我們家唯一還在學術界掙扎的把拔決定親自貢獻一下這篇劍橋之旅...
posted by Chan (this guy is my hubby who studies bug's brains)
When I took Molecular Genetics back in college about 10 years ago, my professor spent the first 15 minutes of every class telling us the people, the setting and all the anecdotes behind DNA discovery. For the entire semester, I got so fascinated by the story itself and, probably too occupied, I ended up earning a D in the class. That was the only D I have in my life, but the story is still clearly printed in my mind.
When my wife decided to add Cambridge in our London trip, I was so excited that I couldn't fall asleep the night before. The next morning, I dragged my family all the way from London to a historical old pub at Cambridge. It's name was the Eagle.
Dating back to the 15th century, the Eagle is one of the oldest taverns/inns of Cambridge. But it was not because of its beautifully preserved architecture that attracted me the most, nor its famous ceiling embellished with signatures of the Royal Air Force and US Air Force crew during the World War II, I came all the way here for a corner booth.
Sixty years ago, two young men came to this pub and this same booth 6 days a week talking about science over booze or, more frequently, toasting to their opponents’ failure. On February 28th, 1953, one of them interrupted everybody’s lunch by announcing “We have discovered the secret of life!”. These two young men were James Watson and Francis Crick. From that moment, they became world famous, and the world changed by their discovery – the double helix structure of DNA that encodes genetic info for all living things.
Sitting at the same place, having a special house brew, the Eagle’s DNA ale, while looking at the picture of their atomic model on the wall, I started to see all nuts and bolts of the story in my mind. All the sudden, I felt connected…
這幾天開始陰雨綿綿外加冷颼颼的倫敦，讓這輩子還沒穿過雨衣的ＱＱ開心極了! 穿上新雨衣還堅持自己拿傘走路的Ｑ，矮不隆咚的跟著我們到了倫敦King Cross火車站。通過大排長龍的 9 ¾月台，坐上特快車直奔劍橋。
一到劍橋大學，第一件事是覓食，好滿足貪食Ｑ的無底胃。這裡到處都是由大石塊砌成的哥德式建築，連路人的衣著都像從中古世紀走出來的一樣；小咖啡館裡身型消瘦的年輕服務生頂著短捲髮，帶著一副圓黑框眼鏡，一口英國腔，活像哈利波特在幫你煮咖啡，不過隔壁桌上的iPod和蘋果電腦把我瞬間拉回現實。這裡的咖啡跟倫敦一樣很普通，但是那個叫Florentine的貴森森杏仁脆片好吃到我們又加點了一份外加三個scones帶走。跟美國甜死人不償命的甜點比起來，英國到處都是極品！
餵飽Ｑ後，終於輪到我啦！拖著他們母女倆往轉角路口的酒館Eagle走去。這是一間英式老酒吧，木質的裝潢，黃色的壁燈，牆上掛滿了匾額及歷代名人的照片，整間充斥著濃濃的歷史味，最有名的包括在二次世界大戰期間英國皇家空軍與美國空軍齊聚在這裡用打火機一一把名字薰在天花板上。不過，真正讓我慕名前來的不是這些，而是一個在酒吧後方的小角落。
1953年2月28日，兩個年輕人一如往常地從對街的Cavendish實驗室來這個角落吃午餐，突然其中一個年輕人站起來大聲嚷嚷，打斷了所有人用餐。他說：我們發現了生命的秘密 – DNA雙股螺旋。他們正是James Watson和Francis Crick，這個宣佈改變了他們的一生，也改變了整個生物與醫學界的發展。
坐在這裡，大口喝著這裡特有的 Eagle’s DNA麥芽啤酒，腦中清晰地浮現當年台大農藝系謝兆樞老師把這段DNA發現的愛恨情愁描述地鉅細靡遺，望著牆上60年前Watson與Crick和他們的DNA模型合照， 終於，我來到這個讓Watson從完全不懂晶體繞射到解開DNA結構的關鍵地。不僅如此，到了這裡我才發現這間酒吧更是孕育了無數科學重大進展的誕生與蓬勃：這裡是對街Cavendish實驗室最夯的”討論室”，該實驗室過去出了29個諾貝爾得主！
據Watson的友人描述，當服務生把酒端上桌，你還在啜飲第一口啤酒時，他500 c.c.的啤酒杯已經見底了。看來能不能解開生命的奧祕可能要從喝酒的速度中看出端倪，真的是這樣的話我應該是正通往成功的路上邁進 XD。
Lindsay asked everyday "Can I put on my raincoat today?" Finally she got the chance and insisted on holding an umbrella as well.
QQ終於逮到下雨天了，穿上雨衣，雨傘也抓緊緊
London King Cross train station
倫敦國王車站
What are those people gathering for?
車站的一角擠了一群人
It's the 9 ¾ Platform toward Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
是哈利波特的 9 ¾月台
There were too many people waiting for the picture, so we just tucked Lindsay in like this for our shot.
太多人排隊了, 只好把ＱＱ塞在旁邊紀念到此一遊
1.5 hrs train ride to Cambridge
搭1.5小時的火車前往劍橋
arrived at Cambridge
劍橋到了
First thing first, foraging at a local cafe
第一件事 找地方餵飽Ｑ先
this Florentine is superb!
這個巧克力杏仁脆片超讚
The world leading physics laboratory at Cambridge, the Cavendish Laboratory. It has produced 29 Nobel laureates.
劍橋Cavendish實驗室，這裡出了29個諾貝爾得主！
Lindsay in front of the Cavendish Laboratory
Finally, here we are at the Eagle pub!
鼎鼎大名的Eagle酒吧
A blue plaque on the wall celebrating Dr. Francis Crick's first announcement of their DNA discovery here in 1953.
酒吧的外牆有一塊藍色的牌子記載此處為Crick和Watson第一次公開宣佈他們解開DNA結構的地方
a historical pub
充滿歷史的酒吧
I had the house special, the Eagle's DNA ale
點了這裡的特釀 - Eagle's DNA英式麥芽啤酒
This cheese platter was just a perfect match with the beer
這盤跟啤酒絕搭!
The Watson and Crick booth. They used to come here 6 days a week, and announced their breakthrough discovery here as well on Feb 28th, 1953.
60年前Watson和Crick天天來報到的角落，後來也是在這裡首次公開宣佈他們發現了DNA雙股螺旋結構
The most beautiful things of the world are here!
another corner at the Eagle
我跟Ｑ在另一個角落玩“烏龜烏龜翹” XD
looking for Dr. Francis Crick's old place at 19-20 Portugal Place, Cambridge
尋找Crick在劍橋時的舊居
Found it! the door is decorated with a golden helix.
找到了! Francis Crick當時就住這，離實驗室大約10分鐘的步行距離。他家門口"低調的"掛了一個象徵DNA的金色螺旋
We found the root of DNA! Thanks for reading.
以上為我們的DNA尋根之旅，謝謝收看！
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