A Morning Walk Through Cambridge

Cambridge is a beautiful city.  Even though I have been walking around it every day for several weeks, I’m still amazed at the natural and architectural beauty that greets you everywhere you turn.  To show you some of this beauty, I’d like to take you along on my typical morning walk to class. 

My walk begins when I step outside into the grounds of Pembroke College.  The College is made up of many interconnected courtyards surrounded by beautiful buildings. 

Sometimes I eat breakfast in the dining hall.

 

To get to class, I leave the tranquility of Pembroke College for the bustle of the Cambridge streets.

The entrance to Pembroke College

On my way I pass the Corpus Clock, inaugurated in 2008 by Stephen Hawking and usually surrounded by tourists.  The locust-like insect crawls forward as the rim of the clock spins beneath it.  It's meant to be a dramatic statement about the inevitable passage of time.

Five minutes of walking takes me to King’s College, where some of the other students in my programme are housed.  Some of my classes are here, as well.

The entrance to King's College.  A porter stands by the doors to redirect tourists to the guest entrance.  I, however, get to flash my badge and walk through!

I won’t be stopping in King’s College this morning, so I continue down the street, passing churches, shops, and the entrances to other Colleges as I go.

Great St. Mary's Church.  There has been a church on the site from 1200, and the present church dates from the late 15th century.  Visitors to the church have included King Richard III,  Queen Elizabeth I, Cardinal Wolsey, and Oliver Cromwell.

The Cambridge University Press Bookshop, which claims to be on the oldest bookshop site in the country.

Entrance to Trinity College

Entrance to St. John's College

At the end of the street is the distinctive Round Church, which dates from around 1130.

To get to class, I must walk around the side of the church to reach the building behind it.  Finally, I arrive at my destination: the Cambridge Union Society.  The Society has hosted many famous speakers and has a fascinating history.

The Cambridge Union Society was founded in 1815 and moved into its current home in 1866.

There you have it—just a typical morning walk through Cambridge.