Our trip to Europe and the States 2013: Three Other Places We Love In England

Given that we only have about two weeks in the UK, we had to be very selective about where we spent our time. We therefore decided to hire a car and do a "whistle stop" trip to three cities that we have very fond memories of, Cambridge, Oxford, and Bath, and a whole lot of towns and villages on route.

On the train to Cambridge

We left London today, the 6th of August, by train from King's Cross to Cambridge, where we will pick up a car in a couple of days, when we are ready to head off to Oxford.

Our time in London has been great, but there is so much to see here that you could spend weeks in the city, in order to do it justice. We got a little "taster" and would love to come back and spend some more time here, at some stage in the future.

Courtyard of a College

Arrived in Cambridge at about 11-00am, found our B&B and within a couple of hours were on the obligatory "orientation" bus tour. We identified the key places that we wished to visit and then spent a few hours walking around and viewing them.

Courtyard of a College 2

One of the places that we wanted to see was a "circular" church, one of only three in the country and built around 1150. When we went inside there was a sculpture exhibition of a Romanian friend of John Ferg's called Liviu. John did a joint sculpture with him in NZ a few years ago. There was a book on sale there that included that work... all that was pretty cool, to stumble across.

Kings College

We then meet some friends for dinner at a nice restaurant in town and will be going on a bike ride with them tomorrow. Will keep you posted.

Impressive Church

Punting on the River Cam

Beautiful Pub

John F, featuring in Liviu's book

Liviu's Sculpture in 12C church

The walk into Cambridge this morning

Guide explaining the history etc

Had a great day today in Cambridge, full of interest, variety and history. Started with a walk into the city along the river. We then took a guided tour from the "round" church that talked about "The Cambridge Story" and the impact that it has made through Christianity in England (and around the world). It was the hot bed of "reform" thinking in England from the 16th century on. The guide, who was excellent, took us into some of the key colleges, Kings's, Trinity, St Johns, Pembroke etc and talked about how they, and Cambridge, began and then developed, many of the key thinkers, and "change agents" who were educated there and their impact on the world. Here are a few names, in no particular order, Newton, Marsden, Macually, Clarkson, Wilberforce, Cromwell, Tennyson, Rutherford etc etc. It was so fascinating.

The pulpit where the English Reformation began

The guy who developed the first computer Alan Turing, was a homosexual and in those days it was illegal. When that fact became known, he was persecuted so much that he took his own life by eating a poisoned apple. Apple computers got their name from that fact, as an honoring of him. Could go on and on.

Off to the Country Pub for lunch

Then went for a bike ride through the countryside with friends and had a pub lunch and then scones and tea at a place called "The Orchard" at Grantchester, in an apple grove. It is a place where many famous people who have studied at Cambridge have relaxed etc.

The Orchard at Grantchester

Then it was a punting trip down the Can river, that lots of the key colleges back onto, it was very cool.

Punting on the Cam

We then finished the day with a meal of fish and chips in an old historic pub, called The Eagle where also, many famous people have sent time there, including Wilberforce, when he was studying in Cambridge.

Great day. Off to Oxford tomorrow...

The Eagle Pub for Fish and Chips

Woburn Abbey

It is Thursday the 8th of August and we are now in Oxford. Hired a car this morning and drove through to here, via a visit to Woburn Abbey which is that ancestral home of the Duke of Bedford.

Little Village on route

Arrived in Oxford at about 4-00pm, found our accomodation, which is at one of the University Colleges, Keble College.

We then went for a walk around the city, had dinner at a nice pub and are now back at Keble College. Tomorrow we will be off touring and walking.....

Keble College where we are staying

Now that's old - Oxford

Oxford 2

Red Lion Pub where we had Dinner

Keble dinning hall for breakfast

The 9th of August and our "main" day in Oxford. Started the day with breakfast in the Keble dinning hall. Walked and bused for 9 hours today, covered a lot of ground, saw some amazing places and, ate and drank in the same places where many famous people had done the same, as opposed to the not famous at all :-)

Turf Tavern for lunch

Had lunch at the "Turf Tavern", the oldest pub in Oxford, est in 1381, drank to Lewis, Tolkien and the Inklings, in the "Rabbit Room" at "The Eagle and Child" where they regularly had their meetings, and then had dinner, steak and kidney pie and Veg, at the "Kings Arm's" that has been frequented by scores of very famous people, from Shakespeare, Churchill, Prince Charles etc etc.

New College, scene from H Potter

Went on a walking tour and visited a number of colleges including, New, Pembroke, St John's, Exeter, Magdalen etc. Was able to see inside some of the chapels, dinning halls, gardens and Quads, which was very interesting. Learn't a little of the history of these places and some of the key and influential people who studied and taught there. Again we covered a lot of ground, but very quickly. You could spend days here exploring the history and people from Oxford who have helped shape the times. Great place.... unique like all the places that we have seen so far.

The Eagle and Child

Off to Bath tomorrow, via some beautiful villages on route, tune in tomorrow to sample the trip.

The Rabbit Room - at Eagle and Child

Words in the Letter in the Rabbit Room

Many College's like this around City

New College Chapel

The Kings Arms

Some others who have been here :-)

Steak and Kidney Pie for dinner

Chipping Norton in the Cotswold's

Left Oxford this morning and drove through the Cotswold's and arrived in Bath around 3-00pm. Not that happy with the B&B accommodation that we have so had a good look around Bath this afternoon and evening and will probably head to Southampton tomorrow, one day early.

It would be good to be able to settle down for a few days as we have been "on the go" for weeks now and need to take a break, slow the pace a little and catch up on some "house keeping"

Here are some pictures taken today.

Postman Pat doing his rounds

Burton on the Water

Upper Slaughter

Burton on the Water

Tetbury

Avon River, Bath

Victorian Terrace, Bath

Home of the Sally Lunn, Bath

Decided to leave for Southampton a day early, so that we could take a bit of a break and catch up on work things before we head back to Europe.

Bath from the hill

Westbury Horse on hill in Wiltshire

Today we drove from Bath to Southampton, via Bradford on Avon, Lyndhurst in the New Forest and Winchester. Drove from Winchester to Hedge End on the road that we drove many times when we lived here, great to see some of the those places again.