A day at Cambridge


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October 17th 2007
Published: October 17th 2007
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King's CollegeKing's CollegeKing's College

We took so many photos it wasn't easy to choose the ones for the blog!
Wednesday 17th October

It looked a little bleak when we woke up this morning but we decided to continue with our plan to go to Cambridge. What a great decision! The weather improved and we had beautiful blue skies for the first time in days. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that we lost the sun but even then it was fine even if a little cool.

We stopped just outside of Cambridge at Babraham where there was a “Park & Ride” and for £2 each we had return tickets by bus into the centre of town - no parking or traffic problems.

Both of us fell in love with the town, lovely old buildings, plenty of history, and a relaxed feel about the place with all the young students around. After a visit to the Tourist Information place we set off on one of their walking tours seeing the churches and different educational institutions we had heard of in the past. Some of the colleges, such as King College, were absolutely mind-blowing with their magnificence; the photos don’t do them justice.

In one street we were accosted by a personable young man, dreadlocks and all,
Judy and Rags in the puntJudy and Rags in the puntJudy and Rags in the punt

We had it easy with someone else doing all the hard work!
and he sold us a tour by punt along the Cam River. The sale was made easier as we had earlier decided we were going to take one!
We were accompanied by an American couple and we think a Dutchman with his 2 daughters. Because of earlier rain there was quite a current flowing and Liam, the puntman, had a difficult task in keeping the craft moving forward & in the right direction. Later, on the return journey, he was rewarded by not having to put in much effort.

The scenery was well worth the trip, with many of the colleges backing onto the river. Liam gave a running commentary on them with a few humorous asides such as the story of Prince Charles at Trinity wanting to be treated as any other student and having a whole floor, with 24 rooms, of the college allocated to him. Also, that his bodyguard attended the same lectures as the prince and was given permission to sit the final exams with him. The bodyguard finished with better grades!

The route home was through Haverhill, and this was a great choice, few delays, and little traffic, unlike other routes we heard
St Benet'sSt Benet'sSt Benet's

The oldest church in Cambridgeshire that dates back to 1025.
of as we listened to traffic reports on the radio.



Additional photos below
Photos: 19, Displayed: 19


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KingKing
King

This college is magnificent and blew us away with is grandeur! A fine example of gothic architecture.
Mathematical BridgeMathematical Bridge
Mathematical Bridge

The bridge was built in 1749 by James Essex the Younger (1722-1784). It has subsequently been rebuilt to the same design in 1866 and 1905. The first design needed no bolts to hold it together but later designs are bolted.
University eatsUniversity eats
University eats

This place had great coffees and it was so brisk that Rags had 2 during the day!
Fitzwilliam MuseumFitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum

This is one of Britain's oldest public museums and is a massive classical building - very impressive!
King's CollegeKing's College
King's College

Again - more of it!
King's CollegeKing's College
King's College

Building of this college took over 100 years to complete!
King's CollegeKing's College
King's College

We kept saying wow!
Clare BridgeClare Bridge
Clare Bridge

This is the oldest of Cambridge's bridges and seems to be the most photographed.
Punting on the River CamPunting on the River Cam
Punting on the River Cam

Some people decided to do the actual punting themselves but it wasn't easy, hence this novel approach of pulling the punt by grasping the shore!
Punting on the River CamPunting on the River Cam
Punting on the River Cam

We were lucky that although it was brisk it was still a lovely day for punting. Apparently, the river was running much faster than normal so going up way was very difficult but it was much easier coming back.
Halloween soon!Halloween soon!
Halloween soon!

Judy wanted to taste one of these gingerbread men but it didn't happen!
Trinity CollegeTrinity College
Trinity College

The buildings were all so amazing we took over 160 photos!
Magdalene CollegeMagdalene College
Magdalene College

The College has its origins in the year 1428 when King Henry VI approved the establishment of a hostel on the site for Benedictine monks. It is on the River Cam.
Bridge of SighsBridge of Sighs
Bridge of Sighs

This bridge, built in 1831, is an imitation of its namesake in Venice.
PeterhousePeterhouse
Peterhouse

Peterhouse is the oldest college in Cambridge: it was founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely.


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