Cambridge

July 1, 2003

Today we were headed to Cambridge, the old city of education. After some confusion between the Paddington and King Cross stations for the origination of trains to Cambridge, we took the morning train from King Cross. The train ride took us through crowded London and then through the picturesque English countryside. It was very green with full of trees, shrubs and plants with beautiful flowers. There were numerous farms with cows and sheep. This was England at its best. We reached Cambridge in a hour. Not surprisingly it was cloudy. 

We took a bus tour which would take us through a circular route of the city where we could get on and off. We sat on the open top of the double Decker bus and were awed by the sights of Cambridge. This was a much smaller town with old buildings and narrow streets. The plants were lush green. We got a brief introduction of the University and its system. The University consists of numerous colleges which are boarding houses. The classes and examination are conducted by the University. The students are enrolled by colleges. Cambridge has a big rivalry with its other famous cousin, Oxford. Cambridge itself was found by rebellious Oxford students. 

The building of King's College was magnificent. The green lawns at the back of it gave it a regal look and feel. We got down at the town center. We wandered from one college to another. We were delighted to finally see the famous colleges like Trinity college, Kings college, Queens College. All the colleges were lined in a row along a narrow street. The buildings were huge and architecturally very significant. Each college was built over different centuries by different Kings and Queens. The entrances had huge gates with beautifully carved insignias. Each college had its charm and awe. They certainly looked exclusive. Entrance to all colleges were prohibited but for some which charged a fee. 

The highlight of the trip was a one hour walking tour of Cambridge and its colleges. We were lucky to be the only ones for the conducted tour. The guide was a well dressed and learned Englishman. He gave a very informative tour of all the colleges. We learnt how the Kings and Queens established colleges in their honor over different centuries. We got a glimpse into the lives of students over the centuries.We got a glimpse into the lives of students over the centuries. For most part all the universities were driven by religion till the modern era. We also got a glimpse of the violent past of the town with revolts and executions. We were really in awe of all the colleges.  All of us wanted to stay back and enroll into one of the colleges! It is interesting to note that Isaac Newton's apple tree was still alive in front of Trinity College.

In the afternoon we wound down into a beautiful English tea house in a narrow lane opposite the holy Trinity College. We were served with fine tea and with one of the best Ginger breads I have had for a long time. It was a relaxing moment in our trip where we took our time chatting and relishing the moment. 

After tea we crossed across the colleges to see the Cambridge river. The river itself is narrow but very green on either side. The colleges were on one side and their manicured gardens on the other side. people were on punts which are small narrow boats. It was a beautiful photographic moment. We roamed around for a while by which time it had started raining. We took the last tour bus back to the railway station. 

The train journey back was peaceful, offering beautiful views of the countryside. One striking feature of the train journeys in UK and around have been the people who have been patient and extremely quiet. But in a way, train journeys aren't that interesting compared to other parts of the world. 

Click here to see all photos from Cambridge