Hello everybody! Here are my first official Cambridge photos! I walked around for a few hours today, exploring with my camera.  It was a wee bit chilly – in the low-to-mid 30s – but I was wearing many layers and a gigantic coat that nearly reaches my ankles, so I was only a little cold for the most part. The sun was shining, though, and it really was a gorgeous day!

First off, this is my poor car, freezing outside with the snow and the cold.  I haven’t used it at all since I’ve moved in and I’m hoping not to drive it very much while I’m here.  I use a shuttle to get to work and can walk if I’m in the mood for a long stroll (my favorite thing about Cambridge, so far – the ability to walk nearly anywhere!)

All the houses are made of wood or – I think it’s clapboard.  They’re nearly all multifamily homes (what they call duplexes up here), and some of the home owners pick interesting color combinations!

A cute little fire hydrant! I love seeing all the different colors cities choose to paint their hydrants.

A typical conglomeration of storefronts.  Everything’s really cramped, close, and small here (I miss HEB, guys, so much!) so the store fronts are charming mixes of signs and colors.

The subway entrance! Tomorrow, I’m taking my first subway ride – wish me luck! 

Everything is small and cramped – that is, except for the churches, which are massive and gorgeous.  This one is right by Central Square.  (All the commercial areas are called squares here.  I don’t understand, but I’m just gonna roll with it.) 

The same church (Baptist), with the details visible.  I was standing in the median of a city road when I took this, so I didn’t have enough time to really get the shot I wanted, with the sun more visible, but I’ll try again.

A detail of a Greek Orthodox church.  Mind you, all the churches in this post were all in the same road, on about a half mile stretch.

The side view of a Korean church.  So pretty! I’m glad I waited until the afternoon to go for a stroll. (Of course, it was about 3:30 then and notice how low the sun is in the sky!) The days are short right now.

A few homes and a Pentecostal church.  I may end up going to a few church services just to see the insides of these beautiful buildings.

A park very close to my apartment.  It’s beautiful covered in snow, but I can’t wait to see what it looks like covered in green.

A quaint little staircase! I just loved the way it looks sprinkled in snow.

This is a typical Cambridge residential street.  All the houses go up, not out, and there’s very little in the way of yards or garages.  But they’re very colorful and the sidewalks are in excellent shape!

Anyway, welcome to Cambridge! I’ll post more as I explore more – maybe I’ll bring my camera when I walk to work tomorrow.  Let me know if there’s anything you particularly want to see!