6/26 Kings Cross, Cambridge, St. Pancras

26 June 2008 - We took a train ride to Cambridge today, leaving out of King's Cross train station. We spent most of the day walking around Cambridge, enjoying the sites, sounds, and as it turns out some of the four-day college graduation ceremonies that just began. We invested in a two-hour guided tour that was very interesting and helped us appreciate some of the history and context of the town and colleges.

At King's Cross station, in London - Platform "9 3/4" for the Harry Potter fans ... our train to Cambridge was from Platform 9B ...




Upon arrival at Cambridge, we walked from the train station into town. We went on a walking tour and were struck with the beauty and charm of the town and university. It was difficult not to take too many pictures - here are just a few samples that don't begin to do the area justice. It's a "have-to-be-there" kind of place to really appreciate it.








It was coincidental, that the graduation ceremonies were beginning today and continuing through the weekend. Here are a few pictures showing some of the atmosphere surrounding the ceremonies. The academics wear the color, while the new graduates wear the fur or silk without color ...





On the return to London, we went next door to visit the newly refurbished and modernized St. Pancras International Train Station (was a Bechtel project). On a lower level are shops and services for check in. Above are the departure platforms, with some interesting artwork on a large scale ... see photos below.



The Eurostar - the fast train to Paris and Brussels. It only takes 2 hours to get to Paris ...



Some of the interesting artwork in the station ... this statue must be 30 feet tall, at least.