Day 4 (Sunday)
Today was better than I could have ever imagined. Niaz (from the University at Belfast) called me in the morning and suggested that we go to Grantchester, a town about a mile away to our south. I called him around 3pm in the afternoon, thinking that we should go while the sun was still out. (The sun had not been plentiful over the first three days I was there, and even when it had come out it was highly unpredictable.)
Niaz first took me to the back of the Center where the garden was and told me that he had some secrets to share with me. He brought me over to an apple tree, which had some small apples that were half green and half red. They turned out to be very good, in spite of their appearance. He then showed me a fig tree, hidden among the other plants, and we grabbed some fresh figs too, for the road. He told me not to share what I now knew about the garden with the other fellows--little did I know he had other secrets for me.
We headed out to Grantchester by way of Grange and Grantchester Roads. Niaz pointed out a popular and well-known bar called the "Hat and Feathers". We continued walking out of town and into the countryside, which presented us with nothing but a winding road stretching out to nowhere. We walked a ways down the road, past some rugby fields, and talked about our own "stories" until he stopped me. "Do you see the river down there?" he asked me and pointed out into the distance at the Cam. "There are people walking there." I could see some people strolling around and figured that it was a shortcut some locals took on the way between towns. I was about to make a joke about walking across the farmers' crop fields to get down to it when Niaz crossed over a small drainage ditch and began walking across someone's recently tilled farmland in the direction of the river. After about a half mile we came to a small barbed wire fence which we proceeded to jump. Niaz had apparently forgotten to make the turnoff we were supposed to have taken. But we came up shortly to the river Cam which looked beautiful in the sunshine. It was surrounded by lush, green grass, covered in spots with bright green algae, was bordered by weeping willows and other full bushes. It was winding very peacefully through the meadows in the bright sunshine, disturbed only by ducks and a swan. It was quite a sight.
Niaz told me that he liked to bring the fellows down here occassionally for a barbeque, and he would sometimes fish here as well. We talked about the various uses of the Cam at this section, where the town had preserved walking land along the river. Apparently the locals often come down to it to stroll or camp, or to swim naked at a certain section in a certain time of day. The path along the river went through many different fields: some held cows that were grazing and lounging in the sun, some had trees that lined the path, and some contained higher grasses and pheasant. We eventually came to the most popular spot where a lot of people were sitting in lawn chairs and enjoying the scenery. When I thought this was the end of our journey, Niaz led me up the hill so that we could go have some afternoon tea at a teahouse. We crossed over another wooden fence through some trees, and came upon a place which is famously known as "The Orchard". I found myself in the middle of a large apple orchard where a large number of locals were sitting around small tables in old-timey cloth-and-wood lounge chairs taking afternoon tea.
The only building present was the medium-sized wooden teahouse which also held a pastry buffet. Niaz and I got some food and drinks, I had my first English tart, and we went out to grap ourselves our own table in the orchard. Niaz handed me a brochure about the Orchard's history, and I discovered that it had once been the stomping grounds of Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster (novelists), Betrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein (famous philosophers), Maynard Keyes (economist), and Rupert Brooke (poet). This group had all been friends, and they used to come to the Orchard as students. Apparently, Brooke and Virginia Woolf used to swim naked in the spot on the Cam that Niaz had pointed out. (Apparently, Lord Byron had also done the same thing as a student there).
After a relaxed and enjoyable conversation in the Orchard, Niaz and I eventually headed back to Cambridge by way of Grantchester town. The town had a few well-preserved old buildings, one with a thatched roof, and some popular, old-looking bars. While Niaz chided me for not talking more time to look at the historic buildings, I assured him that I would be back. As we headed back out of town, down the winding road, we saw a farmer's dog was playing in one of the fields as the sunlight turned golden. We kept walking, past various English meadows, and we continued the conversation.
