My family and I stayed at Bermuda cottage for 26 days in July and August of 2014. This means, of course, that we really “lived” in the cottage and got a good sense of what it is about. First, we have two children (ages 8 and 3) and we fell into our daily routines while I studied and attended school at Cambridge. We are Americans, live in Northern California, and travel a lot for our jobs. This cottage suited all our needs. We cooked, did dishes, bought groceries, washed clothes and lived well in the cottage while we were there. The cottage holds a special place in our hearts and it was a highlight of our travels. We spent over two months in England and we all agree that our stay at the cottage was memorable and comfortable.
Here are our favorite things about it:
1. Matthew and his wife are great people! They live close by, but respected our privacy. They were friendly and attentive too. They changed the linen each week and were very patient with the payment process since our American banks often declined our payments. Matthew was always available via E-mail to answer our questions.
2. The cottage had what we needed. It has everything a European family needs. It has a washing machine, dishes, a large fridge (for European standards) a TV, comfortable beds, closet space, a bath tub, high chair, cleaning supplies, spices, utensils, and great linens. We wanted an authentic England house; this might not be suited for some Americans who are accustomed to air conditioning, a dryer and a dishwasher. Honestly, we lived like Englanders and loved it! We didn’t travel all the way there to live like we do in the states and we really didn’t miss the dishwasher. We were fine!
3. The cottage is nicely decorated. This place is great for a couple, a family, or a single person. We enjoyed the look and feel of the place. The architecture fits the neighborhood’s history. We thought the wood doors were beautiful and the skylights were a great touch. The fireplaces and arches tell the cottage’s history. My kids used the garden to color, blow bubbles, and read. The neighbors were friendly and not noisy. We also experienced a heat wave while there and the cottage did get hot, but not overbearing. And there were a few rainstorms as well. I also enjoyed the desk area for studying and the Wi-Fi was fast and always available.
4. The location. We did not have a car so I hired a bike and rode to campus everyday. The cottage is not in the city center; it is just on the outer circle. It is a nice area, suitable for walking, close to Jesus Green, two great parks for the kids, and the river Cam. The center was too congested for us (especially in the summer) and we liked the location of the cottage because we preferred to be further out were it was quieter. We also preferred to shop in the city center rather than going to the local market, but there is a market close by if needed. There’s nice pub and pizza place close by, but we tended to go into the city for most of our fun. If we felt lazy, we hired a taxi, which took about five minutes to get into the center.
5. The price. We researched a lot of places before we went and this place was priced correctly for the location and amenities. Cambridge is expensive and while there I visited other rentals that my college friends were staying in. Nothing compared to our cottage for the price.
The only thing we wish was different about the cottage is that there was a hamper for our dirty clothes. I think my husband would have liked more diversity with the TV channels, but we did fine with the local stations. Overall, I highly recommend the cottage for a true Cambridge experience.
Love,
the “Californians”
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