December: Travel Tips
Traveling is one of our main passions in life here at deVivre Concierge! So each month we will share the love by letting you in on some of our favorite places in the world and the most fun things to do in those places. This month...
Cambridge, England
As I get ready to head home for the holidays, it occurred to me that there are plenty of awesome things to do in and around my hometown. Cambridge is located in the Southeast of England and is a lovely city which enjoys many green spaces and a lot of great cultural institutions, mainly thanks to the all-encompassing Cambridge University.
-One of my former employers, The Fitzwilliam Museum is a truly wonderful collection of art. The original collection was a bequest to the University from Richard, VII Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion in 1816, along with the funds to build a museum. It now houses an incredibly impressive and diverse collection for a museum of its size. My personal highlights are the French Impressionists, the Pre-Raphaelites and temporary exhibitions of The Kettles Yard Collection.
-Take a stroll out of town, along the river, through the delightful Granchester Meadows and stop off at The Orchard Tea Garden for a 'Cream Tea', which includes scones with cream and jam and a pot of tea. You can think about all the famous folks who may have sat right where you are sitting, like Virginia Woolfe, Alan Turing and Rupert Brooke to name a few or you can just think about whether you can squeeze in another delicious scone and still have room for dinner.
-Somewhat of a Cambridge institution is going punting along 'The Backs' on the river Cam. A 'punt' is a specific kind of boat which looks kind of like a flat gondola. You stand at the back and push yourself along with a long wooden pole. 'The Backs' is the stretch of river that runs behind a lot of the most scenic colleges. There are countless guided tours you can take, but I think the most fun is to be had in trying it for yourself. Just remember, if the pole gets stuck LET GO! The best prices are usually from a college, like Trinity college here.
-Another former employer and well worth a visit is The Cambridge University Library. This is one of the UK's six copyright libraries and as such, they can request a free copy of every book or periodical published in the UK! Unfortunately, the main parts of the library are not open to the public, but they have really interesting special exhibitions which are open and free to all. Final fact: the building was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the iconic red telephone boxes.
Contact deVivre to help you plan your next adventure!