England – May 2017 June 27, 2017
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Don’s responsibilities on the Advisory Board for MSX International took us to London this year for their annual meeting. The meetings were actually outside of London, but I tagged along anyway, and “hung out” in London while Don worked. Yup, life is okay. 🙂
We went two days before the meetings so as to have a little London time together, arriving early afternoon on Sunday, May 14th. After getting to the hotel – Xenia, a Marriott Autograph Collection, boutique-style hotel, on Cromwell Rd in the Kensington area, which we really liked for it’s smaller size and lovely staff, though we had to shuffle around each other in the tiny room (but that’s London, for you!) – we unpacked, showered, and then headed out for a wake-up walk through Kensington Park. I title these pictures “Sunday Afternoon in the Park With Don”…. 😉
Sunday Afternoon in the Park with Don
Sunday Afternoon in the Park with Everybody Else
Sunday Afternoon in the Park with Seagulls
the Italian Gardens, a 150-yr-old ornamental water garden
Peter Pan statue, commissioned by J.M. Barrie, sculpted by Sir George Frampton
We left the park through the Albert Gate, by the Albert Memorial, an ornate monument, designed by George Gilbert Scott, to commemorate the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, who died of typhoid fever at the age of 42.
Prince Albert Memorial
Memorial detail
gate detail
We walked back to the hotel, changed, and then took the underground to meet up with young friends Rob and Allison. Rob is Nico’s best friend from university, and Allison and Lucas were in Creative Writing together. Rob has been living in London for several years, where he is a Magic & Psychology Consultant & Speaker. Allison is writing a book. We met at their favourite tiki bar at Trader Vic’s.
Rob & Allison, dressed for a tiki night out
my first cocktail, the 1944 Original Mai Tai, complete with American and British flags!
We enjoyed a couple of cocktails, some delicious appetizers, and a great deal of conversation, and then we moved on to the Library Bar in the Lanesborough Hotel for a few more cocktails and small plates. A perfect first evening in London.
the beautiful Library Bar, Lanesborough Hotel
We’ve been to London several times, and so we try to do something ‘new-to-us’ each visit. We started our day by touring the Churchill War Rooms Museum, the historic underground bunker which was the British government’s command centre throughout WWII, as well as a museum exploring the life of Winston Churchill. Fascinating!
we exited the underground at Westminster, closest stop to the Churchill War Rooms, at noon!
explanation of Cabinet War Rooms…part 1
..and part 2..
dressing up in a Churchill top hat
Churchill’s quotes are famous. As a reader, this one appeals to me. 🙂
After spending a few hours touring this very worthwhile museum, we headed out for lunch. Fortuitously, The Red Lion was very close to the museum. Lunch was excellent!
The Red Lion
a red lion!
cider, our pub lunch beverage of choice (as you will see…)
After lunch, we plugged in our downloaded walking tour podcast by Rick Steves, of the Westminster City Centre, and went walking and listening. I know I’ve talked about these podcasts before (previous blogs), but I just have to emphasize again how great they are for overviews and details easily missed. Even though we’ve been several times to London, we still learned new things, and were reminded of details forgotten… Here are a few pictures we took along the way…
caught a plane going past the Houses of Parliament
Cenotaph
The Women of World War II monument
Horse Guards
(I think it’s the) Banqueting House
site of old Scotland Yard
After our walk, we tubed it back to our hotel to change and then tubed it to meet up with Diane, (friend who now lives in Spain), who arranged to come to London for business to coincide with our time there. We had a delicious dinner at Villandry St. James’s, and then walked a block to the Royal Haymarket Theatre, where we had tickets to see “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” by Edward Albee, starring Damien Lewis and Sophie Okonedo. Having watched, and enjoyed, Lewis in both Homeland and Billions, it was great to see him on stage, in something completely different.
The next morning, Don left early to join the MSX International team, who were meeting for 3 days at Tylney Hall, in Rotherwick, Hampshire, about an hour west of London, and I stayed on in London while he was gone. Don’s room there was *much* bigger than our room in London, and the location was lovely. But, there would have been nothing for me to do, and London is FULL of great things to do.
Don’s room
the grounds at Tylney Hall
I set off on foot along Cromwell Road …
Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boys Scouts Association
interesting sign… not sure how to interpret it…
and into the beautiful Victoria & Albert museum..
inside the Victoria & Albert
…where I discovered they had just opened a special exhibit on Pink Floyd, and because I was a ‘single,’ I could get into the next opening of the timed-entry exhibit. 🙂 I spent two hours in the very excellent show!
