2020-08-03

800 lat historii w jeden dzień, czyli co zobaczyć w Cambridge? ********** 800 years of history in one day - what to see in Cambridge?

 Language #1 - Read in English      Language #2 - Czytaj po polsku


I landed at Stansted Airport in the morning and my friend who lives in London could not see me until the evening. I checked beforehand if I could find anything interesting within one-hour journey maximum from Stansted. And here you are. Half an hour by train from the airport is one of the most famous university cities. WOW. One way tickets start from 11 pounds.
I immediately directed my first steps to the University Botanical Garden. Certainly in the other seasons, it is much more interesting, but it was still worth it.
The decision to establish a garden in this place was made in 1831 (previously the garden was located in the city centre and existed since 1762), but it wasn't until 1846 that the landscape architects began working on the project. It covers an area of 16 hectares and houses over 8,000 species of plants, grouped into themed gardens. It also has greenhouses in which tropical plants grow.
The highlight of the cold months is the Winter Garden. Its origins date back to 1979, and its colours show that winter in the garden does not have to be boring or monotonous.
Rubus thibetanus 'Silver fern'
Mahonia japonica 'Japanese mahonia'
Daphne odora 'Aureo marginata'
Galanthus L. 'Snowdrop'

The King's College Chapel is the symbol of Cambridge and the oldest building that has survived to this day from the King's College complex. The above-mentioned college was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, and construction of the chapel began in 1446. After historical turmoil, it was completed after 100 years, during the time of Henry VIII. Architecture has features of late English Gothic. It has wonderful stained glass windows, as well as the world's largest fan vault.
The green space on both sides of the river Cam is called the Backs. 
Sailing on a flat-bottom boat (a so-called punting) on the Cam River is an interesting alternative for viewing university buildings. It is good to take a break from sightseeing on foot and rest on the boat for a while. Quite a long moment actually, because the trip usually lasts about an hour. Take a deep breath and relax.
I had a great time searching for bridges. Cambridge has 25 bridges. No, I didn't cross them all, though it would certainly be an interesting experience. The most famous are easily found. They are in the centre side by side :)

Mathematical Bridge in Queen's College
Clare College Bridge
The Bridge of Sights, St John's College
The Kitchen Bridge, St John's College
Walking around the city, you can easily come across Newton's Apple Tree. Located at Trinity College, where Newton attended. The tree was grown from a seedling of the original tree that grows at Newton's family home (Woolsthorpe Manor House) in Lincolnshire. 
Corpus Clock is a must-see. For me, this is at least a strange and disturbing vision of time escaping. In the evening it looks beautiful, although the lighting gives it a diabolical image. I don't know why it moved me so much? Maybe because not so long ago I noticed how fast life goes by ...
Time passes quickly, but it is worth taking some time to visit Cambridge.
Just a final word about the trip to London. Don't put it off until the last minute. The British railways did not impress me once again. A train in Cambridge was delayed and another in London was cancelled. I had to wait for the next one. Half an hour here, half an hour there and you are tired of the journey, instead of the whole day of sightseeing.



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11 comments:

  1. I hope to get there one day...this shut borders is beginning to eat at me....Beautiful photos!! It looks like a really lovely day!

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  2. Loved your photos and nice post and descriptions :-)

    I live in London Klara I din't see you anywhere LOL

    Have a safetastic week 😷😷😷

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  3. gorgeous buildings and garden - lovely photos too

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  4. You could not have thought of a better way to spend the time. Beautiful photos and descriptions. The bridges are so different from each other. It would be fun to see all of them.

    -Soma

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  5. I was there many many years ago and it is on my list once we can travel again!

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  6. I love the architecture and the colleges. What a pity the train journey spoiled your trip.

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  7. Awesome photos and can only, but thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures. I wish I could go and see something like that one day, but for now I can only appreciate through your generosity. Thank you so very much for sharing. hugs

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  8. Wonderful photos, Klara!
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/08/pretty-posies.html

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  9. garden and buildings are perfect.....

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  10. Impressive college building. Looks like the perfect place to visit and take photos as you wait for your friend. Love all the different bridges, but like the first one best.

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