Cambridge

Driving today was a bit different as we were diverted because of roadworks and for awhile we weren’t sure we were going the right way. The diversion was a long way out of the way we had anticipated but we followed the signs for most of the way and then put our faith in Doris and she didn’t steer us wrong. It added quite a bit of time to our journey but we got to see some lovely countryside. We finally arrived and found our accommodation where we left the car and went for a walk to find some lunch. This was in a pub as it was getting late and we needed something quickly.

As is our custom we walked the streets getting our bearings which wasn’t hard as Cambridge itself isn’t too big and with only a 2 night stay we weren’t venturing far out of the immediate area. The town is full of people on bicycles weaving in and out of traffic and we found that if you didn’t get out of their way they would almost run you over. Mind you no bell to warn they are approaching so you can get out of their way. 

The Common across from our hotel

 

The River Cam and some of the punting boats.

We walked along the river and watched some of the punting boats going by and it was very pleasant as it was a lovely sunny day. There were lots of people touting the punt rides but we thought we would leave that until the next day. As we walked back to the hotel we walked across one of the many open spaces in Cambridge called commons and on the bike path there is a counter of the bikes that pass each day. A very interesting way of seeing the impact of how many people pass by one spot every day.

Day 2  

Decided to take some photos of the counter just to show how many cyclists actually go past this one point. This wouldn't by any means be every cyclist in the city but just those that go past this one point.

In the morning

After we came back in the afternoon

After dinner

Our first task for the day was to send some of the guide books home that I had bought throughout our trip so far as we didn’t have room for them in our bags and they would also weigh them down. Well two post pack envelopes and 5 kg later they were gone. I wonder if they will beat us home.

We decided like in many other places to do a walking tour of Cambridge with one of the free ones available. As were early we did a bit of a look around near King’s College. When we were waiting a young girl approached Peter and asked if she could take a photo of him and his hat! She was doing a photography assignment on unusual hats! Well wasn’t Peter chuffed at that! I will never hear the end of it! Peter insists that it was an assignment on classic hats!

King's College

We started our walking tour with Richard which was very entertaining with lots of stories along the way but they all escaped me after a lady on the tour fell and severely broke her arm and wasn’t in a good state. So after waiting with the tour until the ambulance arrived, the tour was then abandoned. 

Pembroke College

We found some lunch and then decided on a punting tour. It was a nice way to finish an eventful day. The young man who was doing the punting was very interesting with stories about the colleges and the way Cambridge developed. The college system is quite different to the way we do things I think. There were quite a lot of boats on the river and when I asked him what it was like in summer he said that sometimes there were so many that it took a lot of manoeuvring to get them all around.

Loved the colour of the ivy on this building

Back of King's College

Mathematical Bridge

Bridge of Sighs not in Venice though

We had decided to have dinner at Jamie’s again so went to find out where it was in the city and it wasn’t hard to find.

Back to the hotel a bit of blogging and then dinner. Another day finished and we are on the downhill run to home.