Cambridge

Wednesday 3rd January 2018

After having Thai takeaways with Eric, Ollie and Row (our future flatmate who we met at Eric & Annas wedding in 2016) at Rows flat - and we can call it ours too as of next weekend we caught the underground to Mooregate station. From here we walked to Liverpool station which was where our train to Cambridge was departing from at 8.58pm. Eric, Lewis and I were heading up to Cambridge to stay with Erics brother Scotty for a few days as he is attending grad school there. The train ride was pretty effortless and we were able to catch up on some Netflix, sleep and some video editing since it took just over an hour. Seems we found out we caught the slow train that stopped at many stops along the way and there is one that is much more direct! Arriving into Cambridge at about 10.30pm it was dark, cold and rather windy and we decided to save some pounds and walk to Scottys place 20 minutes away. The sound of my suitcase going over the constant cobblestones was annoying and no doubt the small wheels of my samsonite suitcase will give up on me after one or two trips with all this bumping around. Scotty met us on the street and showed us the back way into his two bedroom apartment that literally looks right over the main square of Cambridge. There is a daily market and the rows of colourful tents line the space with shops and cafes all around it. It certainly has a different feel to when we visited Oxford. Despite it being reasonably late the boys thought it would be a nice idea to head to the local pub for a pint. This pub thing is taking a bit to get used to but they are actually very full of history and serve some reasonable food as well. Unfortunately after braving the cold and entering the pub we were told that they were closing and we went back home for a cup of tea and a catch up instead. We finally hit the sack just after midnight and Lew and I got to stay in Scottys spare bedroom whilst Eric took the pull out bed in the living room. 

