Cambridge and Bakewell

All the guidebooks say that Cambridge beats Oxford.  Cambridge was less crowded, had WAY less traffic and had a prettier campus.  But for me, it did not have the impact that Oxford did.  Maybe because Cambridge's most famous grad is Charles Darwin.  The idea that science has all the answers has weakened my faith at times, whereas C..S. Lewis's writings have done much to strengthen it.

Cambridge also had lots of guys trying to sell us a boat ride (at least they were good-looking college guys!).  We were trying to save money, so we opted for a stroll instead.  They were right about one thing, it was a perfect day for punting!

One challenge on this day (and several days since) has been parking.  We were a 30 min walk away from our car when I realized we could NOT renew our payment over the internet as I had thought.  I left Rebecca drawing in the botanical gardens while I rushed back to the car.  When I was still a ways off, I spotted a policeman and broke out in a run. My running impressed him so he didn't give me a ticket. Maybe that running this summer paid off!

Our next day was spent driving to the Peak District and hanging out in Bakewell, a delightful little town.  We were glad to be off the motorways and onto the little English roads, though my driving skill was supremely challenged.  The English make a two-way road where we wouldn't think it wide enough for even one car.  If you meet another car, you have to be prepared to back up down a curvy hill with high walls on each side, for instance.

In Bakewell, we ate baked goods because they're famous for them.  They were interesting, but almost any Southern cook can top them with one hand tied behind their back.  But the town was full of cute shops.  We loved watching the locals lawn bowling, and I loved wandering around the old churchyard.  It may sound morbid, but I love reading old tombstones.  They make me want to live a life worth remembering.

I leave you with one of many funny signs we have seen on our trip: