Cambridge

Hello everyone!

The weather here has been pretty nasty the past few days and will be for the next few days, but the forecast said there'd be clear skies yesterday (Monday), so I decided to make the most of it! I woke up really early and made my way to Liverpool Street Station in London to catch a morning train to Cambridge for the day. 

For a little background, Cambridge University was founded in 1209 by scholars fleeing from Oxford, where tensions between "town and gown" had become violent. There are now 31 colleges that comprise Cambridge and famous alumni include, like Oxford, many world leaders, noble prize winners, and writers. Some of the most well-known alums are John Milton, Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, and as a connection to Strawberry Hill, Horace Walpole.

When I arrived it was really cold, but the sky was a beautiful blue. On the walk into town (the station is a short walk from the city center), I passed the Catholic Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, built in the late 19th century. It was a wonderful place to stop in for some relief from the biting cold and say a quick prayer to begin the day.

While walking in the city center, I passed the Cavendish Laboratory, which reminded me of my brilliant sister Esther who studied Chemistry (among other things) as an undergrad. If she went to Cambridge, she would definitely be queen of the lab!

From there I stopped quickly at the tourist information center before visiting the Church of St. Mary the Great, which is the university church for the University of Cambridge. I climbed to the top of the bell tower for a great view of the colleges. I knew I wouldn't get to visit all of the colleges and buildings that I wanted to during my visit, so it was cool to see them from above. In particular I looked out for Gonville and Caius (pronouced "keys"- weird, I know!) College, which is where some of my relatives used to go.

View of King's College from the top of St. Mary's

After visiting St. Mary's I walked over to King's College to see the chapel and some of the grounds. King's College Chapel is probably the most iconic image in Cambridge, and for a reason- it is absolutely breathtaking. From the King's College webpage: "It was started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build. It has the largest fan vault in the world and some of the finest medieval stained glass." I've visited a lot of churches and cathedrals since I've been in the UK, and King's College Chapel was one of my favorites so far. It was so bright and open. The beautiful stained glass and white stone looked so bright and heavenly with light coming in through the windows.

The rest of the King's College grounds were also spectacular. None but senior members of the college are allowed to walk on the grass, so it looks pristine. At the back of the college is the River Cam.

Next I visited St. John's College...

After leaving St. John's I wandered around the city center a bit, briefing stopping at Sidney Sussex College (where Oliver Cromwell went) and the Round Church, which was built in the 12th century (and it's not even the oldest building in Cambridge- that's St. Bene't's Church, but I didn't go there). 

St. John's College Chapel from outside the college

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly known as the Round Church

In the afternoon I went on a punting tour. On the tour I met a girl who was visiting from Cardiff. She told me that she thought I was a Cambridge student, which was pretty cool! We talked about our travels around the UK and studies in school. It was nice to have made a new friend, if only for a few hours.

For the tour, we started on the southern part of the River Cam and traveled north, getting a wonderful view of the famous backs of the colleges. Since I didn't go punting in Oxford, it was on my list of things to definitely do in Cambridge. 

King's College from the back

Swans on the River Cam

Bridge of Sighs and our punter, Sam!

By the time the punting tour was over it was starting to get dark, so I wandered around the market and shops for a while and enjoyed a cup of hot mulled wine before catching my train back home. 

Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone back home! I'm so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family back home!