Oxford in more detail

This morning Mary and I rambled around Oxford, revisiting some spots from yesterday ( this  time with our binoculars) and filling in some areas we missed. We walked past one of the pubs where JRRTolkein and CSLewis hung out, and marveled at the speed with which weather can change.  This afternoon we met the rest of our group (there are 11 travelers and two guides altogether), and went on a walking tour with a local expert. We spent a lot of time in New College (so named because it was the second, or new, college dedicated to St Mary when it was founded in 1379.. not because it seems very new now!).  In the early 1900s one of the Deans of New College was Rev. Spooner of spoonerism fame. New College also maintains one of the extant pieces of the Saxon town wall, and served as the setting for the famous Harry Potter scene (in its cloisters) where Draco Malloy gets turned into a ferret. Late this afternoon we drove to Minster Lovell, where our inn has been in existence since before 1070 ( it is listed in the Doomsday book).  Tomorrow we start our immersion into the nature, culture and history of the Cotswolds region, including several village-to-village walks. 

A day to ourselves in Oxford

 Mary and I chose to come in a day early for our trip, to spend time together and to have more time to explore Oxford than the 2 hour walking tour advertised for the group tomorrow would allow.  We tramped about 5 miles around the colleges, peeking through doorways and gateways but declining to pay the (steep) fees to enter the enclaves. We also retraced the paths of characters in various medieval and later Oxford-based mysteries we have read or watched.  This included watching canal boats on the Oxford canal (looking just like the one in Father Brown and reminiscent of the one in Morse), including one going through the lock between the canal and the Thames. We also met two of our tour group as we passed the Botanic Garden— those Natural Habitat logos on gear are unmistakable.

One of the colleges we passed was Magdalen, often cited as the loveliest of the Oxford colleges. I have included a picture of its exterior for my Bryn Mawr friends, as it is absolutely architecture and decoration near to our hearts!  We also saw many punts waiting in the Cherwell for a sunny afternoon.  We are staying at the Randolph, very lovely and historic. But look carefully at the picture of our room...a Keurig machine on one table and a rotary phone on the other!