"The October sun gleamed weakly on the river. Pulling oars to the rhythm of a high, clear voice, four women heaved through it, single file in a slim quadruple scull. Swans paddled in the shallows, gulping bread from a crusty old woman on a bench. I thumbed into Google Maps, head heavy with jet lag, and checked my itinerary: over this footbridge, across Midsummer Common, and through the back gate of St Cassian's College. Simple enough."