Sunny Cambridge

It seemed like a selfish excess at first--26 pounds for a there and back trip to Cambridge lasting from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. But to my pleasant surprise, my friend and I weren't the only ones who stepped off the St. Neots train--so did Spring! I emphatically tore off my coat and walked into the warm city with short-sleeves. And I did what just might be on the "1001 things you should do before you die" list--I went punting on the Cambridge river. For a good rate you can rent your own and take a lazy jaunt through Cambridge, savoring strawberries, absorbing the ancient architecture, brilliantly green lawns, swans, and fellow punters as they attempt to mangle their boats through the water and their heads through the low-slung tunnels. Of course it's not so lazy if you're standing barefoot on the rather slippery, precarious bow, attempting to tame an exceedingly tall rod that wants to knock people's heads instead of sinking into the river bottom and propelling the punt forward. But somehow I got the hang of it (giving it up to a friend when we encountered traffic, of course) and now I feel that when it's time, I can leave England a satisfied woman.