In the afternoon we cycled over the Charles River again to Cambridge meet Noah, Benj’s brother. En route we passed the famous MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). It is a private research university, founded in 1861 as a response to the industrial revolution and adopting the European polytechnic university model. It moved to its current, very grand site on the banks of the river in 1916 after an anonymous donor called ‘Mr Smith’ provided the funding. He turned out to be George Eastman of Eastman-Kodak.

Next, on to Harvard to meet Noah, who is just beginning a 6 year PhD here. His parent Jethro and Olivia met as undergraduates here too and he thinks this is where they lived. The statue is of John Harvard and his left foot is very shiny from tourists touching it for good luck – a mistaken belief that doing so is a Harvard students’ tradition!

Harvard was founded in 1636 and is the oldest and ricjest in the US – with assets of over $32 billion. Originally called New College it was actually founded by the Massachusetts Legislature and renamed Harvard in 1638 after a bequest from him of $779 and 400 books. Harvard was born in London and his father was a butcher. When his mother inherited some money, he was sent to Emanuel College, Cambridge (where Max is). He came to Boston in 1637 as a teaching elder of the church but died a year later of TB, age 31.

The campus itself is beautiful with its large trees and lawns (on which you may walk) and has the most extraordinary Dining Hall, and we saw where Noah will be living.

Then the cycle back from Cambridge Square to Downtown Boston.