Cambridge

After Oxford, we headed to Cambridge. Tony, an old friend from college who I hadn’t seen in something like 30 years kindly offered to let us stay in their beautiful guest house, which is right in the middle of town.

Tony and his wife Alison have two kids who are about the same age as ours, so over a lovely dinner, we shared our experiences with the confusing process of getting teenagers launched into the world.

Tony recently became a fellow at Trinity Hall, and the next morning he gave us a fascinating tour of the university. We got to see lots of interesting places which are off the tourist path, including his college’s fellow’s garden which gave him a chance to use his special key for the first time. He also regaled us with lots of great stories about his days at Cambridge. These included punting, hacks, croquet, and of course the May Balls.

After that we all had lunch “in college”. The student’s dining hall at Trinity Hall is undergoing a renovation, so they eat in a tent this year, but the faculty still have their wonderful dining hall, and the food and company were great.

After lunch we had a little time to right the world’s wrongs over coffee before he headed to his next class and we hit the road to Bath. The one problem with these whirlwind trips is that each stop always seems too short.