Cambridge’s Granddaddy

King’s College is the granddaddy of Cambridge and the most photographed. It’s due mostly to the cathedral, which is quite impressive. It is, however, at least for me, difficult to get pictures that truly convey the light, airy feel of this structure. But you will at least get a sense of it from the following. There are other pics of the college as well, not just the church.

From the street

Still on the street

Inside the cathedral

King Henry VIII had a large hand in the church

The organ sits in the middle of the length of the church

Really quite incredible

The yard outside the church and looking toward the street

From the back entrance

Looking from King’s College toward Clare College and Senate House

Church from the yard

Looking at the back side with the River Cam behind us

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Cambridge’s Christ College

Many of the colleges have famous people associated with them. One of Christ College’s is Darwin. It is an attractive college.

This garden is dedicated to Darwin

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Lavenham 2

Now that we are home, I have had a little time today to look at my pictures from England. Here are a few more from Lavenham.

Incredible wood carved detail on the guild hall

So cute!

There is quite a large church just outside of town that is impressive

It dominates the land from miles around

This handsome building had brick in between the timbers rather than wattle and daub

Bricks apparently don’t help it stand up straight!

Nice street off the beaten path

The End!

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Lavenham

There is, some 35-40 miles east of Cambridge, the improbable town of Lavenham. This former wool town, once one of the richest in England, is just so much fun to see. Like so many towns preserved by poverty after its boom, much of the original architecture remains. As a result there is this wonderful town of 15th-17th century buildings all leaning at dizzying angles complemented by delightful colors.

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Cambridge – Eating at ‘Home’

When we arrived in Cambridge we soon met another couple just arriving in the neighboring apartment. What fun to learn they are Italian, living outside of Milan. Andrea is a techno wiz and helped Richard, our host, set up WiFi in our apartment – a long, challenging process. While that was going on Laura, who teaches English to Italian children, was interpreting a letter Kristi had found written by an Italian during World War I. Before we knew it Andrea and Laura had invited is to dinner the next night, cooked by them. Richard brought wine, we brought wine and antipasti. Laura and Andrea cooked carbonara, which I now know how to make, and turkey stuffed with ham and cheese. I love that we had this Italian connection here in Cambridge – and we ate well!

Richard, Andrea, Laura and Kristi

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Pembroke College

We saw a number of colleges including the iconic King’s College yesterday, but it was Pembroke that we liked best. Though Christopher Wren’s first building ever is the chapel here, it was the gardens, lawns and Victorian buildings that grabbed our attention.

Love how the shadows from all the towers and chimneys look on the lawn.

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Limoncello in Cambridge

We arrived in Cambridge yesterday, got to our apartment and went looking for lunch. We found Limoncello, a little slice of Italy where we had a great lunch. This place has a half dozen wonderful pestos, olive bar, meats, cheese, fabulous bread, grocery items. Just wonderful.

The wall and ceiling painted with lemons.

Limoncello, 212 Mill Road, Cambridge

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Eating in Oxford

For a time I wrote reviews on Trip Advisor. I’ve decided not to do that anymore. I used to do it to try to help those great places I liked and wanted to do well. The down side to that is that, to the extent I am successful, with a site like Trip Advisor and its huge audience, it overwhelms the place and makes it less enjoyable to visit – at least in my opinion.

So I thought better to highlight those places I like here on my blog and reach my small audience, who, if they visit, will enjoy the qualities that I liked. So here are places I enjoy in Oxford. Let me say that all of these are outside of downtown, which is overloaded with tourists and just no fun to be in – unless you are taking pictures of the amazing architecture. All of my picks below except the last one, are south of downtown in a wonderfully multiethnic neighborhood.

* Rick’s Cafe Patisserie, 90 Cowley Rd., cozy, good coffee, free WiFi, friendly, great music.

* Door 74, 74 Cowley Rd., excellent restaurant with a fun, progressive menu.

* Everest Nepalese Restaurant, 147_151Howard St., our favorite restaurant because the food is so authentic and full of subtle, different flavors. You can end up eating typical Indian food here, so ask them for recommendations on Nepalese. Lemon rice, something I’ve had nowhere else, is fabulous.
* Oxfork, 39 Magdalen Rd., cafe full of personality, friendly people, and good food.

* Kaz Bar, Cowley Rd., near the circle. Tapas. Excellent food, good wine.

* Rusty Bicycle pub, corner of Magdalen and Hurst, cozy neighborhood place with great selection of beers and way above average pub food.

* Cape of Good Hope pub, at the circle where Cowley and Iffley Roads intersect. Great beers, can sit outside in front and back. Food is average.

*Fir Tree pub, Iffley road, nice,  independent pub with different beers.

There is an area north and east of the center called Jericho. We have explored it some, though it is quite a distance from our neighborhood. It is a charming area. This year I had a nice lunch at
*Jericho Cafe, 112 Walton St.

Happy eating and drinking!!

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Sun in Oxford

Two days ago it was sunny and hot. Then yesterday it was sunny and perfect. I got out and took some pics in the sun. First up was to get into town and get on the canal that runs from downtown to the Thames.

Then there were views across the botanical garden and the field behind Christ Church.

Then there was Oriel College.

And Lincoln College.

(Not sure if these pics will be the right orientation or not.) Back to St. Edmund Hall. The church is the second oldest in Oxford dating to about 1040.

Then on to Aston’s Eyot, the island  owned be Christ Church, once a dump, now a nature preserve.

Above are boat houses on the right across the channel and, way beyond, Oxford. Below is the delightful spot I found right on the river, perfectly hidden but with a view out.

My feet dangling above the water and a dragonfly.

Today’s our last day in Oxford. It’s been lovely!

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This and That in Oxford

It is so fun to visit a place and see what is different. It is a great way to reflect on your own place and experience, providing some useful perspective. Here are a few random things.

There are lots of bikes here. Wonderful and scary! We’ve never seen a collision, but the proximity of the huge buses and cyclists is not for the faint of heart.

They are just so much more energy conscious than we. Since our last visit two years ago, they have gone in for electric hybrid buses in a big way.

There is also a real love for and connection to the outdoors. Just behind our little neighborhood is Kidney Park on the Thames, sometimes called the Isis right where we are.

Kidney Park top and the Thames with a footpath on the other side and all kinds of activity on the water.

I love the wonderfully contained spaces of many of the colleges as well as the backyard of the guest house we are staying in. So I’m getting ideas for our own backyard, building a brick wall to contain the space and using it as a backdrop for plantings. Just so much more beautiful than a wood fence! Have to add masonry to my repertoire tho! So I’ve been looking at brickwork.

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