A Saturday Afternoon Trip to Princeton

 

Yes, my girlfriend and I went to Princeton this weekend, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The weather could not have been more perfect or accommodating.

We arrived in the afternoon. I had just gotten off work and arrived back by 3:30 or so. She was on the phone with her mother in Poland. But by maybe a bit after 4pm, we were on our way. We got to Princeton by around 4:30 or so, if memory serves correctly.

It was quite crowded. Not that surprising, since this is an unusually interesting town in the region. We did our usual walking around, and went to certain parts of the downtown, which almost feels like the old town, with a distinctively "Old World" charm to it. It is not large, or anything. Yet, it has architecture in a manner that would suggest that it is significantly older than most, lending it a distinctive feel. It would not feel completely out of place in Europe, particularly in Britain, or perhaps even in Québec City. We had eaten just before arriving, but the scent emanating from one of the restaurants in a cute alleyway almost made us feel tempted to sit down and eat again. That alleyway in particular felt distinctively European, and it felt like something which, indeed, you might more typically find across the pond.

We did not eat a meal, but we did get some ice cream. There was a line for this shop, too. Again, it was quite packed at Princeton on this sunny and almost perfect Saturday afternoon. And we stopped at a bakery, which smelled wonderful. The smell of bakeries always reminds me of some boulangeries which I have gone to in France. She got some challah bread, which always reminds her of being back home in Poland. We shared it, and it was indeed tasty and delightful.

For this visit, we remained strictly across the street from the grounds of the famous university campus, which also is historic and has a decided feel of "old English." There is Nassau Hall, the central point, if you will, and easily the most historical building on the campus, and one of the most historic buildings in the entire country, having once hosted the Continental Congress. Then, there are a number of other prominent and beautiful old stone buildings, many covered in ivy (remember, this is an Ivy League school). We have visited all of that in the past, although we remained across the street in the village of Princeton itself for this particular visit. 

Anyway, it seemed fitting to share the pictures from this visit here. Some of these are similar to other pictures that I've posted here from previous trips to Princeton. But there are a couple of spots which I was frankly unfamiliar with before, which I took pictures of this time around. Again, it is a town with considerable charm, and which my girlfriend and I both agreed we should visit again soon, before the weather turns.

Enjoy!