Thursday 4th January

After such a late night none of us set a alarm or organised a time to get up but we all seemed to be awake by 10am. The three boys had planned to go for a run together since Lewis and Eric are both running marathons - Lewis in Edinburgh in May and Eric in Japan (Okinawa) next month, and Scotty mentioned completing some sort of half iron man in Atlanta towards the end of the year. I knew there wasn't a chance I would be able to keep up with these boys and the weather isn't exactly encouraging to get outside and exercise so I left my running gear back in London. They headed out for a couple of hours whilst I went down to my favourite supermarket Marks & Spencers for some breakfast supplies. Eric had promised to make a big english breakfast on their return but I wasn't going to last that long and picked up some fruit and bread for a snack. I could spend ages and a lot of money in that shop as there are so many different prepacked food ideas and cooking ingredients. Returning to the flat I put some hot cross buns on to cook which are my absolute favourites. I know its a little early in the year but im really not complaining, they are a staple item in our house come March/April! I also treated myself to some blueberries and mandarins whilst I waited for the boys to return. Just before midday they stumbled in the door red faced, sweaty and muddy but shortly after their arrival home the Davids brothers were in the kitchen preparing a feast for breakfast. There was everything from bacon, eggs, beans, toast, tomatoes and black pudding with some fruit salad to finish it off. We were rather spoilt and it felt like it was a relaxing Sunday morning when it was actually a Thursday! Thank goodness for unemployment and shift work right?! When we finally got our act together and tidied up the kitchen we headed out into the cold wind and sunlight straining through the clouds. Since Scotty is actually attending the University we decided to have a look around the Wren library and some of the colleges since having him with us was our free pass. The Wren library is the famous library belonging to Trinity College and built in 1695 by Christopher Wren. The visiting hours are very limited and they only let 15 people in at a time so we were lucky to get in just before closing time. Unfortunately you aren't allowed to take any photographs in there but it was the oldest collection of books I have ever seen with their leather bindings having to be held together with string in some cases. The main attraction Scotty brought us there to see was Isaac Newton’s notebook and the first edition copy of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica with handwritten notes for the second edition. It was all in a glass casing and not being so interested in physics myself it wasn't as mesmerising as it was for Lew as he had spent many many years at university using Newtons Law and he was a little more in awe of it. The library also has many other interesting books such as a large collection of medieval manuscripts and A.A Milne's manuscript of Winne-the-Pooh to name a few. Currently they are scanning all the books and making them all digital which I think is a brilliant idea looking at the state of some of them in the bookcases! Trinity College was closed to visitors from the entrance we came in from but Scotty said we would just be unassuming tourists and walk straight on in. Trinity College was founded in 1546 by King Henry 8th as two existing colleges were merged making it the second largest college at the University of Cambridge. It boasts a huge number of famous people amongst its alumni including Isaac Newton, Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr and two members of the royal family - Prince William of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Prince Charles, just to name a few familiar names. Cambridge famously competes against Oxford University in a large rowing regatta each year that takes place on the Thames in London, it's something I have always loved to watch on TV and hence it is on our list of things to do this year being free and close to home. But back to Trinity College itself since Scotty has been here before he was able to show us the main sights that people pay money for such as the dining hall - a typically large ornately decorated room similar to that in Harry Potter and like the one we saw in Oxford. We were going to take some photos but one of the gatekeepers was walking through the corridor at the same time and we were trying to look as if we belonged there. There was also Nevilles Court which is the one that the Wren library overlooks and as an old gentleman with a walking stick begun to stroll across the grass Scotty explained to use that the only people who are allowed to do so are university fellows and they usually do it just because they can! He also showed us the Great Court which is a beautiful grassy area with a fountain in the middle surrounded by old buildings including the chapel, dining hall, masters lodge, clock tower and the great gates. There is a tradition that takes place around this courtyard called The Great Court Run in which students try and run the 341 meters lap of the court in the 43 seconds that it takes for the clock to strike 12 o'clock. However, only two people have only ever managed to do so but it must be amusing to watch anyway! We left back out the back way past the Wren library and took a stroll around the manicured grounds looking back at the medieval buildings. I always wonder what buildings our descendants will look at with the same amazement and I struggle to think of anything with quite the intricacies, durability and display of pure skill. Like Oxford Cambridge has its own Bridge of Sighs build in 1831 and named after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice and the covered bridge across the river was quite spectacular, rumoured to be one of Queen Victoria's favourite spots. Once we left the colleges the next plan was to try and rent a boat and take ourselves out for some punting. It was windy and cold but we were keen to do something fun and a little risky. How risky could it really be with two Navy boys with us? Although we found out that because of the weather the current was a lot stronger than usual and they weren't renting any boats out to people today and only offered paid tours. That was too mainstream and boring so we thought we would just have to come back in the summer, cider in hand and punt the river. Scotty had the idea to go for tea and a scone at one of his favourite local places called Fitzbillies since it was just too miserable outside to continue wandering around. It was a cute wee place and certainly something Lew and I aren't used to doing on an afternoon but I have to admit I am always up for something sweet I haven't baked myself. With tea in hand (hot chocolate for Lew), scones and a macaroon for me we ventured into some deep conversations about renewable energy and climate change since this is what Scotty is going to be writing his dissertation about. There were some interesting concepts thrown around the table and Eric even had to use the cups and saucers as a demonstration to go with the noises he was using to explain things. We decided he must have been the small child that was always animating things with noises - especially gun shots or anything mechanical. Leaving tea we wanted to have a bit of down time back at the flat before heading out again. It was now pitch black and cold but thankfully not raining as we made our way back. A hour of so later we hired basically the Uber of bikes called Ofo which allows you to use an app and find one of the yellow bikes anywhere in the city, unlock it and ride it for 50p an hour ($1 NZD). Probably one of the more annoying things is that there isn't a particular bike stand for these bikes and you can just leave them wherever you want. Usually this would probably be quite good but we had to try and find three of them which meant we had to wander around the city for about 10 minutes before collecting three. Scotty brought his own one and we begun the small ride across town to the college Scotty belongs to called Wolfson College. They have a large snooker table which we were able to borrow and with a few beers Scotty taught us how to play. I won't go into too much detail but I will tell you the Kiwis won...surprisingly since Lew has me on his team. Biking back into town we headed to the local pub called The Eagle where the boys could get a pint and we could find something for dinner. It is a traditional English pub from the 16th century with an interesting history as it was a place frequented by many British Royal Air Force (RAF) officers during the second world war. There is even signatures and squadron numbers burnt onto the ceiling with candles along with photographs and crests covering the walls. In 1953 it was even the place scientists James Watson and Francis Crick first announced to the world they had discovered the secret of the world...the structure of DNA. Lew ordered a round of beers and we both went with the fish n chips with sides of mushy peas and tartare sauce whilst the others went with a burger and mac n cheese. The food came out fast and whilst it was most likely frozen fish it didn't taste half bad. Once we had spent a good hour or so there we headed out but not before Scotty added a crest to the wall from one of his extended family members squadron. The next pub on the list was one called the Maypole which was a short walk away. Scotty & Eric sampled another beer here whilst Lew and I shared a Franklin & Sons wild strawberry and Scottish raspberry soda which was just as divine as it sounds! The topic of conversation was rather deep and fascinating and included reminiscing on Eric, Anna & Johns trip out to NZ in summer 2014, younger siblings being overshadowed by older siblings and also the differences in when we decide to get married - basically why they feel the need to get married young in the States compared to us back in NZ who like to drag it out a bit longer and I guess really know every single thing about your future soulmate. Once it got to about 11pm we all walked back via the fish n chips shop down the road from Scottys since Eric was craving fish n chips after we ordered them in the pub. Unfortunately they had no fish left which was probably a good thing since when Lew asked whether they have fresh fish they laughed and said its frozen. Lew continued to ask where the fish came from and they replied something along the lines of "I have no idea, maybe the French sea?" perhaps don't buy your fish there! Returning to the flat I showered and the boys demolished the chips and the begun on a packet of corn chips and salsa. I guess that's what happens when you go for a huge run! It was well after midnight when we finally said goodbye not knowing when we will see Eric again since he is being deployed to Japan shortly but we promised to make it back to Colorado at some point when he returns.

