A few years ago on our trip to Norway, we took some time to visit England. In one week I experienced a completely different world and was transported each day to what seemed like a storybook setting. In the past couple of weeks, I have found myself reminiscing and remembering the country that stole my heart and has me dreaming of one day returning to uncover more of its rich history and culture. While it was only a week, we visited many places and experienced many wonderful things and one post would not do it justice. So for the first stop on our tour, Oxford!
Oxford became our home for that week in England. From there we would travel to other places like London and Warwick. Of all the places we visited, this was the one we really got to know, the one where for a week I felt like a true Brit. I remember my first night, I was lying in bed and the window was open. There is no air conditioning in Europe, so having your windows open is a very common thing. It was raining that night and I remember how amazing it felt to hear the rain sprinkling down and a soft breeze coming in through the window. That's when it really felt like something out of a story. At home the windows are hardly ever open to prevent the AC from getting out, so for some reason to me, this was a little something extra that added to the overall experience.
What I loved about Oxford was its architecture! There were hundreds of years of history in every brick and pavement. Some of the streets looked like something out of a movie, but honestly Hollywood has nothing on this. I truly felt like I had stepped into a different time period! What I really loved was how the old was preserved and still useful. You could see buildings whereby merely looking at it you could see just how old it was, but it was still useful as a shop, home, or restaurant. Each one having a different story behind it, but still having a purpose in today's day and age. I think that's what I loved about England, in general, was how its past is preserved so well, but progress is still welcomed. You can see that in some of the photos where buildings, filled with history, stand surrounded by modern vehicles, roads, and people.
When it comes to getting around things are done the good old European way, either by foot or public transportation. Whenever we went into town, we walked. It was a nice change of pace and it allowed us to really get to know the city and to experience it the way the locals do. At every turn, at every street, there was a new sight to behold and you never got bored. As I walked, I would just soak it all in and more than once I became hypnotized by my surroundings. Eventually, that led to me becoming hazardous to the local cyclist. Always look both ways before you cross the street!
So besides its breathtaking architecture, why is Oxford so special? It's most famous for its university, Oxford University. It is one of the oldest universities in the world and has been the educational home to many of the world's greatest minds like J.R.R Tolkien, Stephen Hawking, and T.S Eliot. I don't like to think of it as just another college town because it is so much more. This is also where Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, studied and later taught. Here he met a young girl who was the inspiration for Alice, and thus the birthplace to one of the greatest children's books of all time. Towards the center of town was a little shop which has all things Wonderland. Sadly, no pictures we allowed, but it was quite the shop. Filled with trinkets, tea towels, books, teacups, and saucers, all adorned with illustrations from the book. Another hidden gem is the Eagle and Child, a pub where the literary masters would meet to discuss their work. The group was called The Inkling and composed of members such as C.S Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Hugo Dyson. I think it's safe to say Oxford is a must-see for literary fans.
The center of Oxford was the busiest, naturally, but that's what made it exciting! It was incredible to see all the unique shops and tiny restaurants full of people, each place different and special. Close to the center of town was a marketplace, or rather the Covered Market, the cutest thing ever! Dating back to the 1770s, the Covered Market is like an indoor bazaar filled with grocers, boutiques, and cafes. Shop after shop lined up next to each other, each one different and unique. There were ice cream shops, shoe shops, hat shops, tea shops, produce, bakery, flower shop, basically anything you can think shop. It almost felt like the market scene from "My Fair Lady," only there wasn't any singing. This might have been one of my favorite things because it's not at all like our grocery stores at home. It was different, refreshing, historic, and you can even say magical. It was a cute little marketplace in the center of an old town, and for a moment I felt quite European!
And so the chapter to our Oxford adventure is coming to a close. Now I've mostly talked about how I felt as I experienced this beautiful city and mentioned a few of my favorite places, but I do have a few more spots worth a visit if you're ever in the mood to go and are not quite sure what to do. There's plenty to do when it comes to tourist attractions. If you're into books there's the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera (library). If you're a history buff then there is the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Oxford Castle, a Norman castle dating back to 1073. There's also the Pitt Rivers Museum which displays the archaeological and anthropological collections of the university. If you want you can also take one of the local tour buses that take you around town and show you all the sites and give a nice little history lesson on each wonderful place.
But if I had to give one solid piece of advice, I would say submerge yourself into the culture. Become one of the locals, that is how you will truly experience everything Oxford has to offer. Go walking down the streets and eat at a local café, none of those chain restaurants. Or better yet, go to the market and cook at home. Go get lost trying to get to the town center, that's how you'll discover some of the greatest secrets the city has to offer. For me, the best thing was just walking around and seeing the buildings, gardens, and just taking in the breathtaking scenery, and that didn't cost me a pound. Sometimes the best things in life are free!
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