Munich vs. Cambridge

It's not really fair to compare the two cities since Munich (1.25 million) is much larger than Cambridge (100,000) but I will anyway since they are my points of reference for living in Europe.  And practices may have changed dramatically in Germany since it was 15 years ago that we were there.

Shopping--When we were in Germany there were only a few stores that were open on Sunday; here the stores were packed and doing a lively business.  There is a mall in the city proper as well as lots of individual stores.

Bakeries--It seemed that we could not travel many feet (meters?) in Munich before smelling the rich aroma of freshly baked bread. And there were sooo many different rolls, beads, and sweets to try.  Even now my mouth waters just thinking about it.  No such temptation here--at least so far.  We have stopped at some bakeries but they tend to be pastry shops and did not have a huge variety.  Maybe it's just as well for our waistlines.

Grocery Stores--Again, in Munich there were little (2 aisles all together) grocery stores everywhere.  Everytime we saw a new one we had hopes of finding a cereal we recognized.  Here the stores are bigger (but not huge), farther apart and only 3 different ones; Aldi, Marks& Spencer, and Sainsbury's.  We're still hunting for Cheerios.

In Germany we saw lots of people pulling hand carts to ease the burden of carrying groceries.  I've seen only one person using this sensible approach here; Tom has never seen it.

Buskers--Part of the fun of going to the Marienplatz was watching street performers, especially the mimes.  We've come across a couple musicians here in the downtown area--a fife (or piccolo) player and a singer who was advertising his CD.  No sign of the Peruvian Pipe Players, however.

Language--It is nice understanding each other, for sure!  The bus driver from Heathrow had an accent that was a bit difficult and I'm sure we'll encounter more differences as we venture outside of Cambridge.  A favorite word seems to be "lovely."  When people agree to do something it's "lovely" and people refer to each other as "Love"--even men to men.  That certainly sounded strange to my American ears but maybe it really is "lovely."

Bank Holiday

Today was a bank holiday in England--not sure why banks need holidays but maybe things all even out since we won't be celebrating Labor Day next Monday.  Since this was also Tom's birthday and our anniversary, we took a guided walking tour of Cambridge.  It was actually a 2 hour walking tour of several colleges of the university--namely Queens College, Kings College, and a very little bit of Trinity College.  All three are richly endowed; Queen Elizabeth II is a patron of Queens College since her mother was very interested in it.  We saw the Mathematical Bridge--how appropriate for Tom!--so named for its geometric shapes.  However, we were told that its real name is the Wooden Bridge--kind of a letdown.

We're standing in front of the gate to Trinity College--which was as far as we could get in. The statue behind us is of Henry VIII.  He wanted Trinity to be the grandest and largest of all the colleges and it is.

Practicalities

While many buildings in Cambridge are of historically interesting design, our apartment building probably is not.  But it is modern, simple and functional.  We live on the 3rd floor American (2nd European) and we do have an elevator which is handy for carrying heavy suitcases.  This apartment compares in size to our married student housing apartment at Purdue: think "compact."  We have a full size range (the stove top is called the "hob"), a half size refrigerator and a separate freezer on top.  I'm  learning that one has to activate the electrical socket before it actually provides any electricity.  The kitchen is furnished with enough dishes and pots and pans so while gourmet cooking might be challenging, we will do very nicely day to day.  Our remodeled bathroom will seem luxurious when we return; no tub here either "soaking" or otherwise but the heated towel bar is an appreciated amenity.  The bedroom comes basically furnished and unless we buy lots of clothes here (doubtful) we won't be fighting for wardrobe space.  We could use a simple radio; the TV programs are lots of reruns and lots of sports (rugby, soccer, cricket); I just want to hear some good "NPR" type programming.

First Impressions

Arriving in and touring Cambridge has been a little like stepping into "Masterpiece Theater."  The drive from Heathrow to Cambridge in the bus (coach) veered off the M11 because of traffic back-ups and instead traveled on country roads that passed through quaint, tree lined villages and one very proper and wealthy looking manor.  The city of Cambridge itself is steeped in history and very old buildings, all of which I hope to learn something of in the coming days.  The walk from the apartment to the downtown takes about 30 minutes; I'm sure it will take me a few trips to learn the way given that some of the "roads" are mere winding paths.  For today, my focus was on the roof-tops.  I have never seen so many different chimney configurations; they are an art form in themselves.

1) Emmanuel College (1 of the 31 colleges that make up Cambridge; John Harvard graduated from here)
2) & 3)  downtown streets
4) Trinity College (visitors NOT welcome; founded by Henry VIII; library designed by Christopher Wren; 29 Nobel prize winners)
5) Kings College (as seen from a bridge over the River Cam; chapel (is) "last and finest Gothic building to be erected in Europe," so says the Cambridge Guide
6) &7) Adams St. homes

Meanwhile back in Ohio

My preparation for England has led me once again to the library where I found DVDs of a British mini series called "Edward the King" about King Edward VII who succeeded his mother Queen Victoria.  The series was filmed the 1980s and if you are a fan of Masterpiece Theater or Mystery, you will recognize some faces.  Unfortunately the library did not have the entire series but what I have learned so far is that despite having nine children who went on to populate the thrones of Europe, Queen Victoria was anything but maternal. She was jealous of the attention Prince Albert showed toward the children and wanted him all to herself.  Albert, the Prince Consort, seemed to be the real power behind the throne. Bertie, the second child and future king, was told repeatedly how unworthy he was and was given a very strict upbringing (designed by his father and another German adviser) totally unsuited to his personality.  Sound familiar?

More Ely Cathedral Pictures

The first picture is of the Mary (mother of God) Chapel.  The chapel renovation was completed in 2000, hence its very modern look.  I think it is interesting that Mary is imagined as a blond (well, golden haired).

The second picture shows the mosaic ceiling of the cathedral.

Tom's Trip to Ely

Finally some input from England!  Tom visited Ely (pronounced "elee") today, a town about a 20 minute ride from Cambridge. A, or THE, tourist attraction there is a huge Norman cathedral once the site of St. Etheldreda's church and later a Benedictine monastery.  Later still, the monastery was dissolved by King Henry VIII.  Various restorations have taken place since then, the latest ending in the year 2000.  This area was once more "swampy" than it is today so certain wildlife were more prevalent--like eels.  In fact, taxes were paid in the form of eels and perhaps the name of the town was derived from that?? At least it makes for a good story for tourists.