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd, founded in 1965, “one of the greatest bands in the history of music.”
Pink Floyd achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music.
I am particularly nostalgic about Dark Side of the Moon, which I listened to endlessly in high school
The Wall
The Division Bell
I approve this sentiment 😉
late lunch in the lovely V&A café
From the V&A, I tubed to the St. Pancras/Kings Cross station to go to the British Library’s special exhibit on the Russian Revolution. As Russia is part of our next trip, it was a fortuitous chance to learn a little in preparation, in a lovely setting…. No pictures.
the beautiful St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel
And then, last stop for the day, one of my favourite book shops, and the oldest in the city: Hatchard’s…
booksellers since 1797
the beautiful interior
I love the central staircase
And then I tubed back to our hotel, quite exhausted, to have a very nice dinner, and a couple of glasses of wine, in the hotel dining room.
I woke up Wednesday to cloudy skies and rain in the forecast – a perfect day for the National Gallery, the beautiful art museum in Trafalgar Square. I’ve been there a few times, but with over 2,300 paintings in its collection, it’s impossible to see it all in one visit. Here’s a selection of paintings I saw that struck me…but not all of them – I don’t want to bore you… 😉
The Arnolfini Marriage, by Jan van Eyck, 1434, oil on oak panel – I love the frame
The Magdalen Reading, by Rogier van der Weyden – I love to see a woman reading! 😉
detail from The Origin of the Milky Way, by Tintoretto, ca 1575-1580
I didn’t know this myth – love the explanation for the Milky Way – “According to myth, the infant Heracles was brought to Hera by his half-sister Athena, who later played an important role as a goddess of protection. Hera nursed Heracles out of pity, but he suckled so strongly that he caused Hera pain, and she pushed him away. Her milk sprayed across the heavens and there formed the Milky Way. With divine milk, Heracles acquired supernatural powers.” (from Wikipedia)
The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533
The object on the floor between the two men in The Ambassadors is an example of anamorphosis – it’s a skull, which becomes obvious when looking at it from the side, as captured below…
from this view, it’s a skull! I found this amazing
The National Gallery has several of van Gogh’s painting, like his wonderful Sunflowers, but I wasn’t aware of this one:
Farms Near Auvers, Vincent van Gogh, 1890
My favourite painting at this gallery was on loan, sadly… If you’ve never seen The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, by Paul Delaroche, it’s extraordinarily moving. However, my favourite for sentimental reasons *was* there:
The Avenue at Middelharnis, by Meindert Hobbema, 1689. My father grew up very near here, and I’ve stood at this exact viewpoint, though the trees, now, are much bigger. ❤
the inside of the gallery is a work of art too…
beautiful floors
Exiting the gallery, it had stopped raining and Trafalgar Square was getting busy..
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, from the steps of the Gallery
the lions, close up
Really Good, by David Shrigley – the modern sculpture outside the gallery regularly changes
From the National Gallery, I walked up Charing Cross Road, past the theatre showing the new Harry Potter play,
wish I could have scored a ticket
to Foyles book store…
outside Foyles
…where I browsed (and bought), and then back to the underground to the hotel to change, before heading out to meet Diane at her hotel on the south side. She and I had a fantastic dinner at a little Spanish tapas place called The Port House, where we shared a variety of tapas, while enjoying a lovely Spanish wine, and then right next door to the Adelphi Theatre to see the rollicking-fun show, Kinky Boots. A perfect London evening!
On Thursday I had a ticket to see the special exhibit, The Radical Eye, at the Tate Modern, a sampling of Elton John’s collection of photography – not photos he has taken but, rather, famous photography he has collected over the years. It was an excellent exhibit, which of course didn’t allow photos.
approaching the Tate Modern – so much more ‘industrial’ on the south side of the river
Tate Modern (brown building)
at the top of the Tate, a fabulous view of the city
city view from atop the Tate
city view – Millennial Bridge
not sure I’d like to live here, with everyone at the top of the Tate peering into my place..as cool as that place might be..
Back down on the ground, I walked along the south bank…
walking the south bank..
looking back at the Tate Modern
The Globe Theatre
great wrought iron gates at the Globe
appropriate street art nearby
the ruins of Winchester Palace, all that remains of one of the largest and most important buildings of medieval London
Southwark Cathedral
I love the mix of old and new
I walked across London Bridge (it didn’t fall down)…
…to the Bank & Monument tube station..
