A Tour of St. John's College and the Backs

It was another beautiful day in Cambridge today and everyone and his uncle decided to try his hand at punting.  Except us.  We'd rather gawk for now and take mental notes while watching others attempt to punt.  What is punting, you say?  A punt is long, flat-bottomed, squarish,  boat propelled by means of a long pole by pushing against the bottom of the river.  George and I have a theory that the English simply take the ideas of others (say a boat shaped nicely for water like a canoe, propelled by a paddle) and make it less efficient (say a punt).  Needless to say, this is now purely a recreational activity enjoyed by everyone, especially those who sit on the banks of the Cam and applaud when people fall in or lose their poles!

The nicest place to be on a sunny day like today is in the park area along a section of the Cam called "the Backs".  The Backs line the river behind some of the most famous colleges like King's, Trinity, and St. John's Colleges.  George and I toured through St. John's a bit and took some of these pictures.  St. John's is one of the prettiest colleges in Cambridge and also one of the largest.  It spans both sides of the river and the two sides are joined by an intricate stone bridge called the Bridge of Sighs.  Whether this is named for its breathtaking beauty or for the thought that you may die when you cross it, is unknown to us.  All of these pictures were taken on the beautiful grounds of St. Johns or Trinity college.