Travelling in Cambridge / June 2010
When I was 18 years old my dad told me “you are not going abroad, you have to enter in a Greek University” (was justified by my mum like “he wants you around”) I have respected his wish like a good daughter that believes that parents have always right.
Now, 21 years later, I have had the opportunity to visit Cambridge on my way to South England.. My first thought when I looked at that place, was just that children should sometimes “not” listen to their parents... The second thought was that I would like to start my life again. And my third thought was that my children would definitely study in Cambridge.
This place called “Cambridge” offers “auras”: An aura of sophistication, an aura of intellectualism, an aura of hard-working young people, an aura of naturalism, an aura of “elitism”. Walking around and glazing at all these camps and Colleges where young students are hosted, I had this impression that time has been stopped, that I live in old England, that everything around is especially made for this elite of young people, “the smarter of the smartest” that come here to reveal their skills. Once on the fresh grass that lays all around the place, one can already feel that he’s strolling around in a “mystified” place, something like a “ghetto” where young, ambitious, fresh talents can find all opportunities to make them flourish and grow up together. Actually, this “togetherness” is –as I have heard- the big secret of Cambridge.
My English fiancé has revealed to me that once young people come here they just work. A tough and very much disciplined plan of courses is waiting for all and there is no exception to the rule. You just have to be “good” to be at Cambridge.
On the other hand, Colleges where young students live look like royal buildings: Excellently built at the coasts of the river that crosses the city and surrounded by green, amazing plants, trees, brushes and multicoloured combinations of flowers that climb the old walls (some buildings date back to 1200 AC!!), they offer accommodation to those courageous undertakers but .. this is it !!! This is all they have!! The training program is so much demanding that people do not really have the time to do much.. Go out or drink out or go to parties, all these just don’t exist outside from Colleges Walls. Therefore, young little ones are obliged to “grow up together”, “learn together”, “having fun together” and some times “get married together”. This is why Cambridge Alumni is so much powerful and this is why Cambridge Masonery just dominates English Policies.
The same game of “respecting the rules”, one can also feel when visiting hotels!! We have stayed in a beautiful hotel, called "Centennial Hotel" where I got so much frustrated that I will never step my foot in there again. Was really like an army camp: Breakfast until 09H30 only in Wends. Breakfast at 09H00 all other days. “Clothes for laundry should be delivered between 09H00-11H00. “Doors of the hotel are closed after 0100” (!!), “This kind of breakfast ONLY (capital letters) can be served to your room”... Jesus Christ!! That was really hectic for a liberalized Greek that I am...
Cambridge architectural beauty is fascinating. Especially when it comes to churches and old buildings. Unfortunatelly I just spent two days there, so I didn’t really have the time to visit them... But, before you go to Cambridge, just make sure you have studied a lot upon what you are going to see... Each visit must worth as a well paid journey back to England’s history.
We had some time though for shopping.. And there are some stores that are worthy... those are Hollister (clothes for people that think they are surfing or they really do surf!), and Lakeland (amazing stuff for the house).
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Now, 21 years later, I have had the opportunity to visit Cambridge on my way to South England.. My first thought when I looked at that place, was just that children should sometimes “not” listen to their parents... The second thought was that I would like to start my life again. And my third thought was that my children would definitely study in Cambridge.
This place called “Cambridge” offers “auras”: An aura of sophistication, an aura of intellectualism, an aura of hard-working young people, an aura of naturalism, an aura of “elitism”. Walking around and glazing at all these camps and Colleges where young students are hosted, I had this impression that time has been stopped, that I live in old England, that everything around is especially made for this elite of young people, “the smarter of the smartest” that come here to reveal their skills. Once on the fresh grass that lays all around the place, one can already feel that he’s strolling around in a “mystified” place, something like a “ghetto” where young, ambitious, fresh talents can find all opportunities to make them flourish and grow up together. Actually, this “togetherness” is –as I have heard- the big secret of Cambridge.
My English fiancé has revealed to me that once young people come here they just work. A tough and very much disciplined plan of courses is waiting for all and there is no exception to the rule. You just have to be “good” to be at Cambridge.
On the other hand, Colleges where young students live look like royal buildings: Excellently built at the coasts of the river that crosses the city and surrounded by green, amazing plants, trees, brushes and multicoloured combinations of flowers that climb the old walls (some buildings date back to 1200 AC!!), they offer accommodation to those courageous undertakers but .. this is it !!! This is all they have!! The training program is so much demanding that people do not really have the time to do much.. Go out or drink out or go to parties, all these just don’t exist outside from Colleges Walls. Therefore, young little ones are obliged to “grow up together”, “learn together”, “having fun together” and some times “get married together”. This is why Cambridge Alumni is so much powerful and this is why Cambridge Masonery just dominates English Policies.
The same game of “respecting the rules”, one can also feel when visiting hotels!! We have stayed in a beautiful hotel, called "Centennial Hotel" where I got so much frustrated that I will never step my foot in there again. Was really like an army camp: Breakfast until 09H30 only in Wends. Breakfast at 09H00 all other days. “Clothes for laundry should be delivered between 09H00-11H00. “Doors of the hotel are closed after 0100” (!!), “This kind of breakfast ONLY (capital letters) can be served to your room”... Jesus Christ!! That was really hectic for a liberalized Greek that I am...
Cambridge architectural beauty is fascinating. Especially when it comes to churches and old buildings. Unfortunatelly I just spent two days there, so I didn’t really have the time to visit them... But, before you go to Cambridge, just make sure you have studied a lot upon what you are going to see... Each visit must worth as a well paid journey back to England’s history.
We had some time though for shopping.. And there are some stores that are worthy... those are Hollister (clothes for people that think they are surfing or they really do surf!), and Lakeland (amazing stuff for the house).
There is also “punting”!!! Oh, yes, just go for punting!! My friend Sofia has advised me to do this and she was so much right... amazing experience… and so much romantic... Which, especially in Cambridge, becomes less romantic when you are surrounded by young students having fun pushing this huge pole into the river so as to further make the wooden boat skiing smoothly upon the water's surface…
But yes! You are with your couple, and come on! You are in Cambridge!! You feel young, excited, in love, cheerful… And, at the same time, you feel the "value"… real value… real history!! All is there... around you… at both sides of the river…. History runs. Together with you. When you push with your pole.
Dearest Eva,
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήI would rather the young enjoy their youth, than "work hard" specializing in institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard etc etc...just so they can man the Royal Shell's, the Monsanto's, the Lockheed Martin's and the Goldman Sachs's of this world and use their knowledge and all their previous hard work, studying "endlessly" just so their respectable shareholders could enjoy life in Dubai and Monaco as the world crumbles around them by their ugly machinations.
Oscar Wylde once said that "youth is wasted to the young"...I prefer that, than "wasting youth to the old".
Surely though, it makes a great trip visiting them, and the academic aura is undeniable...especially if one has studied at a Greek university where this kind of environment seems like a science fiction story...
k.