…and came out on Oxford St. at Selfridge’s Department Store (did anyone watch that BBC series – it was fascinating!)
From here I walked to the Wallace Collection, a collection of paintings, furniture, arms, armor, and porcelain housed in a stunning old townhouse. I’d been here before, but this time I wanted to see, in particular, the painting entitled A Dance to the Music of Time by Nicolas Poussin because last year I read the 12-part series of novels by Anthony Powell named after this painting. But first, a much-needed cuppa in the beautiful courtyard…
tea in the courtyard
The painting turned out to be much smaller than I expected, but I’m glad I saw it..
A Dance to the Music of Time
it’s the bottom of the two small ones
You wander through ornate room after ornate room full of paintings, furniture, porcelain..
an example of one room
a woman reading -don’t know the title or artist, just like to see women reading 😉
love this reader
and then downstairs to the collection of arms and armory…the collection is huge; my boys would love it! This is just a tiny sample.
armory
more armory
From here I walked to another favourite bookstore, Daunt Books. It’s mostly a travel book shop, organized by countries and regions so that, if you’re interested in traveling to Russia, you go to the section on Russia, and you will find: guide books; non-fiction about the country; and fiction by local authors, as well as authors from other places writing stories that take place in the country. A reader/traveler’s paradise!! I mention Russia, in particular, because (as mentioned previously) that’s our next destination and so I was looking for (and found a few 😉 ) appropriate-to-our-trip books!
And after a lovely time in this store, I walked to meet Diane and two of her friends at Jikoni, an Indian-fusion restaurant, where we had excellent food and drink and a great time.
orange wine (!?), from Chile, for my apéritif
Heidi, Diane, Freda, Rebecca – girls night out
And thus ends the London portion of our trip. The next morning, Friday, Don left his meeting location, picked up a rental car, picked me up, and we were off for three nights in the Cotswolds. On our way to the Cotswolds village of Chipping Campden, which was to be our ‘home base,’ we stopped to tour Blenheim Palace, which is the Duke of Marlborough’s home – the largest in England – and still lived in. John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, defeated Louis XIV’s French forces at the Battle of Blenheim, in 1704. This pivotal event marked a turning point in the centuries-long struggle between the English and the French, and some historians claim that if not for this victory, we’d all be speaking French today. A thankful Queen Anne rewarded Churchill by building him this nice home. Eleven dukes of Marlborough later, the palace is as impressive as ever. In 1874, a later John Churchill’s American daughter-in-law, Jennie Jerome, gave birth at Blenheim to another historic baby in that line, and named him Winston. (from Rick Steves)
Blenheim Palace
touring the state rooms
one of a collection of clocks in the home
in exchange for the palace, the duke still pays “rent” to the Queen in the form of one ornamental flag per year
collections of art
beautiful library with a statue of Queen Anne
old books, beautifully shelved
yes, I like libraries 😉
Exiting the palace..
exterior
fabulous walkway ceiling and posts
the eyes are watching you, on the ceiling of the entrance :O
roof detail
roof detail
We visited the worthwhile Winston Churchill exhibit on the site, a display of letters, paintings and other artifacts of Churchill, who was born here.
Winston Churchill
We grabbed lunch in the cafeteria, and tried a new cider…
couldn’t resist trying a cider called Green Goblin 😉
..and then we were off to Chipping Campden, in the Cotswolds, to check into the Noel Arms Hotel.
Noel Arms Hotel
Says Rick Steves: The Cotswold Hills are dotted with enchanting villages. As with many fairy-tale regions of Europe, the present-day beauty of the Cotswolds was the result of an economic disaster. Wool was a huge industry in medieval England, and the Cotswold sheep grew the best wool. The region prospered. Wool money built fine towns and houses. With the rise of cotton and the Industrial Revolution, the woolen industry collapsed. The wealthy Cotswold towns fell into a depressed time warp; the home of impoverished nobility because gracefully dilapidated. Today, appreciated by throngs of 21st-century Romantics, the Cotswolds are enjoying new prosperity.
Rick Steves has a walking tour of Chipping Campden, so once we settled in, we set out to get our bearings, explore the town, and follow the beginning of the walk while searching out a dinner spot. We started at Campden’s most famous monument – the Market Hall. It was built in 1627 by the 17th-century Lord of the Manor, Sir Baptist Hicks. Back then, it was an elegant shopping hall for the townsfolk who’d come here to buy their produce. Today, the hall, which is rarely used, stands as a testimony to the importance of trade to medieval Chipping Campden.
