenge. Wednesday is silent day... but no one told us. The meals are imaginative and completely vegetarian (though one of the community said some of them hide steaks upstairs). Talking with the variety of people there was stimulating; they were most welcoming and had a nice way to letting people do what each one needs.
We were housed in the Guest House with one other person... Susan, from England, whose husband died in February. She wants to travel by train across the U.S. Our "cells" were comfortable but not plush, and learning to regulate the heat was a challenge. The bathroom was shared, but it all worked okay. I finally figured out how to use one of the English coffee pots.
I found the slow pace and peace of these days helpful. The only "activities" were walks through the gravel lanes of the village and a couple of pub visits. (English pubs are wonderful, and very different from what we have in the U.S.)
We had a very slow internet connection, hence the delay.
We now re-enter the "regular" world with an hour's train ride to Bath. Onward.