City Guide | Cambridge, UK

Plants and Punts in Cambridge

I recently took a day trip to Cambridge. He's going to hate me for mentioning him, but this trip was a present from my boyfriend to celebrate my birthday, and I am so grateful to him for everything, especially for getting me out of London! Food, sun, punting and poking around the beautiful old buildings were top of my priorities list. Little did I know that there were some plants waiting for me too...

Welcome to the new look blog! I have a hell of a way to go with the formatting - apologies for the weird positioning of the text and photos. If you're interested in where I got the template, click here.

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Arriving

We drove up from London via car, but if I didn't have this option I would have taken the train. This takes about an hour and a half and can cost anywhere from 11 to 30 pounds each with a railcard discount, depending on how far in advance you book. I talk a little about youth railcards in my Tips to Save Money in London post. Whether you're driving or getting public transport, the centre of town is very close to the station. We parked at the train station and it took us about 10 minutes to reach the University's public gardens. From there it is another 20 walk North West towards the centre of town.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

The University Gardens are 40 acres of lush green beauty in the middle of the city. The highlight for me was, or course, the glasshouses. 
They are open everyday from 10am, and close at 4,5 or 6pm depending on the season. Unfortunately you do have to pay to get in, but if you're visiting town  fiver won't feel like a rip off. They also do the usual concessions and student discounts. 

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Desert vs. Jungle

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I couldn't take many photos inside the glasshouse because the humidity was starting to fog up my camera lens. I like to call this last one Jungle Fever, although neither of us had malaria... 

Architecture

When I was deciding whether to visit Cambridge or Oxford (which I still want to see!) I learned that while Oxford was a town which included a university, Cambridge was a university before the town grew around it. This interested me because if Cambridge was anything like Dunedin back home in New Zealand, I knew the layout of the city would have the campus at its centre, therefore there would be beautiful old buildings in the heart of the city, and be easy to walk around. The Fitzwilliam Museum (pictured below) was somewhere I wanted to visit after hearing good things. It is only closed on Monday's but, naturally, that was the day we were there.

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Another must-see was the famous King's College Chapel with its fan vaulted ceiling. Along with Anglesey Abbey, this was something I wanted to see but didn't have enough time for. Maybe next time. 



Punting on the River Cam

Oh gee, I wonder how Cambridge got its name? Cam-bridge. The river is called Cam. I don't like tour-type activities or being in situations that scream 'look at me I'm a tourist' but punting on the river is actually really lovely. There are some tours you can take with a guide (who does all the hard work of punting the boat) who will give you a bit of a history lesson about the university and its buildings. They may not give you real historical facts, but it is still informative, casual and a fun thing to do. There is something about the water and being on boats that is intrinsically calming, don't you think? 

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Me: 'let's take a selfie.'  Him: 'She's 100% gonna drop the camera in the river'

People say this is a romantic activity, but I'm not so sure. There are other people in your boat wearing bright red rain jackets and taking photos (where you know there is a good chance at least one of your body parts and half of your face will feature when he comes to show them to his family back home), and a man with a massive stick standing behind you asking if you like the All Blacks. Perhaps if you have the time an patience, hiring your own boat and pushing yourself about the river in a couple-y sort of way may tug on a few more heartstrings. 

Dinner |  Bedouin

I fancied Moroccan food, so we had dinner at Bedouin, a Moroccan style restaurant on Mill Road which resembled the inside of a tent. I enjoyed a tajine of apricots and beef, with couscous and green beans and a beer. Ade had the lamb cutlet with chips. All the tableware had the name of the place hand painted on, I felt like a Moroccan Princess, all was fabulous. A few tips if you decide to eat here; they are cash only, although there is a cash point around the corner, and the tables and chairs are pretty low. In summary; no plastic, no tall friends.

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I had a brilliant day. Thanks for reading, let me know if you visit!

x G x