Today we rose early, as our architecture class was to meet at 8:30 instead of the usual 10:30 a.m. This was a class not to be missed, so we made the effort, dashed to breakfast, and assembled in the classroom with Dr. Will. After a brief lecture with some slides and a handout showing us what we were about to see, we set out walking to view more of the beautiful architecture of the city.
First was the Gate of Honor at Gonville and Caius College. (Caius is Kees, appropriately Latinized, of course.) This structure is a hodge-podge of different architectural styles and is a true curiosity.
Onward we went to the true treat of the day, the Wren Library of Trinity College. Designed by Christopher Wren, this building is truly a gem. Even more exciting to us was the opportunity we had by special permission to view some of the collection in this library. Usually open to visitors only between the hours of noon and 2:00 p.m., the Wren is a working research library that carefully preserves the ability of scholars to work undisturbed. Dr. Will, who is a graduate of Trinity College, worked some magic and we were allowed a half hour to browse the gems on display. They include a handwritten draft of "Winnie the Pooh" (both A.A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin Milne, attended Trinity College), first editions of "Frankenstein" and Isaac Newton's Principia, and a "Robinson Crusoe." Those who know me will understand that this was a near-transcendental experience. Again, OLLI at FSU Travel Abroad provided a unique opportunity, one not available to most travelers.And as we left the College, Dr. Will pointed out exactly where Prince Charles bunked in when he was a student - and also where Dr. Will's room was - only a few doors away.
Returning to Corpus Christi College, we went back to our room and had a bit of toes up while we did some laundry. It has been very hot in Cambridge (though nothing like Tallahassee heat), and a little break was most welcome. Laundry done, we headed to the dining hall for lunch, then to our 1:00 p.m. Churchill class. Today we moved Churchill through World War II, and will pick up tomorrow with the Stalin meeting, and conclude the study of his life. Fascinating!
As soon as class was dismissed, we moved to the main gate and caught taxis to Grantchester. Some of you probably watch the PBS series of the same name, and yes, this is the village featured in the TV show. Much of the filming is done in Grantchester and in Cambridge. We went into the church that is featured (and it is a beauty, at least one section of it having been completed in 1100 A.D., with most of the rest of it built by the end of the 14th century.) Sure enough, just inside the church, which is a working church, there is a big poster for "Grantchester," the series!
Grantchester is a lovely village, and we understand it is home to more Nobel laureates per square mile than any other city in the world. (I'm pretty sure we didn't see any of them, but then we probably wouldn't have recognized them anyway.) After the church, we walked down to the tearoom, which is a small building set in an apple orchard - yes, with apples on the trees - where tables and chairs are set about on the lawn for patrons to sit and drink tea and eat scones with clotted cream and jam. What fun!
After this delightful experience, we took a deep breath and tackled the walk back to Cambridge. Yes, we walked. There is a footpath through the meadows of Grantchester, along the River Cam. We moved through many gates in many fences, saw many cows (with the expected number of cow patties), many sheep, swans and geese, and at least one turkey vulture. Young people were swimming in the river, jumping from trees into deep pools, sunning on the bank, eating, drinking, playing with dogs, and just generally enjoying the fine weather which isn't so characteristic of England, even in the summertime.
This was such a beautiful walk, but it was long and we were pretty spent by the time we returned to our room. We agreed to meet with a few friends in half an hour to seek dinner, and after a most enjoyable meal in a Greek restaurant, we all turned in. Our last day is tomorrow, and we don't want to miss a thing!
P.S. We had a small thunderstorm this evening and apparently the lightning set off the fire alarms in our building. That was fun - assembled outside the entrance in our pajamas in the drizzle. Never a dull moment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment