Frugal Cambridge

Most of Cambridge University’s colleges are closed to the public, a large disappointment to the unaware traveler who ventures here from London to visit these renowned institutions.

But don’t let that keep you away. Even from the outside, Cambridge’s colleges are architectural masterpieces, whose facades from the 15^th century to today are the work of the country’s finest architects: Wren, Foster, Cullinan.

The impression – one of order and formality – is accurate, indeed cultivated.

But there’s also the vitality, pulse and buzz you hope for in a college town.

Cambridge is eccentric: traffic debates are about bicycles, not cars. Cattle graze in pastures that edge up to the city centre. Street markets sell crystals, vinyl records and faded Levis.

At 117,000, Cambridge is among England’s smallest cities. Caps on development will keep it that way. Yet, surrounding Cambridge are more than 1,000 technology companies, producing $3 billion in annual revenue, most with a connection to the university’s scientists and engineers.

This city, then, is a contrast of preservation and renewal. Seeing it makes for a great – yet frugal – day trip from London. Because, like London, most of the best things to see and do in Cambridge are cheap or free.

Here are a handful of things one might do on a day trip to Cambridge, including lunch and afternoon tea – all for less than $100, including the 45-minute express train ride from London.

Begin, perhaps, at St. Botolph’s Church, on Trumpington Street. Like other churches of St. Botolph, one of the patron saints of travelers, this one was a “gate” through which travelers from London entered the walled city in medieval times. Parts of the present church date to the early 14^th century. The morning I visited, mass was being said in the chancel for just two elderly parishioners. I sat and read a “Prayer for Travelers,” for which I deposited 50 cents in the poor box – the day’s first souvenir.

Farther along, Trumpington becomes Kings Parade, then Trinity Street, then St. John’s Street. This is Cambridge’s college row – seven of its most storied colleges, their chapels, great halls and courts secure behind iron fences and stone walls.

This is early May, examination time, and none of these colleges is open to visitors. Tourists, nonetheless, crowd this area. Some, in groups, are led about by guides. This morning, I overheard one guide speaking French to a group of school children, another speaking Japanese to a group of adults. A homeless man, pitching a magazine about the homeless called the “Big Issue” was largely ignored. So was an aggressive tour wrangler. “You’re missing out,” he said to all who passed by.

Away from college row – and the 31 colleges that make up the university are, in fact, scattered about the city – is Jesus College, a welcoming exception to the “closed to the public” policies observed by the more famous colleges. Indeed, Jesus College, founded in the 15^th century on the site of a declining nunnery, encourages visits, provides a detailed guide to its buildings and sculpture, and is free.

The gardens at Clare College, bordering the river Cam, are an example of the university’s and the city’s investment in green space. Gardens, parks, and playing fields are everywhere, mostly open to visitors, and free. I approached Clare Gardens from the east, walking across the Cam’s oldest bridge. You enter the gardens through 18^th century wrought-iron gates. The garden’s spaces are named: the “Dean’s Walk,” the “Sunken Garden,” and the one I found most intriguing, the “Tunnel of Gloom,” an enclosed walk designed to foster “a sense of melancholy.”

A sign offering “the cheap late lunch” at 50 percent of menu prices lured me into the Michaelhouse Café. Run by Bill Sewell, a respected chef who got his start cooking in his room for Trinity College classmates, the Michaelhouse Café is a stylish, airy space in St. Michael’s Church basement. Here’s the deal: from 3 p.m. daily, after the regular lunch crowd has finished, all are invited to fill a plate from the remaining lunch counter specials. I chose the venison and mushroom lasagne with salad greens.

Another frugal spot for lunch: Trockel, Ulmann and Freunde Café. The daily special is a baguette with ham, salmon or brie and a small cup of café-made soup, $6.75

Shopping without buying is the frugal traveler’s greatest reward. Lots of shopping in Cambridge, including trendy, UK fashion retailers like Reiss, Jaeger and Hobbs. What I liked best were the outdoor stalls at Market Square. One stall sells crystals. Another, vinyl records. A florist, Steven’s of Boston, offers “hand-tied bouquets while you wait.” A trio of mechanics at Bikeman Repairs promote “same day service.” A retro vintage clothes dealer, Jemporium, offers Levi 501s for $37. Francesco Scaglione, the market’s barber, clips hair for $7.50. Lots of collectibles, including a stall specializing in military tunic buttons and unit badges. Fine to sight see and ask questions. No pressure to buy.

I bought another souvenir, not in Market Square, but at a free exhibition of Zimbabwean stone sculpture at Emanuel Reformed Lutheran Church. The souvenir was a crisp, year old, $1 billion Zimbabwe dollar bill, worth about 10 cents today, given that country’s hyper-inflation.

It’s “the world’s most expensive bookmark,” a sign read. I paid $5 for it.

I expected to see more students. But, again, this is early May, examination time. Like grade-conscious students at elite colleges anywhere, maybe these students are, um, studying.

Yet, evidence that Cambridge is a college town is everywhere. Students on bikes, students jogging, students walking – and texting. Many bookstores, including the world’s oldest. A storefront charity that implores students to “Break the Cambridge bubble … volunteer!” And, a shop that rents formal clothes to college men: black morning coat, grey waistcoat, stripped trousers for $52.50.

Near day’s end, I passed a classroom building with this sign on the door: “Examinations in session. Please be quiet.” Moments later, a young woman emerged to be surprised by her friends with strawberries and champagne.

“Looks as if they’ve got something to celebrate,” I observed to a passing student.

“I think it might be her last exam,” she said.

Nearby, the university’s Fitzwilliam Museum has been called “the finest small museum in Europe.” The collection is a bit of everything: painting, sculpture, antiquities, manuscripts, coins and medals. No single part of the collection stands out. But it’s quick and always free.

Moreover, it serves Cambridge’s best, cheap afternoon tea. A pot of tea, fruit scones, clotted cream, and Tiptree strawberry jam for $5.

So enjoy the art, then take tea. At day’s end, it will fortify you for the brisk, mile long walk back to the train station.

If you go:

Transportation: The fastest, if not the cheapest, way from London to Cambridge is the express train from Kings Cross Station. Speed matters when taking day trips. You don’t want to spend half the day enroute. Roundtrip, $43.50.

Guidebooks: All of the standard, printed guidebooks for England contain a section on Cambridge. Two Cambridge-produced walking guides are particularly good. One is called “Shape Walks,” produced by the university’s architecture department. Find it free online at www.strideguides.com/shapewalks. The other is a printed guide called “Cambridge: The Thousand Year Walk.” It’s $7.50.

Note on currency: Prices quoted in U.S. dollars based on the rate of exchange in May 2015, roughly $1 equals 0.64 British pounds.