Last weekend was spent enjoying life at a leisurely pace, escaping the pressure of the day-to-day and exploring the beautiful city that is Cambridge. It was just what I needed, a chance to relax and de-stress, and I'm so glad that you lovely readers chose this destination for our weekend away.

Ian and I woke up early Saturday morning, excited to discover this historic city that neither of us had previously visited, but before we could really get into holiday mode we had to get there. Luckily an iPad full of games and a cheeky coffee and cake from Starbucks helped make the journey more enjoyable.



A bus, two trains and a ten-minute walk later, we arrived at our home for the next couple of days, The Gonville Hotel. The super-helpful receptionist equipped us with a free city-maps and some insider tips on the best things to see and do, then it was time for the obligatory lying-on-a-hotel-bed-in-a-funny-angle photo shoot.



After a quick freshen-up, it was finally time to get out there and discover everything that Cambridge has to offer. With the sun shining and little in the way of plans, we wandered aimlessly through the streets, taking delight in all of the beautiful buildings and immaculate college gardens that we stumbled across.








It amazed me how easy it was to find these picture-perfect buildings and how accessible some of the world-famous university buildings are; we were just strolling along the high street when we discovered our first college, and you could wander in from the streets for free. Of the thirty-one colleges across the city, five do charge a small entrance fee, but the rest do not cost a penny.

After walking until our feet were numb, it was time for well-earned pint on the terrace of a riverside pub. We enjoyed the chance to soak up the sunshine and watch the punts drift by, before taking a stroll along the river banks back towards the hotel.





As the sun began to sink behind the clouds, we took full advantage of having no plans and fulfilled our goal of ultimate relaxation with a cheeky afternoon nap. After a short snooze it was time for dinner, for which we headed to Zizzi's.

We indulged in some cocktails and to start we shared the best cheese fondue I have ever tasted. The combination of gorgonzola, gruyere and pecorino cheese was just perfect. It was piping hot, and the thick, sticky consistency was just right for dipping in the baked dough sticks. The calzone I had for my main was rather disappointing to be honest, but I guess it had a lot of live up to following such a scrumptious starter!




After a superbly relaxing day of doing nothing but wandering and exploring, we headed back to the hotel, played a couple of games of cards and snuggled down in the gigantic bed to watch a movie. The perfect end to the perfect day!

How do you relax on a weekend away?

PS. You can now read what we got up to on our second day and third day in the city too.