Travelogue: December 2018

Hi all

We had some Virgin air miles that had built up and were about to expire so a hasty conversion to Hotel points meant a couple of nights stay in Cambridge

Following Sally’s recommendation we stopped for lunch at Burwood Manor where we had a look around the shops and had a bite to eat. Being a small cafe and the weather not conducive to sitting outside for long periods meant we ended up sharing a table with a gentleman who told us that he recommended going to St John’s College chapel for their choral evensong that evening. He had a grandson in the choir there and this was the last choral service as it was the end of term.

So having discovered the Doubletree hotel by the river- hidden down a no through road won no signage and also further put off by the road being narrowed by a building site we successfully checked in and discovered we had a river view from our room. As we planned to go to the evensong we wandered around Cambridge to see what the city was like and to fill time.
Once it was getting dark we stopped off at a bar near the river.

Initially we braved the outside as the heater was on but when it got quieter inside we moved inside.

For those who were worried about being caught short there is a table available in the loo.

When they started shutting up we moved into a wine shop/bar round the corner. Virtually empty when we went in it was full when we left.

We tried a merlot and an aperitif wine which was not sweet and very tasty

In the shop part they had a large selection of South African wines a lot we recognised even if we hadn’t actually been to the places. This exact wine we have brought back to the U.K. but we didn’t realise how much we could’ve sold it for!

The next day we had breakfast at Fitzbillies which are famous for their Chelsea buns. The bakery was initially started by 2 soldiers demobbed at the end of ww1 but had gone bankrupt. Following a tweet by Stephen Fry mourning the loss a couple from London bought the company from the receivers and got it back into business.

We spent the morning looking at three of the many free museums.
First we found these bears outside the Sedgwick museum but most importantly it used to be the Woodwardian museum.

This museum had a lot of geology and fossils in it as well as precious stones including this hungry gem

Woody’s ancestor?!

This office is supposed to be as it would have looked when Dr Woodward used it

Then we moved on to another museum about the Arctic and the Antarctic. It had beautifully painted ceilings. They are domes just as you walk in to the museum.

Watch out for polar bears.

There were exhibits on the exploration as well as Eskimo art and clothing.
Once we had been round this museum we went onto the last museum of the day- the Fitzwilliam

Where there were yet more bears

And a very grand entrance hall- something to aspire to?!

To recover we went to Fitzbillies but this time the one near the bridge which had opened more recently but still part of the original company and got to try the Chelsea buns. Sadly we forgot to go back and buy some to bring home.

In the evening we had a walk along the river just because.

In the hotel desk drawer was a book telling you what was around to do. We saw the grasshopper clock which was at once tacky and fascinating. We visited some of the museums, strolled along the backs and had a bun fight so as we’d only just found this book we’d done well.

Breakfast at The Chop House. I had bacon chop with sweet potato hash, boiled egg and hollandaise sauce. Do try this at home. I am planning to make it.