Chipping Campden’s Market Hall
rough stone floor inside the hall
the timbers are true to the original
this limestone tile marks the ceremonial start of the “Cotswold Way,” a 100-mile walk from here to Bath. We saw more markers over the next two days, as we explored the area
pointing towards the Cotswold Way
This name made me think of The Wind in the Willows 🙂
there are no numbers on the houses along High Street; locals know the houses by their names
Dragon House has a cool dragon door knocker 🙂
another cool door knocker
there were so many lovely little archways and alleys
the sky was getting dramatically dark and it was time for a drink
ciders at the Eight Bells pub
Turns out the Eight Bells pub is popular, so we couldn’t eat there. We made a reservation for the following night, and set off to find an alternate place for dinner. Turns out all of Chipping Campden is busy on a Friday night, but we finally got lucky at The King’s Hotel and had an excellent meal. After dinner a night cap in our hotel bar, and then to bed.
The next morning we set out to explore more of Chipping Campden, including a stop in at the Tourist Info to pick up a detailed map of the area for later when we set out exploring further afield. The day was overcast, but that took nothing away from the quaint and lovely beauty.
flowers and flowering plants everywhere!
colourful, lush gardens on lovely stone fences
I think every Cotswold village has a Sheep Street
Following Rick Steves’ advice, we turned down a lane leading to an old Industrial-Age silk mill, in existence since 1790. Today it houses the handicraft workers guild and some interesting history. In 1902, Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942) revitalized this sleepy hamlet of 2,500 by bringing a troupe of London artisans and their families (160 people in all) to town. Ashbee was a leader in the romantic Arts and Crafts movement – craftspeople repulsed by the Industrial Revolution who idealized the handmade crafts and preindustrial ways. Ashbee’s idealistic craftsmen’s guild lasted only until 1908, when most of his men grew bored with their small-town, back-to-nature ideals. Today, the only shop surviving from the originals is that of silversmith David Hart. His grandfather came to town with Ashbee, and the workshop is an amazing time warp – little has changed since 1902. Hart is a gracious man as well as a fine silversmith, and he, his son William, and nephew Julian welcome browsers. They are proud that everything they make is “one-off.”
plaque
firing the silver to form a rim
it was fascinating watching the work
very hot work!
We bought a silver bracelet for me and silver cuff links for Don, pooling the last of our cash (they didn’t accept credit cards) to make the purchase. Kindly, Mr. Hart returned our last 5 pounds to us (a discount!) so we wouldn’t be penniless.
It was time for a scenic drive. Armed with the map, and google maps (SO helpful!), we set off along narrow, curvy, picturesque roads to our first stop: Chastleton House, just past Moreton-in-Marsh. (I *love* the names of the towns here.) According to a sign on the property: Chastleton House is the Jacobean home of the Jones family. Built from 1607-12 and almost unchanged for over 400 years. Proud poverty has preserved the house much as it would have looked then. Dust, cobwebs and rambling roses add to a feel of ‘romantic neglect.’ It’s so authentic, it was used as the location for the Seymour home in the BBC series “Wolf Hall.” Docents are scattered throughout the house, which is a fascinating place!
entrance to Chastleton House
I thought it unique they painted a body for a mounted head
you can see how old/shabby from this dining room photo
staircase detail
bedroom – can you believe someone actually lived here, in this condition, until 1990!!
of particular note is the Long Gallery, with barrel vaulted ceiling. No other gallery of such a length (72 feet) and date survives. It was the perfect spot for ‘recreation’ when the weather outside was frightful
ceiling detail – Long Gallery
an old hobby horse – Long Gallery
back yard view from Long Gallery
waiting to be cooked in the kitchen
croquet lawn – Chastleton is considered to be the birthplace of croquet as a competitive sport
back of Chastleton, from the croquet lawn
Chastleton’s cemetery
And because we’re in sheep country, here’s a field of sheep we saw as we left Chastleton…
field of sheep
sheep, marked with paint to identify them
hi baby!
the grass is always greener…
From Chastleton House we drove to Stow-on-the-Wold. We had a great pub lunch at The Bell at Stow…
..where they also serve doggies
and then followed Rick Steves’ little walk around town. The Market Square has a long history: Stow was born in pre-Roman times; it’s where three trade routes crossed at a high point in the region (altitude: 800 feet). This square was the site of an Iron Age fort, and then a Roman garrison town. This main square hosted an international fair starting in 1107, and people came from as far away as Italy for the wool fleeces. With as many as 20,000 sheep sold in a single day, this square was a thriving scene.
the Stocks on the Market Square, where people were publicly ridiculed as a punishment
Don on the phone with family, in Market Square
the Market Cross, standing for 500 years, to remind all Christian merchants to “trade fairly under the sight of God.”
