Watercolor Wednesday: Punting on the River Cam

By Leo Boucher. All rights reserved.

It’s summertime and the living is easy… well, if one isn’t trying to complete an MA! I might be immersed in essays and my dissertation, but I can take a moment to stop and ponder those moments of rest that do so much to renew us. Like being a tourist in Cambridge and punting on the Cam – feeling the gentle movement of the water and taking in the wonder of the ancient buildings lining the banks. (Not familiar with punting, or the River Cam?)

The very first time I went punting on the Cam was well before Nicholas and I were even engaged. We had been dating for just a few months, but knew we would marry each other – but we hadn’t done anything so rash as to make an announcement accordingly. I had already booked a trip to London and Paris before I met him, so added some destinations, such as meeting his family and going to his college (Ridley Hall). There I met a friend of his who was an American (from Wisconsin, my neighboring state), living in the UK, and married to an Englishman vicar. She was just gorgeous, and helped me so much with some ideas of what it would be like to move over here. And although she lived in Cambridge, she indulged my tourist longings and blagged us a cheap ride on the Cam. Ah, those magical days…

How can you experience some calm in your day today?