Settling into Cambridge

So its been a good few days since we arrived in Cambridge, yet due to some issues in dealing with this "internet" thing, only now am I able to share this with you.  

We awoke bright and early about noon this Sunday, packed up our things and loaded a charter bus which had conveniently parked itself just in front of our hostel.  We took the scenic route out of London, passing one more time past all of the brilliant sites we had seen in the previous few days, and made our way north to Cambridgeshire.  It took just under two hours to arrive at what would be our temporary home for this week, Homerton College.  

After moving in and spending a few hours strolling about Cambridge, a majority of the group found its way to the Earl of Derby pub to watch the last of the euro cup quarter finals.  The match between two very skilled sides, Spain and Italy, left much to be desired, and really only got exciting as the match concluded with Spain winning on penalties.  

Monday, we had the morning free before meeting for a tour of the University.  Two absolutely delightful elderly women each took half of our group about the city center, showing us the King's, St. John's, and Trinity Colleges.  They shared with us .and quizzed us on, a great deal of history involving the University.  We walked through the very pub where Crick and Watson first conceptualized the structure of DNA, passed by the Cavendish Laboratory where 29 of Cambridge's 81 Nobel Prize winners conducted their research, looked upon an apple tree, grown from the roots of that very same tree from which a rosy orb fell into Newton's lap, and we even got to see Prince Philip taking part in the university's graduation ceremonies.  

When the tour's were over we continued our explorations of the town, amidst a flurry of activities as many of the university students made their way home for the summer, and the tourists made their way in.  The evening culminated with the first of what is sure to be many games of pickup football in the back lawn.  We played until it was too dark to see the ball and the time we had remaining to read before Pavel's first lectures  had dwindled.  

Today was our first official day of classes.  We spent a good four hours in lecture hall C in the art school building where Pavel presented lectures for our Industrial Revolution, and Multinational Financial Management courses.  We discussed the Malthusian Trap, and the relative stagnation and perhaps even decline in income per capita over the first several millennia prior to the industrial revolution, and were given a brief introduction to globalization, multinational firms, and exchange rate mechanisms.  

When class ended we then had the rest of the day to ourselves.  Most used the afternoon to read, rest and further explore the city.  I am told that another spirited game of pickup football took place early this evening, with the star player Pavel Kapinos gracing the field with his presence.   I instead attended a practice of the Strange Blue, Cambridge's ultimate frisbee team, on Jesus Green, and returned just in time for the tail end of a game of cards, which I'm sure Pavel also managed to win.  

After a grueling first, well, day of lectures, we will be joined by our awesome tour guides tomorrow for the first of our excursions into the English countryside to attempt to experience firsthand what life leading up to the industrial age might have been like.