Cambridge: First Impressions

During the past few weeks, I have been swept up into all that is Cambridge. The first days were what I expected: cool weather, with rain drizzling onto my blue raincoat, bikers weaving between pedestrians and other vehicles, and people from all over the world walking on the narrow pavement (i.e. sidewalk) and through buildings twice as old as the United States. Although Cambridge is a relatively small college town, the campus is larger than my undergraduate institution, the College of William & Mary. It can take 45 minutes or more to walk from West Cambridge to the southernmost parts. Despite getting lost a few times, I have enjoyed the city so far.

I quickly learned that the best place to get directions is by a strange, modern clock, at which there is almost always a group of tourists and helpful tour guide. The clock has an insect-like creature that crawls along the top of its periphery, while a neon blue light designates passing seconds and other lights demark the hour and minute. One guide said that the contraption sometimes makes strange noises or stops briefly, which is supposed to reflect the randomness of life. I have yet to see one of these peculiar clock displays.

 

The insect clock of randomness

After figuring out how to walk around the city, I upgraded to cycling, which is a common aspect of student life here. It was rather harrowing riding around on the roads at first, following traffic while trying to avoid pedestrians on my left and large double-decker buses and vans on my right. I’ve managed to find routes that are not so daunting, and I’ve only lost control of my bike twice.

Cambridge is encircled by the River Cam, on which punting is a popular recreational activity. There is a particularly beautiful part where an arched footbridge goes over the river. On the many occasions that I could not bike over the bridge due to lack of momentum, I have paused to appreciate the scenery. Below me, tourists might reach out over the edge of the boats towards approaching elegant swans, which would then wag their tails like eager puppies. And then, I’d hop back on my bike and let gravity take me away.

Punts and foliage at the River Cam

The city is known for its international restaurants and pubs. In addition, the 31 colleges of Cambridge each provide unique aesthetic, historical, and cultural charms for university students and other visitors. I will post more on these attractions in subsequent blogs.

 

Cheers!