Modern architecture, the Fitzwilliam, and the naked mole-rat - August 25, 2016

Today, alas, was our last day in Cambridge. We catch the bus at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow for the trip to Heathrow, then Atlanta, then home. As with any truly wonderful experience, we are very sad it's over. In fact, we all agree - another week would be just about right! (Unfortunately, we just didn't bring enough medication ....)

We began the day with a leisurely breakfast in the dining hall, a little packing, then off to our last architecture class. Dr. Will focused on the modern buildings in Cambridge, that is, those that have been built in the last 75 or so years. I have been much taken with Dr. Will's thinking on the subject of modernism, and his belief that what is new will one day be old, and that we have something of an obligation to preserve these fine examples of 20th and 21st century architectural trends - just as we do those of the 10th century.

We walked a bit farther than we've been before, and viewed the mostly glass homes of the classics, history and law faculties. We saw some definite parallels to the Spring House in Tallahassee (Frank Lloyd Wright), although of course much larger. The law faculty building is truly a work of art, a soaring, curving tower of glass.

A short walk away we got a look at the University Library (called the UL by those in the know), which is one of five or so national copyright institutions; that is, every book published in the United Kingdom must have at least one copy in these libraries. We had quite an interesting discussion about the spatial conundrum that Cambridge will face in the future!

After a quick walk back through one of Cambridge's many green spaces, we grabbed a sandwich and a drink in the Pelican, then headed to our final Churchill class. How interesting that has been! As we moved through the last years of Churchill's life, we moved into years where most of our group were alive and of which most have memories. I believe our only regret about this class is that we didn't have more time to really engage in discussion with our instructor. (This is a common regret with OLLI classes - we can't seem to quell our passion for pretty much any subject under the sun.)

This afternoon we were given free time to roam about, take a nap, finish packing, shop, or whatever. Mike and I chose to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum, a true gem here in Cambridge. Following the lesson we learned so well in Florence, we headed for the parts of the museum that interested us most: always the French impressionists, of course, and also the special exhibit of illustrated manuscripts, many of which are over a thousand years old. This we lingered over until our feet just couldn't stand much longer. We ducked out and walked down the street towards a tearoom we had wanted to try, and on the way discovered Peterhouse, the oldest college in the university. We peeked in, took some photos, then proceeded to Fitzbillie's (love that name), where I had a celebratory glass of Prosecco and a Chelsea bun. Mike tried an organic beer and pronounced it eminently drinkable. Fun - as our times with just the two of us always are.

So back to our room to finish packing, then headed to the final treat of the week - the lecture on the naked mole-rat. This was absolutely fascinating, and so perfect for our group. Naked mole-rat research is very promising, as this species of mole-rat is extremely cancer-resistant (almost no instances), appears to be very pain-resistant, and can be deprived of oxygen for a significant period of time with no loss of brain cells or function. The implications for pain management and prevention of neuro-degenerative diseases is pretty astonishing. Not surprisingly, we hung on the lecturer's every word! (I encourage readers to Google Cambridge naked mole-rat research to see some pretty cool National Geographic videos and read more about this.)

After the lecture and a brief presentation of Official Cambridge Certificates, of which we are all very proud, we adjourned to The Eagle for food and drink. So much fun! Nick, Andy and Paul, who have taken such good care of us all week, joined us. We are going to miss those guys. What good sports! And very kind and patient with us.

Now we are back in our room, closing our suitcases, setting the alarm for zero dark thirty in the morning. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends - but will surely miss this very special place.