Transporation

Driving

I'm sure for most Americans sitting in the "driver" side seat as a passenger for the first time can be terrifying! I mean there should be a steering wheel and foot petals, right? Sitting in the left front seat with an empty space is just an awkward feeling. Learning to drive in the UK is going to be interesting.. I really haven't had an opportunity to try (not that I've gotten up the nerve either). However, we did go rent a car so we don't have to keep depending on rides from friends, so we can get around ourselves, and help us learn.

Jacob drove off the lot with our rental, and kid you not, maybe 20 yards he hit the curb! No, no damage or injuries (calm down moms). Apparently the instinct is to hug the curb/shoulder because of the narrow roads and weird sensation of driving on the left side of the road (right side of the front seats). As the passenger, it was nerve-wrecking because there really are NO shoulders. Where the road ends, there is grass! I don't know how many times I was waiting for the car to veer off into the grass, the gutter, through a fence.. you name it. However, Jacob was very successful, and by the end of the trip, I was relaxed (a bit).

The thing I like MOST about the rules of driving in the UK, but seems like such a strange concept is the idea of roundabouts. The easiest way I can explain them comparing them to the US version of a 4-way stop. The difference is, the UK doesn't really have stop signs. They have this circular center that cars go around where cars enter the circle by going left (yielding to cars coming from the right). The cars go around the roundabout until they wish to exit- left, straight, or right. The weirdest thing that baffles me is you have to go left to get straight or right instead of automatically going either directions.

Train/Cambridge

Saturday, we took the train the Cambridge. It was quite easy to navigate. Well, I say so because my friends were navigating, but it did seem pretty straight forward. The main purpose of the trip was to get phones that will work in the UK without having to pay an arm and a leg. However, we're definitely going to have to go back to Cambridge to take more pictures, shop, and just explore! We walked quite a bit (more than a few miles I'm sure). Walking seems to be one of the most preferred method of transportation, and one I'm sure we'll be using quite often.

The architecture alone was AMAZING with old style homes, buildings, churches, etc. We walked down one street that seemed have an endless amount of colleges; the most famous as we were told was King's College. We went by numerous small shops and even a type farmer's market. The restaurant selection seemed to cater to any ethnicity of food dishes.We grabbed dinner at a place called Las Iguanas for Portuguese food. The food was really good. The portion size wasn't as big as American portion sizes, but that's great for me since I often get made fun of because I can't ever finish my plate!

After we had dinner, we went to this sweet shop called Hardy's. The amount of candy selection was unbelievable. I thought it was funny that this family of Brits were more excited over the American candy selection. They were reading off every flavor of Skittles (YUCK to the creamy flavored kind) and Runts. We purchased some chocolate and a fruity variety to try. After dinner, we leisurely headed back to train station to return back to Ely.