Well then. After that long day on a bus, running around the country, you’d think I would take it easy the next day, right? For some reason, no. I booked my busy London days back-to-back. For my Thursday, I would spend the day in Oxford! I have been trying to get over to explore this old college town since I visited that other one a few years back, but I just haven’t found the time. I even bought tickets back in January, but then I got stuck in Finland. So here I am! Finally fulfilling that little dream.

On the train ride over to Oxford, ladies came down the aisle with a “trolley,” and I felt like I was in Harry Potter. Little did I know that the HP movie franchise took a lot of inspiration (and filming locations!) from this college town, so I would be hearing a lot of HP-related stories throughout the day.

I wanted to start my day with a walking tour, but I arrived in the city just shy of 9:30, and the first tour wasn’t offered until eleven, so I wandered a bit. There was plenty of green and pretty sandstone buildings, so I was not lacking in scenery.

I also kept my eye open for lunch or tea spots. Cheap afternoon tea seemed to be quite the thing here, and I made note of several restaurants to wind my way back to after the conclusion of the tour. Somehow, I managed to walk much of the town in my hour and a half of freedom. I wandered past Town Hall, the main shopping street, and Christ Church College, and I peeked my head into a couple college courtyards.

I finished my time up in the covered market and eyeballed a few yummy looking snacks while simultaneously restraining from dress (or cake) shopping.

Finally, it was time for the tour. I was actually just slightly late, so I missed the part where they divide up all the tourists into groups and assign guides. I slipped into a group with a promising-looking guide and pretended I’d been there all along. Our guide was Canadian, but he was just finishing up his PhD at Oxford, so I suppose he would be qualified for tour-giving.

At one point, our guide brought us over to the Divinity School. Apparently, many scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed here, including the scene in the first movie where Harry is in the infirmary.

Then we came to one of the most famous buildings in Oxford, the Radcliffe Camera. It was once a library, but now it is just a very beautiful study area. Unfortunately, only students are allowed, so we had to admire from the outside.

There were also a lot of other pretty surrounding buildings.

We were told many stories about famous students and professors, including C.S. Lewis, the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. He was a professor here and was supposedly inspired to create Aslan and Mr. Tumnus based on the emblems on a particular door in the city.

We also peeked into a few colleges…

And enjoyed the green, green grass, all perfectly manicured, surrounding the various colleges.

We ended our tour in the Christ Church meadow with a grisly story of a man burning his own hand off before being burned at the stake. ‘Twas very dramatic.

And then we were released! I quickly marched my way back to the University Church to climb the bell tower and a get a lovely topside view of the Radcliffe Camera. I also like climbing towers in these silly university towns because you can see into the college courtyards without paying to enter! Muahahahaha.

I spent quite a long time up there, as I’m sure you can imagine, but my stomach finally got the better of me, and I headed down the stairs and back to the covered market for a bite of lunch. I got a traditional pasty. Not the most appetizing name, but it was quite delicious. Very English.

Then I went back to wandering for a bit, through some bookstores and church gardens…

But my end game was the Ashmolean Museum! This is Oxford’s free museum housing several different collections of art and ancient artifacts.

I really could have spent all day here, but I wanted to try to make it back to the botanical gardens before closing time, so I chose my wanderings carefully.

They had a little bit of everything here: treasure, Stradivarius string instruments, mummies, you name it. I must say though….. It always makes me a bit sad when I see a Stradivarius in a museum (and this happens fairly often). I mean…. I understand that these are some of the most magnificent, rare, and wonderful musical instruments every created, but if they are sitting behind a glass box in a museum, then what makes them any different from any other pretty instrument??? They aren’t famous because of their looks; they’re famous because of their sound, and we can’t hear that sound unless someone is playing them! I don’t know the best way to strike a balance between protecting these instruments for the future while also enjoying the very reason we know their names, but I feel like sticking them in temperature-controlled boxes is not the best solution.

