#jonesescrossthepond ii

Okay. So this is the part I hate about blogging. The feeling like I always have to keep up. I've only just started to sit down and edit our Euro pictures, and I'm already feeling light years behind. So, seeing as this is my blog (and I will cry if I want to) I've decided I'll just pace myself and edit and post as I wish. Meaning, I may be blogging about our trip till the kids are in college. But, better super late than never, amiright?! 

The pictures that I've included in this post were all taken in Cambridge. Wow. Wow. Anddddd, wow some more. We hadn't originally planned to visit, but I'm so glad that we were able to work it out because it's one of those places where you just have to pinch yourself and want to soak in every single second. We loved learning about this place! So, cool fact. Cambridge has some of the most amazingly beautiful lawns I've ever seen. The tradition here is that no one is allowed to walk on the grass unless you have been given special privileges to do so. If you ever saw someone walk on the lawn (we never did) it was sort of a big deal. 

So, before I went, I really didn't have an idea of what Cambridge would be like. I imagined a small city with one large main campus. But, it's not like that at all. Cambridge is made up of thirty-two colleges, and each is unique and beautiful! As we visited the different colleges, I kept thinking, "This one's my favorite. No, this one!" We learned that each college is required to have four things: a chapel, a dormitory, a library, and a dining hall. The architecture was so fantastic but the best moment was walking into the King's College chapel. A choir was singing when we walked in, and the combination of that and the breathtaking interior made our jaws drop. Mouths gaped wide open. So yes, it was not the Sistine Chapel, but it was truly exquisite. You know when you hear or see something so beautiful it almost makes you cry. This was one of those moments. 

Besides walking all over Cambridge, we had the opportunity to go "punting" on the River Cam. That was easily one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. The best way I could describe it is like riding in a gondola, but maybe a bit wider? It's been awhile since I've been in a gondola. Our friends who live in Cambridge took us on our first punting ride, and I'll never forget it. I tried my hand at steering, and I looked like an idiot. In my defense, I'm just over five feet and the pole that's used to push the boat forward felt like it was at least twice my size. But, I tried it and I can check if off my list. When I wasn't busy getting us absolutely nowhere, we went down the river and got the best views of Cambridge. If you're ever in the area, don't skip the punting! 

Here you can see an example of people punting. I'm still not sure how I didn't fall off the boat when I tried steering. My legs were shaking the entire time.

Cambridge's answer to Venice's Bridge of Sighs. Sigh.

And now, since the trip is over, and I can really talk about the aaaaamazing weather we had! Our ENTIRE trip it rained a total of five minutes! And, it was actually just a drizzle as we were on our way to the metro in Paris. We saw the sun almost every single day, the temperatures were ideal, and it never even got close to cold enough for a coat. Good thing because we didn't even bring coats. (We packed super light. Like, super. It was amazing. I get such a rush from being efficient on trips. So weird.) Thank you for being so good to us, Mother Nature!