Saturday, April 24= going back in time to a land before the United States existed. Mom, dad and I hired a car to take a day trip in to Oxford, Warwick, and the Cottswalds.
We arrived to Oxford mid-morning and I was immediately struck by the energy of the place. So collegiate, so vibrant, yet a pyramid of intelligence from hundreds of years of educational history behind the place. We stopped at the TI (tourist info) on our walk in to the town, and the very unhelpful and rude girl told us that most of the colleges were closed for the day because they were sitting exams. (oh by the way… common misconception about Oxford: many people think that it is one university, rather like our universities in the States, HOWEVER, Oxford is a village of smaller universities… 32 to be exact. Each one has its specialties and each was founded by different people at different times, and many are very small, Balliol College, the only one we were able to tour has 400 students!) The Great Hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies was filmed in Christ Church college in Oxford, and of course unhelpful-rude girl made a point of telling us Christ Church was certainly closed. Well, she lied. We were able to get in to the grounds and look around a bit, but the Great Hall (aka their dining hall) was not going to open until later that afternoon, and we had places to go and people to see, so we couldn’t hover.
I cannot imagine going to a college that dates back to the 1200s or going to a college where 13 Prime Ministers of England graduated, or a college where the buildings are so old and beautiful, that you feel more like you are in a book than a real place.
Back in the car: driving full speed ahead, 80 miles an hour, windows down, music blaring. Ok not really… it was more like this : dad driving our car with a dog of an engine that jolted and never really felt like it was in gear, mom with the map, and me in the back eating almonds because I had forgotten that breakfast was something that people sometimes do.
Did I mention that it was a beautiful, sunny, warm day? Cause it was.
At Warwick Castle in Warwick there was a food, drink, and craft festival happening this weekend. So naturally, I was pretty pumped. We arrived JUST in time for the Flight of the Eagles presentation on the lawn. Warwick is home to 8 eagles of different breeds and they were so majestic. What powerful, wonderful, beautiful creatures. I understood why they are such a symbol of power across the world.
We visited the food tent, which had an array of things ranging from jams, pastries, CHEESEY cashews, different curries, and homemade COOKIES ( I got Mars Bars ones.. oh my so good.) The craft tent had some pretty awesome photography that made mom and I drool… too bad it was much too much over our budget.
The castle itself was unique from others that I’ve been to in the sense that Madam Tusseauds furnished it with wax figures of people who had stayed at our lived in the castle. And, they talked and told their stories! It was cool hearing about all the draaaaaama that the wealthy are involved in. This one slept with that one, and that one backstabbed this one, etc.
We left at closing time after walking around on top of the castle wall, and drove to the Cottswald villages. Talk about PEACEFUL. No tourists. So refreshing. Literally, you felt like you were in a Thomas Kinkade painting. And… take note:
We stopped in one of the villages, Bourton on the Water, and ate at a little pub called the Kingsbridge that was along a little stream that ran through the center of town. It was a wonderful last meal with mom and dad.
After returning the car and getting mom and dad to their hotel by the airport, I sadly parted ways with them and took the tube home, getting home not long before the last train came in. It was a lonesome ride, knowing that I was leaving them behind, but I can’t be too sad cause I’ll be in Cyprus in less than two weeks!
Sunday, April 25= an athletically inspirational day. The Bakerloo tube line was down for maitenance, so I took the bus to Buckingham Palace to watch the finish of the London Marathon. I arrived about 10 minutes before the elite men were due to finish, and so I watched the last of the elite women (who started before the men) and the wheelchairs come through. Talk about ripped! I’m not sure what their times were, but since they were elite, they were probably all under three hours. The winner of the marathon overall was an Ethiopian guy, and his time was 2:03 something. He was MOVIN.
I had a great spot for a view of the runners as they came in for the last 300 yards. I saw the first Brit to finish the race too, and of course everyone cheered like mad for him. 36,000 people ran in the marathon this year. Wow.
Then last night Linda and I went to the London Symphony Orchestra, arriving a little late so we had to sit out the first act. But, no big deal, we could hear the music just fine from the lobby. They were soooo talented. It made me appreciate orchestras a lot more, because the only orchestral things I ever remember attending where high schools who should NOT have had an orchestra because they did not have a big enough pool of students or funding to make a quality production. But, the LSO was obviously of highest caliber, and quite a treat.
Monday=wish-I-drank-coffee-day. I got up at 5:30 to go to Bikram Yoga! AHHH. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it because it was so early, but I felt accomplished when I rolled myself out of bed this morning. I went to a yoga studio that was only 2 tube stops from me, which was pretty convenient. It felt so good to be back in class, and I was so rejuvenated afterward. I’m sure my body will be prettttty sore tomorrow, though.
When I was leaving yoga, I arrived at the tube station and RIGHT AS I GOT ON THE TRAIN, they suspended the line, and it was the only line that came into the tube, so I couldn’t just get on another line and do a transfer to get home. So… I took the bus. It felt good to be able to just find my way home without the tube from a place I had never been to. A month ago I probably wouldn’t have been able to, and I would’ve stressed out.
Linda, Brooke and I then left for a 10 o’clock tour of the BBC. Our tour guide was your typical lovely older British gentleman, and I found the tour fascinating! The BBC television building has 8,000 people working in it! They have their own hairdressers, dry cleaners, restaurants, gym, showers, and probably beds, though we didn’t see any. To rent a studio at the BBC it costs 40,000 pounds for one day, excluding any tech crew or dressing rooms. CRAZY. At the end you could be in a game show and so we played and I won a mug that says BBC Tours on it!
We came back and went to Ben’s Thai for lunch with Tim Pinn the Tube Man. Today was the last day he would be working while we are here, so we were all pretty sad. So, we decided to go to lunch as a last goodbye. It was WEIRD seeing him walking down the STREET towards us in pedestrian clothes rather than in uniform. We ate and made merry and then at the end he paid for all of our meals. It was so generous of him. I will have such fond memories of Tim.
So, that’s the London Life as it begins to wind down. I can’t believe how the time flies.
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