Turning the Page: Cambridge

There is something about university campuses, no matter where they are, that make them both charming and impressive.

Oxford has been one of my favorite trips thus far, so I was looking forward to visiting Cambridge, another equally prestigious and infamous university. First off, our tour guide made it very clear that the "other college" (Oxford) was far inferior and not to be mentioned. I thought OSU and U of O had a rivalry, but this far exceeds ducks versus beavers...by some hundreds of years!

The official records cite Cambridge University as beginning around 1200, which keeps it just behind Oxford as the oldest university in Western Europe, much to the chagrin of Cambridge fans. There are 31 colleges in the Universtiy with just over 20,000 undergraduate and post graduate students.

We started the day with a tour around the town and into King's College and Chapel.

I can't get enough of old buildings' brick, doors and windows.

Entrance to Queens' College. Our tour guide made sure we noted the plural "Queens" of Cambridge rather than the singular "Queen's" of Oxford. This college was founded in 1448 by Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou and then again in 1465 by Edward IV's wife Elizabeth Woodville.

The barbed wire on the bottom was put in place to enforce the students' strict curfew. This didn't really work however, because students created a Night Climbers club, and actually published a book of their adventures!

Cambridge has a rich science history, including the discovery of the electron!

The Eagle pub and inn dates back to the 14th Century and was a popular place for scientists and academics to take a break.

The Corpus Clock at Corpus Christi. It's a little hard to see through the glare of the glass but it's a grasshopper that moves along the gold wheel to keep time.

Next stop was King's College and Chapel. The chapel is most recognizable and famous building in Cambridge, and for very good reasons.

Outside on the way into King's College

Little shops across the lawn from King's College. The grass was pristine and once again we were warned to keep off ;)

The College was originally founded by Henry VI in 1441 and the Chapel was completed by subsequent kings, Richard III and Henry VII after Henry VI's murder in 1471. He wanted the chapel to be simply decorated, an aesthetic that was clearly not followed through with. Just look at the ornate stained glass!

The painting at the alter is a Rubens from 1641 "Adoration of the Magi"

King's College

Have I mentioned how much I love colleges and English towns?!

Outside Clare College.

I thought I should include a photo of the cobblestone streets I have been walking on for most of these trips!

This is the Senate House, where official college meetings are now held.

Oh how I love the flower boxes!

In the afternoon, we had a tour in a punting boat on the river Cam. (Cam+Bridge...rather original naming, eh?) Although I wanted to try punting for myself, our tour guide told us several harrowing, (and hilarious) stories of visitors who have fallen in so I was glad to be lead by someone who knew what he was doing!

Queens' College with the Mathematical Bridge, which was originally constructed by math students with only wooden pegs instead of metal screws or nails.