Thursday, August 7, 2014

Scenes from Oxford, UK



Sometimes photos get downloaded onto my computer and then just sit there, lying in wait as I forget about them and move on to the next memory card, and the next. And that's okay. Sometimes, it's nice to process memories long after they've been experienced. But then again, I've always enjoyed nostalgia-wallowing.

A little more than a year ago, I made one of my biennial trips to the UK, and Emma of Poires Au Chocolat (one of my favorite blogs!) invited me to visit for a few days in Oxford. Even through my bleary, jet-lagged eyes, Oxford was so incredibly beautiful, and Emma was such a wonderful host, making sure that I had the proper Oxford experience, complete with

campus tours, anthropological museums,
lawns that I had to keep reminding my crass Californian-self I couldn't walk on,
rowing races, swans interrupting rowing races,
Ben's Cookies,
tea in the oldest Oxford building, hot chocolate in a new hipstery bike shop,
bookstores for days, pubs with picturesque names,
homemade toad-in-the-hole, homemade scones (pronounced with a vowel that sounds like "aw" and not "oh") and marmalade, proper Devonshire cream, a beautiful garden to drink more tea in,
and all the wisteria and lilacs that I could sigh at to my heart's content.

You guys, I wish everything everywhere were covered with blooming wisteria forever and ever and ever.


I've never been to Cambridge before, but from what I've seen of Oxford, Cambridge has its work cut out for it in the rivalry.


(On the same trip, I went here.)
(and to Manchester. More on that soon.)




10 comments:

  1. oh! the photos are pure beauty! I have been to Oxford once as a child...and your post made all my memories pop up like a pictures. thank you for such an atmosphere!

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  2. Beautiful pictures! I always tell everyone to visit Ben's Cookies in Oxford <3

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  3. Just gorgeous - love the first photo :)

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  4. Laura@bakinginpyjamasAugust 7, 2014 at 5:21 AM

    I work and live in Cambridge, you'd love it here!

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  5. So amazing place you are... I would like to be at your place! Vraiment doux, beau et calme. Can you help me: On first picture what is the name of the flowers on the wall? I'm in love with... Sorry my english my first language was french I come from province of Quebec.

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  6. The flowers are wisteria.

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  7. This is lovely! It's great to be reminded of your stay. & now I'm moving to Cambridge you'll have to come and check it out! x

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  8. Cambridge is better for punting, Oxford is prettier, has more to do, is more than just a student town. Oxford takes quite some beating, I'm always so happy to visit friends who live there!

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  9. We went to Britain last year and I loved Oxford. So much that I wished we had stayed there instead of London as a home base. Sounds like you are having a wonderful stay!

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I love hearing from you and reading your comments! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. Happy feasting!