Oxford is the most beautiful, clean, medieval city I have ever seen - just because every single building is beautiful. They all match, and many are from the 1100's and 1200's! Also, Oxford University is made up 38 (or 36, we weren't sure) different smaller colleges filled with about 200 students each. Each has its own name - Churchill (Where the Harry Potter dining hall was filmed), Mansfield (where Katherine is!)... and so the entire city is made up of these beautiful old colleges.
The entire trip was SO magical!!! We went to a speech by a Parliamentary Member, given in the chapel at Mansfield, and then after that we went to a "Formal Hall" dinner at this college. Here we went into a beautiful old dining room lined with paintings of past school presidents. They had long tables with white table clothes and candles, and we ate a 3 course traditional English meal! The most interesting part was that we were not allowed to sit down until they introduced the "guests" - the college president, the Parliament speaker, and many other significant school figures, as they came in and we clapped. Then we sat down and enjoyed the delicious and entertaining evening!!
In Oxford we also ran along the Thames River, where there were many rowers practicing for the big regattas ahead! The weekend before, they had had the big English Regatta there - Oxford against Cambridge!!! Wish I had been there for that!
We also ate an amazing English breakfast with the famous "Bubble and Squeak" - a potato and leek pancake that they always eat with breakfast! Then we went to a theater performance, and then after, the Bop! A school dance where everyone dressed up and danced in a big room at the school with a DJ - just like my good old high school days!
It was a blast and I love Oxford! If it was not so rainy, I would consider graduate school there - or maybe I am still considering it :)
No comments:
Post a Comment