The Kings Arms roof line
the sheep would be gathered in a staging area, then paraded into the Market Square down narrow alleys, just wide enough for a single file of sheep, making it easier to count them. These were called Fleece Alleys…
a fleece alley
At the back of the town’s church, is a door flanked by two ancient yew trees. While many view it as the Christian “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” door, J.R.R. Tolkien fans see something quite different. Tolkien hiked the Cotswolds, and had a passion for sketching evocative trees such as this. Lord of the Ring enthusiasts are convinced this must be the inspiration for the door into Moria.
I stand at the door to Moria
the door, close up – it *does* look Tolkienish 🙂
Next stop on our scenic route: Upper Slaughter…
the Cotswolds are full of beautiful gardens…
…and interesting doors..
…and old churches..
…with a lane to the church through the raised graveyard, due to a buildup of centuries of graves…
..and atmospheric cemeteries..
..including this statue of a wistful woman looking over the tomb of an 18th-century rector
…and then Lower Slaughter…
..with a working water mill…
..and people with good humour…
..we met the fellow who lives behind this humourous gate; he was delightful 🙂
..with charming bridges and streams..
..beautiful stone fences and gardens…
..and happy cats
Our last stop of the day was at Bourton-on-the-Water, the so-called “Venice of the Cotswolds” with several canals. We had a quick walk around, before heading back ‘home.’
picturesque canals.. and ducks..
and more canals…
beautiful homes and gardens..
…and a tattered flag
On Sunday, our last day in the Cotswolds,we started by finishing our walking tour around Chipping Campden…
I love that all the Cotswold’s buildings are made from the same local yellow limestone
The Green Dragons house has a sundial over the door, and decorative black cast-iron fixtures (originally in the stables) that once held hay and functioned much like salad bowls for horses. Fine-cut stones define the door, but “rubble stones” make up the rest of the wall. The pink stones are the same limestone but have been heated.
the Green Dragons house
In 1367 William Grevel built what’s considered Campden’s first stone house. It also has a sundial high above the window...
the Grevel House
every day we walked past this beautiful rose garden, waiting for it to pop… probably a week after our departure, too bad 😦
step through this arch into the Ernest Wilson Memorial Garden
Ernest Wilson was a famous botanist, from Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden also boasts a “cart wash” – a ditch built to soak old car wheels so they’d swell up and stop rattling
a thatched roof – for which the Cotswolds are famous, though we actually didn’t see that many
…and then we followed the scenic route in the opposite direction from the day before, our first stop being at the Broadway Tower, before stopping in the town of Broadway. The Broadway Tower is a “folly” – a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century (dictionary definition).
the Broadway Tower – 55 feet tall
the view from the tower hill
whimsical display at the tower park entrance
Before getting to Broadway, we came to the much smaller and picturesque village of Snowshill, population 164, (Rick Steves calls it “another nearly edible little bundle of cuteness), which is basically a road that loops around the church and back out again, and of course has a pub…
we parked, crossed our fingers for no traffic, and walked the loop..
the pub
church in the centre of the loop
rockery surrounding the church centre
the village, across from the church
happy we don’t have to negotiate this road daily
On to Broadway, which does, indeed, have a “broad way” running through the centre of town… much broader than any other village we visited…
Broadway
we had lunch on the patio of the Broadway Hotel, with cider again 😉
and then walked the picturesque main street
lovely hotel in town
this fellow sits at the hotel entrance
why, oh why, didn’t I buy some of this tea?!? Regrets…
Next stop, Stanton:
beautiful climbing roses
Church of St. Michael, where there had been a wedding…
inside the church
While we meandered around the church, the bells were being rung, beautifully, in practise. Here’s a 30-second video, which I can’t seem to turn right-side up… 
From Stanton to Stanway…
thatched roof, beautiful garden
intriguing roof décor
love, love, love the climbing roses
love the flowers along stone walls
Between Stanton and Stanway, a thatched cricket pavilion, originally built for Peter Pan author, J.M. Barrie in 1930…
thatched cricket pavilion, with sheep…
…and cricketers at play
the Cotswold Way
And just past Stanway and Stanton, Hailes Church and Abbey – a Norman church and abbey ruins. Richard, Earl of Cornwall (and younger brother of Henry III) founded the abbey after surviving a shipwreck, but it was his son Edmund who turned it into a pilgrimage site after buying a vial of holy blood and bringing the relic to Hailes around 1270. Thanks to Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century, not much remains of the abbey. However, the church – which predates the abbey by about a century – houses some of its original tiles and medieval stained glass, as well as cave-like surviving murals… (Rick Steves)
abbey ruins
Hailes Church
medieval stained glass
surviving mural
Time to head ‘home.’ We had dinner at Bistro on the Square, where they featured Cotswold gins …
It is definitely time for Gin O’Clock!
