Oxford

Oxford!
(21st August 2017)
BACK My TripAdvisor Page
No part of this web page and/or photographs may be used without prior permission.

Oxford, home to some of Britain's most prestigious universities, is a lovely place to walk around. Not very large and very manageable in half a day as I had, unless you're into museums and really checking everything out. I didn't have much time but I had longed to visit Oxford and finally had an opportunity, short as it was. A two-hour train trip out of London's Paddington Station, and my fourth BritRail day, you'll see lovely farmlands and typical English countryside scenes. Once I got into town from the train station and eventually found the information office, I walked in a circle, my usual practice. I orientated myself and off I set, map in hand (I paid 50p for a small map), in search of the more famous landmarks of Oxford. Because I didn't have that much time, I walked and snapped and walked and snapped, sometimes not even knowing exactly what I snapped, but I thoroughly enjoyed my short visit and look forward to returning sometime in the future.

A lot of the university quads were not open to the public but I managed to poke my camera through the doors and snap a photo here and there. The cobbled streets and bicycles are evident around the city as are the spires and incredible architectural creations! I was amazed and in awe of the beauty of the sculptures on buildings and couldn't get enough of them. There were old and "new" buildings alongside each other, and the city dates back to 8th century! I saw colleges like Merton College, The Queen's College, Magdalen College, Jesus College and Trinity College (in the distance) as well as sights like the Carfax Tower, Radcliffe Camera (beautiful), Christ Church, the Covered Market (fabulous to stroll through and have something to eat), and the adorable Bridge of Sighs which should not be missed. On my way back to the station for the next leg of my journey, I stopped at the Oxford Castle for a little rest and to eat my sandwich.

Once again, the English skies were dull and overcast, so many of my photos appear bleached. That's not to say I didn't have blue skies at all, I did, just not that often or for very long, and one of the reasons I didn't climb the 99 steps of the Carfax Tower. I know that I haven't supplied that much information about the colleges and who attended them and when, but I wasn't really there for that. I enjoy the buildings more than anything else. I do know that the earliest college dates back to 1249! After Oxford I hopped on another train (still on my fourth segment) and made my way to Stroud for the night, with friends I'd not seen in almost 15 years!

E-mail: travel2@live.com
or pettprojects@yahoo.com

Travel Home Page