13 December 2022, Oxford
It's soooo dark!! We really had to use all our will power to crawl out of our comfy beds!! Lennie and Sharon took some time off work to hang out with us. Finley, decided to join us too…a cheeky wee day off school!! We decided to travel to Oxford today, since the Shaws have not explored it themselves yet.
Our hour-long journey, in FREEZING conditions, took us through a magic wonderland. It was -2 degrees Celsius, for goodness sakes!!! Sharon was our travel-guide and led us straight into a downtown-underground parking bay. Thank you!!! A short walk further, took us into our first Christmas market, albeit an English one. With out German travelling guest, and the prospect of experiencing proper German Christmas markets around Christmas, we sort of walked very fast through it…
We prebook our "Free Walking" tour with the Footprints Company. Our guide, Steph, a post grad law student, engaged our attention and creating mind-pictures of mid-evil times with her great talent of story-telling.
She walked us through the rivalry between the two oldest colleges (amongst the 39), Ballliol and Trinity. Balliol College was established in 1255. The greatest competition between these two took place in the from of a race……not rowing, like we all expected….but a tortoise race!!!! Unfortunately, Balliol's prised animal disappeared unexplainable in 2004. Faull play expected from Trinity off course!! Revenge then followed in the shape of midnight 'un-gardening' of their pristine lawns, also to be followed with sheep 1,2 and 4 invasion (they searched for days…sheep 3 never to be found!!)
Furthermore we were taken to The Weston Library. (At least it was a little bit warmer inside…for a moment.) We were entertained with the thoughts about the robots, who can bring you any book you might want out of the 13 000 000 (!!!!) books, which make up the Bodleian Libraries( the 28 connected over and undergrounded book-maize of libraries), within an hour. The Bodleian library was build in the 15th century and opened it's doors to scholars in 1602.
Next stop was the courtyard of the Divinity Hall and The Round Theatre (this is where graduation for all Oxford students happens a few times per year)
In the Divinity School was the venue where early century students had to present their dissertations - ready to be questioned by their tutors. Sometimes this could lasts up to 3 days!! in the more modern days, this Hall gained more fame as a popular movie set. A few scenes out of the Harry Potter films were shoot here.
By this stage we started jumping around and swinging our arms, because the bitter wind plus the dropping temperature were a little bit distracting…!!
We were led to the most photographed spot in Oxford - the Bridge of Sighs. Cambridge had an 'over-bridge', to connect two parts of the college over the river…. Even though Oxford, does not have a river, they had to keep up with their counterparts. Just on the other side of the little bridge, an ally leads to the bespoken Turf Tavern - a pub, just outside the ancient city-wall, famous as a drinking joint for the likes of Bill Clinton, Tony Blaire and others….
Last but not least, Steph led us to the Radcliffe Camera, a building designed by James Gibbs in 1737, to host the Radcliffe Science Library. This round building was especially designed to let in natural light, because scientist were not allowed to study by candle light ( in case they might cause an accidental fire)
Close by, we were shown the special 'Narnia door', which inspired C.S Lewis's Aslan (main character in the Narnia Chronicles). When we turned around, the famous 'Narnia lamppost' was behind us!!!
Albeit the cold, we enjoyed our Oxford experience so much. A huge shout-out to our guide, Steph. You made history became real!!
Back in Swindon with family Shaw, we continued the shenanigans around the dinner table, trumped by the Argentina siege over Croatia in the FIFA Football World cup.
So thankful to be inside…in a heated house, with the BIG FREEZE of 2022 happening outside.
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