Cotswold gins
my delicious Cotswold Gin & Tonic
Back at our hotel, there was a folk band performing in our bar – a perfect last night in Chipping Campden!
The next morning we were up early to head to Oxford for our last day in England. We found our hotel, and the car park recommended, checked in to the Vanbrugh House Hotel…
at the Vanbrugh Hotel
and then set off on foot to explore the town. Oxford, founded in the 7th century and home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, originated as a simple trade crossroads at an ox ford, a convenient place for Anglo-Saxons to cross the river with their oxen. The University was established in 1167, and its graduates include 26 British prime ministers, more than 60 Nobel Prize winners, and even 11 saints, as well as an amazing number of literary greats. It was never bombed in WWII so retains the rich heritage of its original honey-coloured Cotswold limestone buildings. (Rick Steves)
Sheldonian Theatre, where graduations and other important events take place, with a very interesting fence …
detail of one of the 13 heads carved in the 17th century, nicknamed “the emperors”
the Divinity School
love this book over the entrance door
we walked through the 4-columned facade of the Clarendon Building, originally built to house the Oxford University Press…
..into the heart of Oxford, the main courtyard of the Bodleian Library
circling the main courtyard are the original classrooms, marked with the original curriculum
another example of original curriculum
We booked a tour of the Bodleian Library for a little later in the day, and carried on…
Radcliffe Camera, built as a medical library, now used as a reading room
All Souls College, named for the dead from the Hundred Years War fought between England and France in the 14th and 15th centuries
ornate sundial, part of All Souls College, designed by Christopher Wren, one of the alums of the college
Church of St. Mary the Virgin, a landmark that predates the university. 1000 years ago it marked the centre of the original walled town
bicycles everywhere!
Hertford Bridge, known as the Bridge of Sighs, built in the 19th century to connect the two parts of Hertford College
time for lunch, through the gap of St. Helen’s Passage.. to the famous Turf Tavern
Turf Tavern history
no Butter beer drinkers while we were there 😉
nor Inspector Morse, et al
we ate in the outdoor garden (ciders and fish & chips) under this tower..
After lunch we toured Christ Church College, Oxford’s dominant college. It was founded by Henry VIII’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, in 1524 on the site of an abbey dissolved by the king. The buildings survived the tumult of the Reformation because the abbey and its cathedral served as part of the king’s new Church of England. It still has a close connection to the royal family, and a long list of esteemed alumni. *And* scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed here!! 😉
.. Christ Church College meadow
Christ Church College buildings
Tom Quad, the largest quad in Oxford, so-named in the 17th century after the six-ton bell “Great Tom” was installed in Christopher Wren’s tower.
statue of Mercury in the pond at the centre of Tom Quad
this tower designed by Christopher Wren
According to tradition, every night at 21:05 the bell clangs out 101 times – each chime calling the curfew for the 101 students who first boarded here. This gives the students 4 1/2 minutes to get from the pub through the gate by the last ring. Why not on the hour? When the tradition began, time zones had yet to be standardized – and since Oxford was 60 miles, or 5 minutes of longitude west of Greenwich, clocks here were set five minutes earlier. That means 21:05 Greenwich Mean Time was 21:00 on the dot Oxford time. Even though the UK standardized its time zone in the 1850s, Christ Church College has insisted on keeping Oxford time. (And that explains why the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is always late.) (Rick Steves)
inside the Cathedral, beautiful stained glass windows
the shrine of St. Frideswide, patron saint of Oxford, is the oldest monument in the Cathedral
stunning vaulted ceiling
the Becket window, (c.1320), oldest in the Cathedral
detail, showing the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket, seen kneeling between a monk and the four knights who murdered him. The panel was defaced in the 16th century to protect it from Henry VIII’s orders to destroy all images of Becket. The original face of Becket is missing.
