So our time in Cambridge is coming to an end, and soon we will be heading south.
We find ourselves a little melancholy, as four months have flown by and we have adapted to a Cambridge rhythm of life. We have begun to feel quite at home here. Alongside this post are pictures of some of our favorite spots.
Not having a car, we did a lot of walking, and almost daily shopping for dinner. We had our favorite stores, shops, and bakeries, and especially loved the open air central market in the city centre.
Not having a TV, we spent more time out at various events, or could linger over a pre-dinner pint at a pub. At home, we did more reading, or played the occasional card game. The absence of the TV has been a nice change. On the down side, I guess we've missed out on some of British culture (and back in the U.S. we love some of the Brit-coms like "As Time Goes By" and "Vicar of Dibley"). But on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we tried to remedy that a little by diving into the many sections of the London Times. The writing in the newspapers here is fun-- more sarcastic, blunt and saucy than in U.S. newspapers.
My work went well at the Woolf Institute-- lots of time in various Cambridge libraries. I did a lot of good research and even completed an article for the magazine published by the Institue itself-- "Perspectives"-- which will come out early next fall. We also spent time at the Beaufort Institute, the Roman Catholic presence in the Cambridge Divinity School. Deb audited a class there, they welcomed us for Mass and dinner sometimes, and I led a seminar for their students one evening.
Olivia has become an excellent home school student. She has become an avid reader, and she and Deb took full advantage of the Cambridge public library.
Not having much money, we had something of a Who-ville Christmas. We all did some creative shopping on a tight budget, and decorated the flat with a homemade paper tree and other decorations. We also attended the "Nine Lessons and Carols" service at King's College chapel-- it was just exquisite. Below is a picture of us at the Eagle Pub on New Year's Eve, outside under the heat lamps. The Eagle is a wonderful place-- a great British feel inside, with a lot of history. Watson and Crick announced their discovery of DNA at the Eagle over a few pints. To steal a line from a tour guide: They actually did what most of us only think we can do after a few beers-- hold forth on the secret of life.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. We will try to keep posting as we tour around Europe on the train for a few weeks.
Not having a car, we did a lot of walking, and almost daily shopping for dinner. We had our favorite stores, shops, and bakeries, and especially loved the open air central market in the city centre.
Not having a TV, we spent more time out at various events, or could linger over a pre-dinner pint at a pub. At home, we did more reading, or played the occasional card game. The absence of the TV has been a nice change. On the down side, I guess we've missed out on some of British culture (and back in the U.S. we love some of the Brit-coms like "As Time Goes By" and "Vicar of Dibley"). But on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we tried to remedy that a little by diving into the many sections of the London Times. The writing in the newspapers here is fun-- more sarcastic, blunt and saucy than in U.S. newspapers.
My work went well at the Woolf Institute-- lots of time in various Cambridge libraries. I did a lot of good research and even completed an article for the magazine published by the Institue itself-- "Perspectives"-- which will come out early next fall. We also spent time at the Beaufort Institute, the Roman Catholic presence in the Cambridge Divinity School. Deb audited a class there, they welcomed us for Mass and dinner sometimes, and I led a seminar for their students one evening.
Olivia has become an excellent home school student. She has become an avid reader, and she and Deb took full advantage of the Cambridge public library.
Not having much money, we had something of a Who-ville Christmas. We all did some creative shopping on a tight budget, and decorated the flat with a homemade paper tree and other decorations. We also attended the "Nine Lessons and Carols" service at King's College chapel-- it was just exquisite. Below is a picture of us at the Eagle Pub on New Year's Eve, outside under the heat lamps. The Eagle is a wonderful place-- a great British feel inside, with a lot of history. Watson and Crick announced their discovery of DNA at the Eagle over a few pints. To steal a line from a tour guide: They actually did what most of us only think we can do after a few beers-- hold forth on the secret of life.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. We will try to keep posting as we tour around Europe on the train for a few weeks.
2 comments:
Speaking of Hogwarts and Harry Potter related things... did you know that the scene from Half-Blood Prince, where Harry and Dumbledore are searching for the Horcrux in a sea cave was filmed at the Cliffs of Moher?? You can see this cave on a Cliffs of Moher Cruise http://www.cliffs-of-moher-cruises.com/
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