Friday 5th January 

Eric had already left by the time we woke up and Scotty was just about to head to the train station himself to head to Copenhagen for the weekend with his girlfriend Charlotte. We managed to just catch him in time to say goodbye and to organise where we would leave the keys for him when he returns. His trip was rather spontaneous which means we get to house sit for an extra day since we had train tickets back to London on Saturday morning. After Scotty left Lew returned to bed and I called my parents since they have been down at Lake Benmore for the last few weeks with limited cell service so it has been awhile since we properly caught up. We ate toast, fruit and tea for breakfast wishing this small pad was in fact our own as this is exactly what we would want in London - much too far out of our price range though. We had a relaxing morning catching up with some computer work and enjoying the sunshine streaming through Scottys living room. Just after midday we dragged ourselves out to explore Cambridge since it was our final day and we had a few things on the list to do. We wandered around some of the shops getting Lew a haircut on the way whilst looking for any potential cute house items or clothes to bring back with us. There wasn't much within our price range so we continued our plan to walk to the nearby town of Grantchester where there is a small cafe Eric & Scotty recommended to us. It was beautiful getting out into the countryside and after walking for at least an hour we discovered a couple of Ofo's and thought we should bike the rest of the way. It was on the main road and since there isn't a law for helmets in the UK it didn't feel very safe biking on the road so Lew took us into one of the paddocks and we begun peddling and making our way along in the thick mud. It was certainly slower and made us work up a bit more of a sweat. It wasn't too far until we made it to the cafe called the Orchard which I think would be a lot more appealing in the summertime. Since it was 2pm and we were starving we figured we may as well stay and have some vegetable soup, a BLT and some tea before we biked back to Cambridge. It certainly wasn't anything special and I wish we had found something cool back in Cambridge but it was nice to get out in the fresh air. The bike home was absolutely the best part of the day as the sun streamed through the clouds and lit up the surrounding meadows and traditional english houses. We made it back into Cambridge a lot quicker since there was a pedestrian pathway we were biking on and once we got into the outskirts of town we were able to ditch the bikes and continue browsing the shops. We passed by Marks & Spencers as the sun begun to set and picked up a jar of curry sauce, rice and veggies to save us going out for dinner again. The rest of the night we caught up with some episodes of The Crown since we haven't had any internet in our house since we moved in before xmas and the data is really taking a hit. Tomorrow morning we take the train back to London and I start my first of three night shifts. Monday, Lew also starts some temporary data entry job whilst he waits to hear back from his potential job with an awesome start up company called Andiamo. Then next weekend we move into our new flat in Stockwell, exciting times ahead and we can't wait to be a bit more settle and closer to the atmosphere of central London.