If you're looking for a quick get away, a change of scenery or you simply have an itch to travel, then keep on reading.
As you all know (or if you don't, now you do) I usually plan my trips around movie locations or specific people who have a connection to the location. Trips like the Lake District, Bath and Oxford were mainly because of influencial people who used to live there. Whilst trips like the one to Scotland was based in the film locations. Often both reasons intertwine.
As for Cambridge, it was no difference. I saw the Imitation Game when it came out late 2014 and the Theory of Everything when it hit theaters early 2015. Both stories centre two of the most influencial guys in history: Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking. Both former students at Cambridge University. Can you hear the little wheels spinning in my head?
 |
| River Cam and Bridge of Sighs in the background |
I'd heard from a few people that 'when you've seen Oxford, you've seen Cambridge. They're so alike'. (An Unexpected journey to Oxford) Anyone who's been to both can't deny the fact. Even some of the colleges names are identical: Trinity College, Pembroke college, etc. They are, after all, the two biggest rivals in the UK. Well, college wise. However, I'm so glad I didn't listen!
Friday morning (Good Friday), I got on the 8.14am train to Cambridge from London King's Cross, which left from platform 10. Probably the closest I'll ever get to platform 9 3/4... Ah well.
45min later I got off and realised that I was way way way too early. Luckily it's about a 30min walk from the train station to the Visitor's Centre, so that gave me an extra 30 min to kill the time. But when I arrived in town centre, the Visitor's Centre was closed and so were many other shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Oh boy. What a great start of the day...
As I walked out of the Visitor's Centre, a guy walked towards me and started talking to me, showing me a board with prices and pictures. He was asking if I'd be interested in a punting tour on the river Cam, he mentioned a whole lot of colleges, how long the guided tour would take and the route the little boat would make. To be honest, I didn't caught half of what he was saying. It was 9.30am and I hadn't had a coffee yet. But he had me at 'punting'. One of my colleagues had recommended it and how can you not follow up on a good recommendation?
The guide who 'sold' me the punting tour was kind enough to walk me to the little shop where I could pay for my ticket. He was also kind enough to set me up with a walking tour with one of the alumni students. 15min after I walked out of the Visitor's centre, I had two tours scheduled and my day was filled until 3pm. Hurray!
Punting tour started at 10.30am, but first I had an English breakfast and a cappucino at the Copper Kettle across from King's College Chapel. Speaking of breakfast with a view ;)
The punting tour itself was so lovely. We were so lucky with the weather as well. Friday was the best day out of the 4 days Easter bank holiday weekend. Our guide, a lovely chap with a very soothing voice, told us a bit about every college and bridge that we passed. Floating on a little boat, with my face in the sun, listening to a soothing voice. That's the good life.
Between the punting tour and the walking tour, I had some time to kill. Not hungry enough to grab a bite, I just chilled on the Clare bridge, watching the comings and goings of the punting boats (or however they're called).
Then eventually 1pm came around and it was time to start the walking tour! Our guide, Elias (at least, that is what I made of it), just graduated last June. How freaking awesome is that. He walked us around town. Showed us Pembroke College, told us stories about Darwin, Hawking and Turing, explained how the stained glas windows in the King's College Chapel are still in tact and how the nicknames of Trinity college and Trinity Hall work. When you study at Trinity Hall, you're officially a Tit Hall student. Wauw.
Very sadly the 2 hour tour came to an end around 3pm and I was left to my own device. I really wanted to sit down somewhere and enjoy the first proper sun of the year. Jesus Green seemed like the perfect spot. For about an hour I could tolerate the aweful loud music of a group of guys sitting on the green as well. Yes, I'm a grumpy old woman in the body of an early 20 year old.
Around 4.15pm I made my way back to King's College Chapel. Too early for dinner, I sat on the little wall in front of the chapel, enjoying the last sunrays, people watching and did just a lot of thinking. I know I do a lot of thinking in general and it is not always a good thing. But every once in a while, thinking about life, your future, the present, the past and just the moment itself, can give you such an intense feeling of being relaxed.
Right before I went to find something for dinner, I snapped this beautiful pic of King's Cross Chapel in the evening sun.
I had dinner at the Copper Kettle and around 8pm I made my way to the youth hostel, close to the train station. Hup, another 30min walk x) And by 9pm I was a sleep. Yes, I do lead that kind of life.
Saturday morning started bright and early. By 7am I was awake and by 8am I was checked out and on my way to city centre. Since it was so early, I decided on a Costa for breakfast. I didn't really have an idea of what to do besides the Fitz William museum which didn't open until 10am. Whoops.
So by the time 10am rolled around I walked past King's College Chapel, wondering if you could actually visit it. Silly me, of course you can visit the chapel! Slight change of plans, I visited the Chapel and the ground before going to the museum.
 |
| These are actual student accommodations! |
 |
| Ain't it puurdy? |
My train left at 6.15pm, so by the time I left the museum I still had a couple hours to entertain myself. No biggy! Pancake time! Well, I actually wanted crepes, but I ordered pancakes by mistake. When you literally translate pancakes from English to Flemish, you talk about the same thing as the food we call crepes in English or crêpes in French. Very confusing. Well, not really, but I got a bit lost in translation and ordered the 'wrong' thing by mistake. They still tasted very lovely though :) Nutella and banana!
At one point I got really tempted to buy a jumper with Cambridge University on. You know, to have a souvenir of a wonderful trip. But then I thought how silly it is to buy a jumper of a university I never even attended. So I went searching for one that just said 'Cambridge'. Luckily I didn't found one, as I have plenty of jumpers already x) Instead, I settled for a £0.50 postcard of King's College Chapel ;)
And before I knew it, it was time to board the train that would bring me back to London King's Cross station.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend doing longer than 2 days. Not without car at least. But no doubt I'll be going back, just like I did with Oxford ^^ Easter break: A Tolkien day at Oxford It's such an easy distance from London.
That was it for my little getaway over Easter bank holiday ^^ Hope you enjoyed it! And that it may inspire you to do the same. Seriously, two days away from home is enough to reload your batteries.
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer!
Thanks for reading!
xo - Sara
No comments:
Post a Comment