It's been a bit of a long day, and I'm a tad knackered, so I'll keep this as quick as I can.
Today was really fantastic. I made an effort to get up extra early (8 a.m.) to allow extra time for exploration before 10 a.m. lecture. The best part about the time change is, getting up at 8 a.m. is like getting up at 3 a.m. back home, which I would be up anyway, so I don't really feel it.
I grabbed breakfast, then used my free half hour to roam the nearby neighborhoods across the road. My first stop was North Parade Avenue, where I'd heard through the grapevine of a nice place I could grab a cappuccino and soak in the passersby.
North Parade Avenue
I'd heard right, as I soon found a quaint shop with open doors and a sign calling it 'On the Hoof.' For £1 I got my morning fix of caffeine, a cappuccino to go. I wanted to sit at the window and drink, but was pressed for time.
As a true tourist, I enjoy utilizing my camera often — though I try not to be too pronounced. Until lecture I circled the area taking snaps of little things that I wouldn't see every day, but that the English take for granted: recycling bins on curbs, retro bicycles lining iron fences, and beautiful brick homes.
My weather Widget told me it was going to rain today, and it has seldom to never failed me. I had a plan! Between one lecture and another I walked the mile or so to the center of the city to purchase an umbrella. I knew if I put it off, I'd soon need one it would already be raining. I literally
booked it into town (as in speeeeed walking), snatched the first umbrella (and cheapest, as I know I will discard of it in a few weeks) I could find, a silly shield with a plastic knob handle that looks like a gear shifter in a manual car. Ridiculous, but for £7, I bought it (others were £13…not sure why the gear shift cost less and not more). I made it back right in time. And wouldn't you know it, after lunch I walked outside to — you guessed it — pouring rain. Yes! I gave my new umbrella a go while walking into the city once again, this time to visit a travel agency.
Right now several friends and I are trying to get together a trip to Ireland over Easter break. We've been looking into it for a while now, and sorted through the pro's and con's of many aspects. A) There's no airport in Oxford, so we'd have to book a flight out of London, or take a train to the coast and then ferry across the sea 2) We have just five days iii) We have to find lodging and transportation while there 4) It's Easter, so Dublin is going to be in-flipping-sane and V) We're students on a budget. Add these all up and…well…options are limited. But! We think we have a plan.
I managed to find a Ben & Jerry's today, and a friend grabbed a treat there while I watched her consume. Odd that I wasn't feeling ice cream, but I can't blame myself as it was very cold, windy, and wet. The best part about Ben & Jerry's was the guy (or mate, or lad, as they say here) behind the counter. He had a name I couldn't pronounce, and an accent that was not British, but somewhere else, perhaps Russia. He wore glasses like Lennon! I almost pointed this out to him, but thought it would be stating the obvious. Anyhow, when I asked him a question about what his favorite kind of ice cream was, and I didn't know what he was talking about, he said, "You from Ameh-ica, right?" I played dense and exclaimed, "What! How did you know?" I know it is very obvious, especially our darn midwestern accent, a dead giveaway. He told us of a few museums to visit, both of which happen to be closed/under construction. Thank you anyhow Lubveztiz. Thank you Ben, and thank you Jerry!
Ben & Jerry's held no treats for me, as I was looking for a more run-down, cozy hole-in-the-city with homemade goods and a nice cup of something. More meandering brought me to an offshoot street with an extremely appealing shop called Unicorn.
Unicorn COULD HAVE been the best thing to happen to me since I arrived. Unfortunately, there is 30 years of vintage clothing in piles from floor to ceiling with absolutely no arrangement or orderliness whatsoever. When I walked in, I wasn't even sure if it was a store. There was an old woman likely in her 70's or 80's, standing in the only space you could move in the entire store, a path leading from the door to about 6 feet into the shop, and two feet wide. Just standing amidst
years of clothing. I wanted so badly to take a photo of her with her merchandise, but when I asked she said I could only photograph the outside of her shop because vandals had found out how much she has inside and for some reason or another, stuffed a burning newspaper in her mail slot. As though it is any secret how much stuff she has inside…
I'd hold things up and ask her how much she wanted for them and she'd toss out a price from the catalogue in her head. "The purse is £19. It's from the 1930's, leather with a suede inside." Astonishing. I dug for about 10-15 minutes and finally just gave in. It was very sad to walk out the door empty handed, but if she hasn't gotten around to arranging the place after thirty years…well…goodbye!
Two doors up was the café I was looking for (I visit a looooooooot of these. Excuse the monotony of my European lifestyle) called Heroes. I took in an afternoon treat — as I do every afternoon. Carrot cake and mint tea.
It was really interesting, they charged an extra 30p or so to eat in. Rubbish.
I love walking the streets in the afternoon. It is a safe place in the daylight, and I am comfortable roaming on my own, weaving in and out of passageways, shops, sidewalks and delis. The city is very accessible and I feel that I have got a good five weeks worth of exploring, photographing, and documenting to do, five weeks that I plan to utilize well! I want to know this place very well when I leave.
This evening I (finally) went "out." I don't care much for beer, which is a great deal here in the pubs, but was definitely up for a glass of wine. Several friends and I visited The Eagle and Child (I mentioned this pub in an earlier entry — Tolkien's and C.S. Lewis's hangout) We split a couple bottles of wine and apps. An inexpensive way to have a good evening.
Just starting at Eagle and Child
Interesting "Bread Sharer." Oil and vinegar do not mix, but bread and wine do.
According to the bartender "Tony," directly behind me is where Tolkien and Lewis hung out.
Yes.
On the way out we wanted a photo, and asked a group walking along the sidewalk to take our picture, who ironically turned out to be Canadians. This is not exciting when you are in Minnesota. This is
very exciting when you are in England, because you have found someone that 98% talks like you.
Among other friendly folk we ran into this evening were several gentlemen from Ireland. Everyone knows we are from the States — for them, it is just a matter of guessing
which state we're from. Most seem to know of Minnesota. Now North Dakota on the other hand — well, it's easier to just say you're from Minnesota. An Irishman guessed we were from New York, chatted for a while and offered his daughters as tour guides when we arrive in Belfast ("They'll pick you up in the limo" Hah). When we moved along to another pub, we joined a table with three English grad students that picked apart our whereabouts in Oxford, then questioned where
exactly the Hoover Dam is. It was nice to talk to locals that were near our age about school, diction, dialect, politics, and life in general. Also, they told us they love our president, and weren't affected by the European Union.
It was a great day, save the rain. Which come to think of it — really wasn't that terrible.
Tomorrow I plan on visiting an area of town called Jericho, a funky place with cool shops, eating, etc. (also, apparently, where Radiohead began their beginnings). Dinner is in order at a noodle restaurant. Then again, "I don't make plans" so…we'll see.
Ah! It's 11 p.m. Central time so…I'll let you do the math.
Goodnight from Oxford,
Jenny
PS: Sorry this was not quick whatsoever.
