Cambridge: Pink Floyd and More PINK FLOYD, the famous music group, are from Cambridge, East Anglia, UK. Only the most famous from this university city, now also known as the Silicon Valley of England (Silicon Fens is in Cambridge, and refers to the marshy lands around it), Cambridge hosts numerous cultural events and festivals yearly. The STRAWBERRY FAIR is a free music and childrens fair with numerous market stalls, and it takes place the first Saturday of every June on Midsummer Common in Cambridge. Students fleeing hostility from local residents in Oxford went to Cambridge long ago, and Peterhouse College was founded in 1284. About 50 miles Northeast of London, Cambridge was an important Roman military outpost, known as Duroliponte, from about 40 A.D. until about 400 A.D. Many Roman roads and walled enclosures can still be seen in and around Cambridge. Duro and duroli seem to be Roman interpretations of the regional Celtic word for water, and what is now known as the River Cam (formerly known as the River Granta, whose lower part is still correctly named that) needed to be watched and controlled by the Romans, and later, the Saxons, the Vikings, the Saxons again, and eventually, in the 11th century, William of Normandy, who conquered England. In addition to enjoying the sights hardcore Pink Floyd fans revere, the presence of so many students makes Cambridge a treat for live music lovers of every stripe. Well-served by London Stansted Airport and with many transportation possibilities from London, Cambridge hotels, from the most modest bed-and-breakfast, to cozy inns such as The Earl of Derby Inn (actually 1.6 miles from Cambridge but charming and only about 68 euros per night), bargain tourist hotels of all types (some at less than 50 euros per night and perfectly adequate), and four-star hotels on the River Cam, with boating, rowing and punting right there. The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and the Whipple Museum of the History of Science in Cambridge were of interest to my better half. Hotels in Cambridge turned out to be more affordable than wed budgeted for, so we were able to stay an additional night. I smoke, so the only little snag in the visit was my having to sit outside for that. Very few hotels in England allow any smoking inside its facilities anymore, but I was made welcome on a terrace. It was great to see Cambridge again! Peter Merifield is a London-based freelance journalist with a mission to make you a better and happier human being. Drawing attention to the peculiarities of life in the modern age is all part of the package.Check out his other articles for everything you need to know about travel destinations.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 13:45:31 +0000
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