City of dreaming spires and curry capital of East Anglia , located on the River Cam and around 52 minutes from London Kings Cross by non-stop train (2 per hour) , just over an hour from Liverpool Street (one) and half an hour from Stanstead (one.) Historically a crossroads and gateway to The Fens (meaing Polders) The area has benefitted from drug research dollars recently but this has lead to increased congestion, an overheated housing market and a loss of the laid back Ivory Tower atmosphere. A popular shopping centre with street musicians that need to pass an audition but can get too crowded as some of the paths are narrow and should really be avoided in December as should most UK shopping areas but some people enjoy it. Sundays are quieter and you can go for a pint in one of the pubs and probably see tables of students being lectured by their parents - as if they haven't had enough of it during the week.
Taken at Cambridge station. A silly English joke please ignore.
Bikes are available for hire by the station and there is a cycle path network though patchy. Motorists are more stressed out than London presumably because of the need to pay the mortgage as there has been a property boom in the area. Intermediate cyclists only.
This stretch of open space is known as Parker's Piece but no ordinary piece of grass as this was the place where the rules of the modern game of football were formalised as each of the main schools of the time had there own versions and they would send students to Cambridge and they couldn't play each other.
A recently refurbished classic pub exterior - a handy stopping off point between the city and the station. Incidentally the station is tucked out of the way to avoid the students being tempted to bunk off lectures and spend a day in London.
The famous Kings College Chapel.
Next door is Trinity. You can enter the grounds for around GBP 2.00 and as the classic student joke goes I didn't realise it was so cheap to get in here. The funny thing is they think they're original. The main colleges are on Jesus Lane which is a classic place to wander on a Sunday afternoon though watch out for the students on bikes. You can finish off with an Inspector Morse-type pint by following the signs to the river at the end of the road. Most of the buildings are very drab and in need of a clean up though as the traffic is so bad it's hardly worth it.
Some more old student jokes ...
Q: Why don't arts students stare out of the window in the morning
A: Because they'd have nothing to do in the afternoon.
A lecture is a way of passing information forom the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the student without passing through the minds of either.
If the entire contents of x are laid from end to end I'd be most surprised where x is the name of the local women's hall or college.
Q: How do you spot a Hull student ?
A: He or she enteres the campus from a differnt direction each morning.
A more threatening structure - perhaps a ladies college though things are more liberal now but the earlier students were known for innovation and daring. Perhaps this is why so many discoveries were made here. Gravity, Evolution, Splitting the Atom, unification of fundamental forces etc. etc.
Bridge over the River Cam. Very quiet as the students are in their family seats but during term time you can see rowing eights practicing though the top crews use the Ouse at Ely as it resembles the currents of The Thames.
One of the many boathouses that line the other bank. Note the design. The ground floor houses the storage space for the boats and the top floor has a bar and / or rowing machine area safely protected from any flood water.
A very rare sight a pub with a military name. Traditionally pubs were seen as refuges. The beer is by popular Suffolk brewery Greene King and the atmosphere is one of English understatement belying the name. As far as I know they show no sport - just offer a place for a pint and something to eat. The Green Dragon further down is popular with houseboat owners and is full of charcters and the Pike and Eel is more modern offering good food and a great view over the River when the weather is bad.
More boathouses and a narrow boat.
The meadow by the river is common land meaning anyone can bring their animals to graze and this horse was desperate to tell me something.
New building for scientific research but ironically named St. Andrew's House the patron saint of Scotland. You see Chesterton Church reflected in the glass.
"Punting on the Cam is Jolly Fun" sang Edinburgh/ Aylesbury band Marillion in their classic "Garden Party" single which satirised the English class system of the time. From my experiences there is still a class system but is is effectively American..
The technique is to prod the bottom with the pole leaving the small paddle for steering. The one standing up needs incredible balance and timing to avoid falling off and to keep the thing flowing in a straight line. In the Summer the students offer to do this for timid tourists. Guitar is optional though you are probably better off doing this at Oxford the larger meadows there were said to have been used for dope smoking though this practice has mrre or less died out as the universities have become more intense and competitive.
The colleges are best seen from the River and there is a cycle path for thos unprepared to risk a punt. Here is Queen's College in a straight piece of river known as The Backs and as far as I know still ladies only
The mathematical bridge made entriely of wood and nothing to stick it together - and yes as far as we know it has never fallen down.