cloisters peek-a-boo
It was now time to head to the famous Great Hall…after first climbing The (famous) Hall Staircase…and because we remembered about “Oxford Time,” we beat the crowds by 5 minutes and were almost at the front of the line as it re-opened after lunch. 😀
The Hall Staircase (scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here)
The Great Hall is where the academic community eat all their meals, and it is closed to tourists during those meal times. The hall is the largest pre-Victorian college Hall in Oxford and seats up to 300 people. It has a Gothic, hammer-beam ceiling and portraits of esteemed alumni line the walls, including the primary sponsor of the college – Henry VIII. The Harry Potter movies were never actually filmed in the hall, but the movie’s dining hall was based on this grand place, and if you’ve seen the movies, it’s truly like walking into that movie, except this real hall has only three long rows of tables, not four. Very cool!!
The Great Hall
humble place settings
at the end of the hall, behind the head table, Henry VIII in the middle, Cardinal Wolsey to the right, Queen Elizabeth on the left :O
many framed dignitaries, lovely windows
a better view of the hammer-beam ceiling
It was now time to tour Bodleian Library. You can’t take pictures inside, so click on the images link I attached to see this splendid place. Bodleian Library is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 12 million items, it is the second-largest library in Britain, after the British Library. It is one of six libraries that is legally required to receive one of every book published in Britain. (wikipedia) Because it is a research library, none of the books can be checked out, even by royalty, as we learned on our tour.
After the library tour, we went to the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, to climb the steep, winding staircase in the tower, for a view over the city… I don’t like heights, and am not fond of steep winding staircases, but the view really is spectacular…
viewing walkway was very narrow
Radcliffe Camera from above
All Souls College from above
a colourful row of buildings
lots of great gargoyles
more detail
gargoyle and spires
gargoyles
it’s hard to resist such expression
Back down on the ground, we walked to Blackwell’s book store, one of the world’s largest bookstores, holding some three miles of bookshelves. :O
Blackwell’s – where it says “photo point” on the wall at right is where I stood for the next shot..
Blackwell’s – if they don’t have the book you want, I can’t imagine who does!
That evening we had a lovely dinner out at a little French Bistro recommended by the hotel staff, and a last cider in a bar on the way back to the hotel. The next day we drove back to London, returned the car, and flew home after our perfect little get-away.
street art
many Alice in Wonderland references in this town
I know a few lads who would be regulars here! 😉
last cider
Goodnight from Oxford!
freda's world adventures 
Hi Freda,
Thank you for all your efforts to put your knitting needles down to provide my summer evening entertainment. Yes, good old Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and teenager parties (of 1 to record count 65.) Glad you shared with us your memory of The Avenue at Middelharnis and your fondly remembered dad. Were the National Gallery “wonder” floors glass, ceramic, or painted on cement, or ? Seeing Trafalgar Square always takes me back to spending New Years Eve 1977 there. For someone who claims she isn’t very computer tech savvy, impressive you added the bell ringing video, albeit sideways. Well done again Freda!! love Cynthia
Thanks, Cynthia! To answer: the National Gallery floors were ceramic, but those were just outside the gallery, not inside the whole building. Love that you spent NYE ’77 in Trafalgar Square. And the sideways video is because I turned my camera sideways, to fit the whole bell tower in the picture. When I do that to take a picture there’s a feature in our picture program that allows for turning the picture right-ways-up; I don’t know why I can’t do that with a video…maybe the file is too big. Ah well, it was taken for the sound, not the look. 😉
Dear Freda, I was so happy to finally get to curl up with a glass of wine and reward myself with your blog, as I easily envisioned myself next to you as you explored…..of course, with Don as our driver.
I love that you took your time through Kensington Gardens. Did you happen to go into the palace there. Jennilee and I went there last year and so much enjoyed it, although it’s not near as impressive as others. I believe Diana lived there. We also moseyed over to her memorial and fountain not far from where you were….modern but lovely. In regards to the Library Bar…..were there really books there that you could look at or was it for show? I have heard about the Churchill War Rooms Museum and I hated that we ran out of time to see it. Thank you for including that in your tour so WE could see it too! Did you learn anything new about him that you hadn’t heard. I LOVE that quote about books from him and it’s exactly how I feel….I ‘love’ on books too and that’s why I can’t ‘Kindle.’ How wonderful that you got to see Diane in London. Is she the one you spent such a lovely vacation with in Spain last year? What did you think about ‘The Goat….?’ Did you choose it just to see Lewis or did you want to see it for itself?
