Oxford

Our Great British Adventure

April 20, 2018

There just don't seem to be any insects in England. No fly screens on any windows, no bugs on the windscreen, no annoying flying critters buzzing around your face. That was probably the feature of our trip I found most unfamiliar.

We headed out to walk the tow path into Oxford, but it was closed for maintenance partway along and we had to completely backtrack and walk along the street instead. This was a great pity as the canal was pretty with its houseboats and white swans. It was a sunny day, headed for the mid-20's, which was very pleasant.

Eventually we made it to Christ Church and Merton colleges. Skirting these we found ourselves in the heart of Oxford. Buildings of all ages were jumbled together (my favourite for sheer antiquity was the plain little Saxon tower crammed between two buildings opposite a KFC). We wandered the grounds of the Bodlean, listening in to some of the guided tours going through and admiring the gargoyles that inspired both Tolkein and Tenniel (Lewis Carroll's illustrator). We didn't feel like tours and just roamed around instead.

Down at Oxford Castle we saw a Rentokil lady who had a Harris hawk with her. Apparently falconry is still a big thing in England, with most big pest companies offering it as a service to keep pigeons and vermin away from old buildings.

Six hours after we walked in we decided to catch a bus back to our accomodation and relaxed for what was left of the afternoon.