These pictures are from a few weeks ago, when it was still *just* a little chilly, but the flowers were beginning to bloom… Our friend was visiting from the US, so even though the day seemed grey and dreary at first, we ventured into the center of town. We were so glad we did. It ended up being a beautiful day.
–––––––
I have lived in Cambridge for nearly six months now, yet I feel like I’ve hardly spent any time exploring the city without a destination. To be honest, I’ve felt so busy with school and life that it always felt hard to make time, which is silly – I know I need to be better at scheduling breaks and adventures, no matter how small. And so that’s how I came to find myself wandering this little city with my camera, a few Saturdays ago now.
The lamppost in the first photo is in the center of Parker’s Piece and is known as the “reality checkpoint,” hence the title of this post. It was my first stop on my adventure; I locked up my bike nearby, and let my intuition guide me after that. Down the streets, through Jesus Green, along the river. I have no idea how far I walked. Only when the sun began to set did I return home.
It felt wonderful to be lost.
–––––––
Earlier this month, I had a few hours to spare between Monday morning meetings in Shoreditch and class at LSE. I was in London and with my camera, and it was an unseasonably warm day – naturally, I wanted to be out and about and not simply reading in a cafe somewhere. Not today.
I had seen beautiful pictures of the Notting Hill area of London and heard equally beautiful things, but had never been myself. Twenty minutes on the tube later, that changed. Though I am admittedly still learning to use my camera (ie not yet very good, especially in challenging lighting situations like cloudy London), I had fun wandering aimlessly, no destination. This street was the perfect place to do exactly that. This is definitely my new favorite part of the city.
–––––––
One more collection of photos from my sister’s visit in early December – our excursion to the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. I had heard wonderful things about the museum before, but hadn’t yet had the opportunity to visit, so this was my first time there too. I loved it.
London has so many unique museums and galleries to explore. Of all that I have visited, this is by far my favorite. It’s quirky. It’s stylish. It’s modern and historic at the same time. An amalgamation of all the brightest, best things a museum can offer. The courtyard was beautiful, romantic. The design was breathtaking. There were jewels, dresses, Sistine Chapel drafts, ancient sculptures two stories high. I feel like I could lose myself there for a weekend, months, years.
I had so much fun exploring with my sister and her boyfriend, and I cannot wait to come back, wander, and allow myself to get lost all over again. Again and again. I’m so lucky to have classes nearby.
–––––––
By the time we reached the final destination of our tour, Bath, the sun had already set, and we only had one hour to spend in the city before the bus returned to London. Admittedly, I was not happy (ie, furious) about this – I thought the entire point of the trip was to spend the day in Bath, and at the end of it all, we wouldn’t even have time to sit in a local cafe or wander the Christmas markets.
Regardless, Bath was *stunning,* really there is no other word for it. The lights, the architecture, the charm. It was incredible, hence my sadness at not being able to spend more time here. We used our one hour to quickly walk through the iconic Roman Baths, for which the city is most known, and to quickly grab mulled wines to warm us while briskly walking back to the bus through the Christmas market.
This small taste of the city was such a tease. I can’t wait to return.
–––––––
A quaint, classic English village. Stop 3 on our bus tour aka our lunch break. I admit, I had never heard of the village of Lacock before this trip. HOWEVER, apparently, a lot of filming for the Harry Potter movies took place here. Again, with the bus tour, we really didn’t have any time at all to do much here beyond eat at the local pub, walk down one street, and take a few pictures. We were searching for Godric’s Hollow – the most recognizable Harry Potter location within walking distance for us – though sadly our maps app wouldn’t update quickly enough (poor service), and by the time we knew where to go, we had to get back on the bus.
At least we were able to enjoy a traditional English pub lunch. The was the last place we visited before our final destination – next stop, Bath.
–––––––
exploring & escapades 