When I first walked into Christ’s College, I found it oddly familiar. Much like the architecture of Peterhouse’s Old Court, Christ’s also has a similar color palette of cream and sand toned buildings marked with centuries of weathering. The main difference is that Christ’s lawn in Court is ovular, while Peterhouse’s is rectangular. However, continue to walk through the rest of the campus, one is met with a series of very Modern – poured-concrete-modern – buildings that seem out of place. They were obviously commissioned in the 1960’s, creating an eyesore to the otherwise august aesthetic of Christ’s College.
Christ’s MCR reminds me of a loft in SoHo in New York – there are exposed ventilation ducts along the walls and ceiling that provide an urban/industrial flare; the ceiling is very high, and there is a balcony level accessed by a very minimalist set of stairs and metal banister; there is a huge avant-garde painting on the wall; the rest of the walls are white washed. Christ’s MCR hosted the evening, and we started with sherry. Though not holy, they have their own brand of Christ’s Sherry, which I found intriguing.
Christ’s MCR members were very welcoming, engaging us in lively conversation throughout the evening. Christ’s Hall, which is bright, lofty, and beautifully lined with dark wood panels ornamented with a highly intricate sculpted scroll relief, is magnificent. The atmosphere is very relaxed, where most members of the college did not wear their gowns to Formal Hall – very refreshing, creating a friendly ambiance for a comfortable evening.
We started with a cheese course – a small wheel of brie warmed in its own wooden box, with sliced baguette, and an assortment of cucumber, carrot, and bell peppers cut into sticks. The main course was a fillet of beef, in a dark mushroom sauce. The meat was a bit over cooked – stringy, and dry despite the sauce. However, the mashed sweet potatoes and the warmed pickled purple cabbage made up for it – they were both perfectly salted, just buttery enough, each with a delightful texture. Dessert was cheesecake, and a transparent effort for it to be of the New York variety. While it was a valiant effort, it was, in short, not as good as Cheesecake back home. The texture of the cake was too soft, though the cheese flavour was not lost to egginess or sweetness. There could have been a stronger vanilla presence, and a hint of lemon zest to brighten up the flavour. The crust was the most well executed component of Christ’s cheesecake; it was graham cracker based, with a good balance of softness, crumbliness and a nice bite to it that isn't quite crunchy, but highly textural. It also had the right amount of sweetness, and not too much butter. But all in all, it was satisfying to eat, and certainly satiating. The meal was concluded with coffee, port, and chocolates.
After dinner, we – the Peterhouse MCR – were invited to Christ’s MCR to enjoy a selection of beers and ciders from their in-house bar. I had a pear cider, which was pale and golden, nicely cool to the palate, slightly effervescent, barely sweet, and redolent of ripe pears. With something as tasty as this in hand, the convivial atmosphere naturally drew out most everyone’s conversationalist abilities. While I do not remember exactly the content of the conversation, topics of discussion ranged from the sculptor garden in Christ’s, featuring Darwin, and strategic alliances between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Christ’s comes to Peterhouse next week, where they will dine join us at our Formal Hall. I am looking forward to the exchange.
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