I love that you stayed in London while Don did his thing with work. Many wives might have been too timid (or cheap, in my case) to keep the two hotel rooms and explore on your own. I have seen the Lord Baden Powell statue since my father was a Boy Scout leader for over 40 years (juliette Lowe’s too…and the GS house in Savannah). From what I understand PSPO stands for Public Spaces Protection Order and these signs were made necessary in 2016 due to so much revving or engines, racing, honking, etc. I love that you took a picture of the sign! PINK FLOYD!!!! OMG….what a fun diversion from observing ‘ancient’ history and seeing ‘pop’ history…..I love them too and your visit to this exhibit makes me happy! What did you learn about the Russian Revolution that you didn’t already know? Have you chosen some books to read to prepare yourself for your Russia trip? You MUST read “A Gentleman in Moscow!’ I would suggest others but, knowing you, I’d be preaching to the choir. Did you get a book at Hatchard’s? How could you resist? (Oh, I know…you would have to carry them all home in your luggage and that could get heavy if you let your ‘wants’ rule your sensibility! I admit, had you not zoomed in on the ‘skull’ in that picture, I would have missed it….it was fascinating and such an unique way of representing it in the painting. You said something about your dad growing up in Middelharris? Where is that and did you know about this painting beforehand? Again…Foyles…what did you buy? I am so glad you saw Kinky Boots! I’m planning to take my younger two girls to NYC in two weeks and we definitely want to see that show! Do you recommend it? My daughter’s favorite singer is playing the lead in NYC.
I have also been to the Globe because my mother taught English literature in high school (almost like a foreign language in a hick Texas town–ha!) so many summers we went to England to see where authors/poets lived, were buried, and hung out! (Highgate Cemetery was a favorite)….as well as Stratford-on-Avon. As far as the sign about the Blitz memorial….wonder if there are others like that because thousands were killed in the Blitz (just read The Girl With No Name (don’t recommend) and it is set in London during the Blitz)…wonder why that particular place warranted a marker or if there are others? I might have gone bonkers in Daunt Bookstore…travel books??? OMG…just let me live there!
I have also been to Blenheim Palace and I remember the story about Churchill’s mother giving birth to him there (I thought it was during an event or party?) and saw the bedroom. You didn’t say but was the Green Goblin good? I like the way you ‘did as the locals’ did and drank their local favorites…..did you ever want to say, “I don’t THINK so….bring on the wine!”????? The Cotswolds excursion was interesting to me since I just finished The Pillars of the Earth. I’m sure you have read it but so much in your trip reminded me of the story…how Aliena sold the wool in the markets. Btw, where’s a picture of your silver bracelet and Don’t cufflinks? Inquiring minds want to know! Thank you for including the pictures of the door knockers. I find those fascinating and wonder what goes through someone’s mind as they are choosing it for their home? Chastleton was very unique and I’m surprised (but glad) you took the time to visit it….but if Rick says you shoucl, YOU SHOULD! If I am ever asked where croquet began, I will know the answer…because of you! Love love the door to Moria! Thank you also for the unique ‘wistful woman’ picture….as I may have told you, I am fascinated with graveyards and tombstones so I love anything like that.
All this time I would have thought those cast iron ‘bowls’ were flower pots but it makes sense they were for horses now! …..and a ‘cart wash?’ That’s a new one on me! Was Broadway Tower in the middle of nowhere? Was there a charge for it (it being so small and all!) Love the whimsical sheep (I think it was) outside there. And do you just happen upon a wedding (or after a wedding) every trip you take? haha I remember the one in Spain that was so fun with your video.
Oxford: these pictures are extra special to me since Jennilee and I were there last year. So many authors lived there and there are so many tributes to them that it is fun for a reader to visit this important village. Love the book at the entrance. As far as the Becket memorial….again, having just read Pillars of the Earth, these pictures and part of your blog are interesting to me! I remember everywhere signs about no walking on the grass! Admittedly they have lovely grass there! The gargoyle pictures are fun too…..love those little creatures and their creators. I remember seeing and hearing the story about the Bridge of Sighs…how it really resembles Rialto Bridge more.
Thank you for whisking me away from the laundry, cooking, bill-paying, and overall rat-race so I can ‘go with you’ on your travels.
BRING ON RUSSIA! I can’t wait!