Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Bumps


Arrived in England at 6:00 a.m. after a couple hours sleep on the plane. Took a 2-hour bus ride to Cambridge, changed clothes and biked through town along the River Cam to watch the "May Bumps". The bumps are a rowing competition that actually happen in June, which is the end of the college term. They draw about 1500 competitors from the Cambridge colleges. The river is very narrow and 2 boats will not fit side by side. Each boat holds 8 rowers and a coxswain (a yeller) and the goal is to "bump" or slightly overtake the boat ahead. That boat has to pull over and the boat that bumped wears foliage in their hair. Thousands of people line up along the river to watch. We brought along a picnic and set up right on the water.




This team had gotten bumped so had to pull over.


This old guy was asking directions to the nearest


store to buy a new wardrobe.


An official on the river in a beautiful old boat.


These ducks were right in front of us, staying out of the way of the action.


Keeping tally


The weather was fantastic, the people relaxed (Pimm's helps!) and it was a great first day out in Cambridge.

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