And don’t even get me started on mummies…. I honestly can’t hardly stand to be in the same room as a mummy these days. Again, I understand that they are amazing pieces of history and that we can and have learned a lot from them and yadayadayada, but these were actual people who were literally buried or entombed, ideally for all eternity, after death, only to be unearthed, uncovered, unwound, and put on display for thousands and millions of people who only view them as interesting old objects. Eck. It makes my skin crawl.

Maybe this is why the art is always my favorite part of a museum…. The art is often some of the only things on display that were actually created TO BE DISPLAYED. And they’re preeeeetty…..

Not sure why, but I was really into close-ups on this day. This one made me feel whimsical and romantic:

This one made me wish I could jump through the picture frame Blue’s Clues style and hang out in that cafe for the rest of the day:

I thought this one was cute and funny – it’s a commentary on all the boring in-between moments of married life, and it’s a self-portrait of the artist and his wife:

The landscapes on display in this collection were especially pretty. Usually, I find a couple that I like, but so many of these drew me in to stare at the endless supply of detail.

So, a lovely visit to the Ashmolean, and since I didn’t get to see everything, that means I have a great excuse to make another visit in the future! But for the time being, my mission was to see some pretty plants.

I made it all the way across town again, back to where the gardens were, only to find a very unwelcoming sign telling me that the last entrance had already occurred and the gardens were closed for the evening. This was infuriating for two reasons: firstly, I had just fast-walked for nearly half an hour to get there, and secondly, the gardens posted that last entrance was 45 minutes before five, and I arrived at 4:14. I was not pleased. And I was sweaty. And I was quite tired.

But, I consoled myself by observing that the gardens were quite small, and instead, I wandered over and enjoyed some garden and water views across the street for free. Ha! Oxford, like Cambridge, also offers punting excursions around the shallow river. So many similarities between these two, but I’m sure you could say the same about most rivals.

And then, it was tea time!

Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy. I sat for about an hour and edited an essay for my sister while my phone charged up, and when I got up to leave at six, the waiter assured me that I could stay past closing. “No rush!” he said with a smile. My kinda waiter.

Next, I walked the grounds of Oxford Castle for a bit. It was quite a cozy spot; the walls shut off all the noise from the outside streets, and there was a café or two tucked inside that elicited happy chatter and the clinking of glasses. It was quite a lovely way to wind down my evening.

Also, I finally managed to find the entrance to the public library! I’d passed by in the morning, but I was unable to find a way inside. I had just enough time to explore a bit before they closed.

And then I headed back over to Christ Church College for their Maundy Thursday service! I had some lucky timing to be able to sit in on this service that takes place the Thursday before Easter. Only once a year, and there I was. I peeked into a couple alcoves on my way in, delighted at my chance to see a bit of the college for free (there is normally an entrance fee of several pounds during the day), and I was really excited for the service.

There was no photography or videography allowed during the service, but the boys choir sang beautifully, and it was wonderful to be a part of this. As each person entered to find a seat, the usher woman asked kindly if they would like their feet washed as part of the Maundy Thursday ceremony, and it was fun to see all of the stuttering responses.

I made sure to sit on the end in case I needed to leave early to catch my train, and in the end, I did have to slip out. I walked through the silent, dark courtyard and was surprised to find myself trapped for a bit. I began to panic at all the locked doors when I found a porter who unlocked one to let me out. Phew!

Oh, shortly after this, a British boy with a group of friends said, “Hello, how are you doing?” and I giggled so awkwardly that his whole group of friends joined in on the laughter as I continued past without properly responding. I think I’ve forgotten how to talk to boys….

Then back through the town once more, onto my train, and back to London. A very successful day in Oxford! It felt a little rushed, but I took many pleasant memories with me. I also noticed there was a lot less name dropping here as compared to Cambridge, and I wonder if that is because I just had less showy guides here or if it is because Cambridge churned out more recognizable names? Hard to say.

I will say this, though: I think I like Cambridge better. Tehehehe.

Cheers/ best wishes,

-Lizzy-wa