Visit to Cambridge
Trinity College across the River Cam Yesterday I joined fellow graduate students from the MCR (Middle Common Room) at Pembroke College, Oxford, to make a visit to Pembroke College, Cambridge, where we dined in formal hall.
We spent much of the day wandering Cambridge. A bit younger than Oxford, Cambridge is more spacious and the colleges are bigger. Whereas in Oxford the only greenspace is enclosed by college walls, the colleges at Cambridge feel like they’ve been plopped down in the middle of the countryside with the untouched landscape still in tact. Cambridge is more architecturally spectacular, but at times feels like you’re walking through a museum. Oxford feels very organic and lived-in.
St John's College The first picture, of Trinity College, shows the college from the back, across the Cam. In summer, you’d find students lounging on the lawns, tourists walking the paths, and punters meandering their way down the river. This second picture is of St John’s College, right next door. They are the two largest colleges at Cambridge, and happen to be the ones that I’ve applied to for my PhD. Verdict: pretty shnazzy and certainly acceptable.
Interior of The Eagle pub We made a quick photo stop at The Eagle Pub, where Watson and Crick first announced their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. We took in Evensong at King’s College Chapel, a cavernous building which the word “chapel” fails to adequately describe. The choir was magnificent, and as I look through my music catalogue now, I see a recording of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers by the King’s College Choir. Time to relive the experience.
Comment by Patrick
Hey,
Don’t forget you smashing evening and the luxurious Casa De Quealey in London!
Cheers,
P
Comment by John Stebila
Hi Douglas, I sent you a message about a month ago on this web site, but did not receive an answer from you!! I would like you to respond to my address jjwinter@rraz.net. I am in touch with a Stanislav Stebila in Slovakia, and you are a world traveler so I thought you would like to contact him and maybe find out more of the Stebila Heritage.
I know he is very busy in his travels and I keep asking him to try to help me with my family’s background, but he sends me pictures but never responds to my inquiry. I told him if he is too busy to bother to please give me a name and address of a family member who could, still no answer. I gave him the name of a town, Nagov, where my father came from and he said he was only about 30 miles from there.
From what I gathered he would be about 28 years old and a graduate of Oxford College? I do not want to give you his address at this time, as I would first ask him if he would have any objections to giving it out. Please answer me at my E-mail address if you would like to contact him.
Please respond either way, Thanks, John Stebila
Comment by John Stebila
Hi Douglas,
Huge error on my mail to you, Half way through the letter I forgot who I was writing to. The last paragraph about Oxford naturally refers to you. I think Stanislav is a journalist.
Very sorry about the lapse of memory. I will blame the error on the fact that On Feb. 17th I will be 76 and am finding my memory sometimes wanders in the wrong direction.
Thanks John Stebila