Niaz first took me to the back of the Center where the garden was and told me that he had some secrets to share with me. He brought me over to an apple tree, which had some small apples that were half green and half red. They turned out to be very good, in spite of their appearance. He then showed me a fig tree, hidden among the other plants, and we grabbed some fresh figs too, for the road. He told me not to share what I now knew about the garden with the other fellows--little did I know he had other secrets for me.
We headed out to Grantchester by way of Grange and Grantchester Roads. Niaz pointed out a popular and well-known bar called the "Hat and Feathers". We continued walking out of town and into the countryside, which presented us with nothing but a winding road stretching out to nowhere. We walked a ways down the road, past some rugby fields, and talked about our own "stories" until he stopped me. "Do you see the river down there?" he asked me and pointed out into the distance at the Cam. "There are people walking there." I could see some people strolling around and figured that it was a shortcut some locals took on the way between towns. I was about to make a joke about walking across the farmers' crop fields to get down to it when Niaz crossed over a small drainage ditch and began walking across someone's recently tilled farmland in the direction of the river. After about a half mile we came to a small barbed wire fence which we proceeded to jump. Niaz had apparently forgotten to make the turnoff we were supposed to have taken. But we came up shortly to the river Cam which looked beautiful in the sunshine. It was surrounded by lush, green grass, covered in spots with bright green algae, was bordered by weeping willows and other full bushes. It was winding very peacefully through the meadows in the bright sunshine, disturbed only by ducks and a swan. It was quite a sight.
Niaz told me that he liked to bring the fellows down here occassionally for a barbeque, and he would sometimes fish here as well. We talked about the various uses of the Cam at this section, where the town had preserved walking land along the river. Apparently the locals often come down to it to stroll or camp, or to swim naked at a certain section in a certain time of day. The path along the river went through many different fields: some held cows that were grazing and lounging in the sun, some had trees that lined the path, and some contained higher grasses and pheasant. We eventually came to the most popular spot where a lot of people were sitting in lawn chairs and enjoying the scenery. When I thought this was the end of our journey, Niaz led me up the hill so that we could go have some afternoon tea at a teahouse. We crossed over another wooden fence through some trees, and came upon a place which is famously known as "The Orchard". I found myself in the middle of a large apple orchard where a large number of locals were sitting around small tables in old-timey cloth-and-wood lounge chairs taking afternoon tea.
The only building present was the medium-sized wooden teahouse which also held a pastry buffet. Niaz and I got some food and drinks, I had my first English tart, and we went out to grap ourselves our own table in the orchard. Niaz handed me a brochure about the Orchard's history, and I discovered that it had once been the stomping grounds of Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster (novelists), Betrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein (famous philosophers), Maynard Keyes (economist), and Rupert Brooke (poet). This group had all been friends, and they used to come to the Orchard as students. Apparently, Brooke and Virginia Woolf used to swim naked in the spot on the Cam that Niaz had pointed out. (Apparently, Lord Byron had also done the same thing as a student there).
After a relaxed and enjoyable conversation in the Orchard, Niaz and I eventually headed back to Cambridge by way of Grantchester town. The town had a few well-preserved old buildings, one with a thatched roof, and some popular, old-looking bars. While Niaz chided me for not talking more time to look at the historic buildings, I assured him that I would be back. As we headed back out of town, down the winding road, we saw a farmer's dog was playing in one of the fields as the sunlight turned golden. We kept walking, past various English meadows, and we continued the conversation.
posted by JJ at 4:54 PM
1 Comments:
JJ, very graphic description of the excursion. You can make good novelists such as V. Wolf although I am not a big fan of that confused writer. You need the passion of Emily Bronte, the author of Wuthering Heights. I am sure if you keep on doing this, you will get there.
I have also to a couple of factual corrections. I never forgot the point where we were supposed to takeoff. In fact I did not know as I usually drive. Regarding the naked bathing area, Lord Byron was different than the other two. He used to go further up and loose himself in imagination to produce his terrific poetry we enjoy today. That place is known as Byron Walk near the pier. He and his women used take naked dips below the pier.
-Niaz
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