Cambridge

I am nearing the end of my trip.  Cambridge, then fly home from London.

I debated on whether I want to stop in Cambridge because I was getting squeezed on time.   Either spend 1 night in Cambridge, then 1 night in London, or just spend 2 nights in London.  Since I've been to London many times, I am not that excited about going there.  However, I have never been to Cambridge and I've heard so much about it.  It's also on the way from York to London.  So, Cambridge won.

I took a train from York to Cambridge; rather 2 trains because I have to change trains halfway at Peterborough.  I got up early and took about 10 minutes to walk to the York station.  My B&B hosts were nice enough to make me a takeaway breakfast brown bag.  I drank the coffee on the way.  At the station I was trying to find a trash can to throw away my paper cup but I couldn't find any.  Even Starbucks did not have a trash-can easily seen.  I carried my backpack with me but absent-mindedly left my big suitcase in a corner while looking for the trash can.  When I came back, my suitcase was gone!  I asked a couple of station employees and they told me that I am not supposed to leave my bags unattended.  It then dawned on me that the UK has been hit hard by terrorists the last few years and they are extremely alert about such things.  Perhaps it's also the reason why there were no trash cans because someone could easily leave a bomb in there.

At the Cambridge train station, I took a bus to the city center.  I asked the driver if he knew where the Doubletree Inn is.  He did not.  I gave him the name of the street.  He has never heard of it.  So I got off at the next stop and started asking around.  Fortunately, someone knew and said it's only about a 10 minute walk.  Well....that is if you know the way and not pulling a 40-lb suitcase.  Remember that Cambridge is an old, old city.  The sidewalks are narrow, uneven and sometimes just cobblestones.  My suitcase definitely took some punishment.  Instead of 10 minutes, it took me about 30 minutes because I took a wrong turn and had to backtrack.  The hotel is beautifully located besides the Cam river with a park on the other side.

York Train Station

The town of Cambridge is almost synonymous with the University of Cambridge.  Without the university, the town probably would not exist at all.  The University was formed in 1209, after several scholars left Oxford after a dispute with the townspeople, and then came to settle in Cambridge.  They formed University of Cambridge, which today is one of the preeminent universities in the world.  The university actually consists of 31 autonomous colleges, just like Oxford with its 35 colleges.  Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are often referred to as Oxbridge.

Pembroke College

Chapel at Pembroke College.  Every college has its own chapel

Corpus Christi College

Flyers announcing all types of activities, with St. John's College in the background

I signed up for a walking tour of the city a few weeks ago.  So, after checking into the hotel, I quickly rushed to the Visitors' Information Center, where the tour started.  Our guide, Roslyn, took us to different colleges and explained some of the history, pointed out some of the well-known buildings and weaved the names of some of the well-known alumni, professors into her stories.  Some of the well-known alumni include Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and today, still working at the university, Stephen Hawking.  Ninety-seven Nobel laureates and 15 British Prime Ministers have been affiliated with the university.

I spent most of my afternoon in Cambridge in the city center.  One thing you can't miss in Cambridge is something very popular here called punting.  This has nothing to do with the punting in American football.  Punting is a way of moving a boat along the river using a long pole, pushing the bottom of the river.  Instead of rowing a boat as you would normally do, punting uses the long pole to move it forward or backwards.  If you are not careful (or skillful), the pole will stick to the bottom while the boat move forward, and you fall into the river.  Most of the boats I saw have a professional "punter."  What I didn't hear is one of them singing "'O Sole Mio," like the gondoliers do in Venice.  This seems to be a popular activity on the River Cam as I saw many people on those boats.  It's a nice relaxing way to go up and down the river.

A cow (actually several cows) in the park?  Why not?

This is called punting, near the hotel

Trinity College

Cam River

Punting a boat

Bicycles are a popular way to get around the city

It was a quick half-day trip to Cambridge.  It is not as big as Oxford, nor as medieval-looking.  Oxford has some industries, whereas Cambridge does not.  In the morning I will take a National Express Coach to London.  I could've taken the train but the coach fare was only £8.50.