We had a fabulous day in Cambridge. We drove from our B&B and used the cities Park and Ride, which is the only way to go as there is no parking at all anywhere near these towns. Another red bus tour, I will have to review each one on trip advisor, but we think these are about the best way to familiarise yourself with a city or town before you take off on your own. Stops some of the aimless wanderings. That's some, not all!
Cambridge is the younger of the two universities, only starting around 1223! Suffice to say, the history is well and truly mind boggling. But the town is gorgeous. The buildings are quite beautiful, and those along the river are set back, surrounded in gardens and lawns. A great place for picnics. We went punting on the Cam. Greg was more than happy with our punter, a lovely looking cech girl, who was knowledgeable about everything along the river, and a very good punt driver! There are punts where you can try your own hand at navigating, but, the river is full of punts with family's, friends and tourists going sideways, crashing or stuck under trees. Hard to see how they could possibly take in the view, let alone the history? Anyway, we had a ball! After a long walk around town, we found an old pub called The Eagle and a had a couple of beers. Now the pub has a bar named the RAF bar. Apparently, during the blitz in WWII, during blackout with lights out, candles burning and curtains closed, the Airmen would climb on tables and write names, messages and squadran details on the ceiling. The ceiling is covered and those details are still there. At the time we were there, an old RAF member was there with his family reminiscing. So good. Anyway, after the beer we had another good look around (yes, we got lost). We finally found out transport homeward.
The following day, we backed up and went to Oxford. Same thing, Park and Ride, the big red bus tour. Oxford is a bigger township than Cambridge and perhaps not as pleasant? At least it appears to us to be anyway? The history of the place is amazing. Again, the buildings are very impressive and enormous. You notice that Cambridge mirrored a lot of what Oxford started. A number of colleges are the same, whilst they both have copied the Bridge Of Sighs from Venice! The lists of Oxford scholars is exhausting, whilst they have produced Prime Ministers, Presidents and Nobel Prize winners to of all parts of the world. They have found cures to diseases, split atoms and created classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Narnia Chronicles and Lord of the Rings. But not only that, Mr Morris set up his motor car production factory in the city..this is where the Morris Minor and the MG were created!
Anyway, walking around is exhausting, and a couple of beers sitting in the 24 degree sunshine were in order. We then went to the 'Alice' shop. Lewis Carroll, who was a mathematics lecturer at Oxford, used to go with his friends family on picnics and tell stories to their three children. One of them was named 'Alice'. He later would buy sweets for the children at the this very same shop. The shop is now all things Alice in Wonderland! Apparently, Queen Victoria requested Lewis Carrol to dedicate his next book to her. Being a mathematics wiz, his next book was a text on algera or some such. Queen Vic was not impressed! Anyway, we were again to our B&B for a well earned rest after another great day!
Our verdict, Cambridge is the current front runner.
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