So Sunday a small group of us went on a day trip to Oxford. It was kind of an idle desire on our part to see the colleges and get out of London, but we didn't quite know what we wanted to do there (other than see where the Harry Potter movies were filmed). One of my classmates actually did a summer study program in Oxford a few summers ago, so she knew her way around a bit and acted a bit as our tour guide.
Of course the town is gorgeous. All old buildings and towers and statues. We found ourselves mocking the American idea of old versus England's - Oxford dates back to the 1200's, versus a school like Harvard which started in the 1700's. 500 year difference in "old" there.
Oxford Theatre
We took one of those touristy double-decker bus rides around the town so that we could see the majority of what's around and get a feel for what there was to do there.
Silliness on the bus
It was actually a good idea - very informative and helpful, and told us lots of cool factoids about the town, like the fact that JK Rowling probably took inspiration from the Oxford Library for Gringots, since their stacks are so massive that they're accessed by employees through an underground railroad. God, I'd love to see that.
We stopped for lunch at this little French cafe called Chez Gaston, which was down a teeny tiny alleyway pretty far from downtown. Alison remembered it from her study program, and honestly, it was probably one of the best meals I've had on this entire trip. Absolutely divine.
The major site that we spent time at in Oxford was Christchurch, one of the most famous colleges in Oxford. It's where Lewis Carroll used to teach when he wrote the Alice in Wonderland books, and more currently in pop culture, it's where they do a good chunk of the filming for the Harry Potter films. The Christchurch Dining Hall is also the Hogwarts Great Hall. There are courtyards that I recognized from the films. And the great Hogwarts staircase is at Christchurch as well. So I dorked out a bit while looking around there.
Also at Christchurch is Christchurch Cathedral, which is the Oxford Parish Cathedral. It isn't a massive cathedral, but it is lovely. Small and ornate.
Possibly my favorite detail that we learned about on the bus tour was about these sculpted busts on the fence surrounding the Oxford Theater.
The theater was built by Sir Christopher Wren, who also built Saint Paul's Cathedral...and possibly every other building built in England within about 100 years during his life. Or so it seems. Anyway, these heads were designed by Wren...but apparently he never told anyone who they are meant to be. So they remain to this day mystery heads. No one knows who they are. They speculate it might have something to do with Greek and Roman Gods, but no one really knows. Mystery busts.
Today after class I wandered a bit more in London, as one is wont to do. I went to the Tate Modern - London's modern art museum. I had never been there before, and it was nice. Although I'm still not much of a modern art fan. Lots of Picasso though. Picasso is great.
From the Tate I took a mini boat ride from the Globe to the Eye, and then walked over the Westminster Bridge to catch a tube to Hyde Park. I spent most of the afternoon just roaming around Hyde Park, and stopping whenever I got tired to study. Finished reading Taming of the Shrew in the meantime, and worked on my Shakespeare journal.
Took a few more pictures in Hyde Park:
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