Cambridge
[2007.07.07] Cambridge is situated about 50 miles northeast of London. From King Cross station in central London to Cambridge, it just takes 45 minutes of direct train. One programer, who sits next to me in John Lewis office, was graduated from Cambridge Univ - Emmanuel College; and he told me yesterday where to go and what to see in Cambridge.
There are more than a dozen of colleges in Cambridge. I visited Emmanuel College, Christ’s College as I walked along St Andrew’s street. Both are quite small, a small wooden door opens to a square courtyard with building surrounding at 4 sides; go past another door, get to the backyard garden. I am a little surprised, well, that’s one college?
Cross the Market street, which is very living with students in Shakespear’s character custumes, and tourists wandering around the markets looking for gifts. The King’s college attracts most of attentions because of its magnificant church’s style structure. There lines up Clare College, Trinity Hall, and a narrow cobbled alley connects to Trinity College. All of those colleges charges a permission fee to get into the campus (which is usually a courtyard, a backyard and buidling surround them.
I paid 2 pounds to get into Trinity College and took a couple of photos. I met several Chinese people. One of them is studying here as her mom was very proud of telling me about that. She mentioned a college name, but I just said “never heard of it”. She told that St John’s College, Trinity College and King’s College are the top three colleges, and it is too hard to get into the top three ones.
I continued to St John’s but it is closed to public. Just followed the crowd a little further, some students were soliciting the Punting - it is the boat (called punt) riding on river Cam! The river Cam runs behind all the colleges and connects them with large green ground on other side - which is called “The Backs”.
Not long ago, David was reciting Xu Zimo’s “Goodbye again, Cambridge!”. I am recalling the poem and trying to envision the river Cam into that kind of mode. But actually, the river is pretty narrow; and the punts collides with each from time to time. It was a great ride, seeing all those great college’s backyards on the river and had a very good view of entire campuses. There are many bridge cross the river, among which the famous ones are “the mathematical bridge”, “the bridge of Signs” and “the Cambridge”.
After the punting, I got a table outside of Galleria restaurant, which sits at river Cam. I could watch people punting on river Cam and people walking/stopping on Cambridge. It was one lunch with a great view.
On the way back, I visited the Peterhouse, which is the oldest college in Cambridge (est. in 1284). Again, the same style of courtyard, backyard and surrounding buildings. The cobbled path in the courtyard makes me remember the old “temple” in my villege, which has a cobble-stone courtyard.
During the history of Cambridge, many people, such as Newton, made great impact to the advancement of mankind history. The river Cam flows day after day, year after year, and Cambridge continues to inspire all people in the world.