September 12, Oxford

The day began with breakfast in the college's Hall.  You go up a flight of stairs (34 steps) to the Hall.
3 tables are set the length of the long hall, with benches on either side.  There are vases of flowers about every six place settings.  Pitchers of juice, condiments,etc every four place settings.  On either side of the room there are cold breakfast stations with cereal, cold meats, cheese, crossaints or buns and fruit.  At the table there is a hot menu for you to choose from.  There are lots of servers about to be of assistance.  We barely got our bums on the bench before a server came to take our order.  As we have had continental breakfasts thus far we ordered the hot breakfast.  I didn't think to say that I didn't want the sausage, beans or potatoes - just the poached egg, ham and toast and coffee.  Roy managed to manfully eat the lot.  2 bananas found their way into our pockets on the way out.  It was quite the experience.  As the students are not in session until October there are no staff eating there either.  Tomorrow we may eat at the head table.  Just like Dumbledore in Harry Potter.  Presumptuous of us!

The walls are covered with portraits of the founder and various Wardens or leaders.  It is like being in a movie.

It has suddenly begun to belt down rain.  The first we've experienced since we arrived.  It is 7:30 in the evening (19:30 if you're European).

I am attempting to make a pot of tea.  So far haven't got the kettle switch in the right position and if it is right the switch for the outlet is wrong.  I'll have earned my cuppa!

We had breakfast at 8:00 and then set out to explore.  We visited Oxford Castle which served as a prison for many years complete with debtors prison area where people had cooking facilities because they might be there for a very long time (suppose their families had to steal food to bring them to cook) and a dungeon for the very bad people.

It's really pouring down rain outside.  Kettle still isn't boiling.

The wall that protected Oxford has been exposed in part.  It was built in 1090 (approx). 
We poked around and explored some more  and even found a department store that sells Fireman Sam toys!  I know two little boys who would like that.  Their selection was very limited though and we didn't buy anything. 

I haven't mentioned it yet and Roy has heard it waay to many times.  European women dress so well - in dresses and skirts.  Every store window that displays dresses has me drooling.  Kim would look so good in them - I want to buy a batch of them.  I saw a sweater that I liked and would have bought but the colours were not to my taste.  Years, and I mean many years ago, I had Dalkeith sweaters.  I loved them and eventually so did the moths.  If I see one, it's mine.

Finally we wound our way to the Tourist Information where our tour began.  It was a 2 hour walking tour of Oxford.  We visited Jesus College, Bodelian Divinity college and Merton College.We had hoped for the Bodelian library but you have to have a reader's card to get in.  The guide shared lots of information and tidbits that I will let Roy tell you (cop out)  We saw Oriele college but didn't go in. Cecil Rhodes attended here and endowed it with bags of money.  Lester B. Pearson, Turner, Bill Clinton and Chris Kristofferson all are Rhodes scholars.   Also saw Braesnose College where the author (whose name escapes me at the moment) got inspiration for The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.  Roy took pictures of the inspirational sites

Divity Church

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Tummies full we headed off for Christ Church.  Many Harry Potter scenes came from here.  Charles Dodgson (alias enjoyed C.S. Lewis) attended and taught here.  He was an Oxford don and telling children stories.  The stories he told Alice Liddell, daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, and her sisters were written down at the Alice insisted he should do so.  Alice In Wonderland.  There are places in the Hall at Christ Church that inspired bits of the stories.  Again, we have pictures.  Hope Alex and Vanessa will enjoy the story with a female heroine.

Tea is made.  Roy found the switch on the kettle which was hidden under the handle so that a mere mortal such as I couldn't find it. 

I will pass this to him as I have rambled enough.

I will fill in some usless information hope to fire your imagination about some of the things we saw

The Divinity Church part of the Bodlrelian library is used for students who graduate to process through to the Sheldonian Theatre where they receive thir degrees.  Not used for much else.  Used in Harry Potter films as the hospital and dance hall.  The doors were designed by Christopher Wren so students had a easy walk through to the hall.  All parts of the program are done in latin so almost no one understands it.  Once a student is accepted to one of the 38 colleges here they are not yet officially part of Oxford until they go through a procession similar to graduation, again all in latin

Christ Church was very interesting.  At one time they had 101 students who all had to be inside by 21:00. The bell called Great Tom would ring 101 times at 21:05, and still does today.  Traditions die hard here.  The cathedrals are a bit of a "T" shape.  The Jesus College plan to build a Catherdak in the shape of the cross but ran out of money.  Only the top and cross of the T was completed so they stopped and sold the land for the bottom of the cross (long part).  Other colleges had the same problems and it became an accepted style.

 

This cathedral looked quite large to me, but our guide told us it was one of the 5 smallest in Britain

 



This is All Souls college.  You have to have your Fellowship to enter.  You cannot apply, they select and contact you.  There is an interview and you may or may not be selected.  People like Steven Hawkins get to go there.





There is more but that is enough for tonight.




The end