Rewinding...back to Oxford!

Okay, so I really want to finish putting up photos from my summer trip to England...and I'm feeling quite wistful (in the day-dreaming longing sort of way) about my week in Oxford so hopefully I can get through the rest of the week in one sitting!  On Monday my class in Oxford began and I found myself part of a very diverse group of eleven ladies plus one tutor.  Val (our tutor) spent the first morning leading us through Jane Austen's life, discussing the status of women, and defining a heroine.  Austen's life was really quite interesting and I wondered what it might have been like to live during her time (minus the lack of electricity and modern plumbing).  The morning flew by and before I knew it we were breaking for lunch in the Hall (yes, the same Hall that Hogwart's great hall is modeled after from Harry Potter).  That afternoon Helena and I signed up for the optional tour of Christchurch--we figured that we ought to get a good look around and learn a bit of history about our week-long home.  

The Master's Garden...so lovely!

A really, really old tree!

Cemetery behind Christchurch Cathedral. 

The cathedral is small but beautiful on the inside.

These windows are something special.  They depict the Archbishop of Canterbury being beheaded but the image was quickly punched out when the threat of total devastation came.

A fairly new addition to the courtyard I passed through on my way to the Hall each day.

The olive tree arrived at the same time as the fountain--commissioned by the dean's wife.

Inside the Great Hall...these are all tourists anxious to get a look at it!

Ahhh, Oxford

After the tour I set out to do a bit of exploring on my own.  I found a few cute shops to while away my pounds sterling and headed back for dinner with my new friends.  The meals, by the way, were really nice!


Tuesday's class brought a lively discussion about Pride and Prejudice, one of my very favorite books.  I've read it four or five times now and I always seem to discover something new with each read.  We had some fascinating discussions about Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Jane, Charlotte Lucas, and Mr. Bingley.  I felt like we could have kept going on this book for the entire week, but sadly we wrapped up the discussion just in time for lunch.  Today I met up with Helena and Trish for more wandering about the city.  I picked up an Oxford sweatshirt (and actually managed to get the proper size this time--third time is the charm) and wandered around Marks and Spencers a bit.  The high-light of this adventure has to be Paperchase!  I LOVE stationary stores and this is a good one.  I found all sorts of fun things that I didn't really need, but had a blast doing it.  From there Helena took us over to her fantastic discovery...a cafe that operates out of a churchyard.  It was absolutely perfect!  We loaded up our trays with tea and scones with jam and cream (a daily staple from here on) and sat outside in the churchyard, watching the people pass by.

Yep, I seem to take a new picture of this everyday! 

Hello fish!

Water lily in bloom.

Tonight we skipped dinner and headed out on our own for Italian before my birthday treat.  On Sunday afternoon we had booked tickets to a performance of As You Like It that was playing in the courtyard of the Bodleian Library.  It was a bit of a cold evening, but the performance was fantastic and the lead actor who played Orlando was adorable!

The seating set up in the courtyard.

Pretty cool to imagine seeing a Shakespearean play here, isn't it?

I think my teeth chattered all the way back to Christchurch, but it was worth it!  What a fun way to spend my 29th birthday!