On the way lies Oxford. We couldn't turn down a chance to see this famous university nearly 1,000 years old comprised of 38 distinct colleges with a list of distinguished alumni longer than a pretty long thing.
Having become accustomed to the drive out of London, I only missed a few key turns (but stayed on the correct side of the road) and overall had a smooth drive until we neared the University. Then things slowed down like molasses on a cold day until we navigated ourselves to some parking.
Here's a map of Oxford.
With the parking issue settled, finding a place on Holywell Street across the street from Harris Manchester College, we disgorged from the Peugeot and got our bearings.
Cambridge and Oxford both have their version of the Bridge of Sighs, so we were hoping to find it during the trip. Imagine our happy surprise as we just about walked under the bridge when we took the first left turn!
Sammy was already pretty relaxed but not as relaxed as Lanna who was passed out.
Walking further down this street we stumbled upon a plaque on a home there.
Sir Edmund Halley had been quietly making his presence known to us as we saw tributes to him at Westminster and the Royal Observatory before seeing a home he lived in over 300 years ago!
We continued down this street and it became more narrow. We were slowed down as a full size cement mixer was backing down the street.
I commented to Alisa that I wasn't sure which was more impressive - Oxford or watching the driver deftly navigate an enormous truck around twists and turns of a tiny side street built long before trucks. It was amazing as we slowly followed him until he masterfully turned into the construction area.
Moving onward brought us down to the eastern end of High Street and the botanical gardens.
Recently the themes had been Edmund Halley and botanical gardens, so we wished to continue this and visited Oxford's botanical gardens, considered the oldest in England.
Since it was a threatening gray day with sporadic blustery wind, the gardens were very quiet.
We walked through the greenhouses which had a cinnamon tree with a small jar at its base with the familiar curled bark. I can't recall ever seeing a cinnamon tree. It smelled amazing.
Coffee plants were there with the sugar cane nearby. Nutmeg and cloves also added their distinct scents to the greenhouse. It was hard to leave as I was thinking about spiced lattes.
We found a pond with lilies and tiny fish. You can see Joey being taught something by Grandma.
There was a carnivorous plant room as well and Joey and Sammy seemed pretty blasé about pitcher plants, sundews, and venus fly traps having seen so many recently.
We found a beautifully decorated greenhouse filled with citrus plants and a Christmas tree. There were benches, so we decided to have lunch there.
Lunch in this greenhouse created another precious memory. The air smelled of oranges making me nostalgic for my childhood days visiting my grandparents in Santa Barbara, thinking of the mornings where I would go out, smell the oranges as they swayed in the small orchard, and then pick them for our morning juice.
These memories washed over me and I loved watching my kids enjoy their lunch and then start running around the Christmas tree as the wind rattled the glass above us.
As all precious moments do, this one ended as well. We made our way out and headed back down High Street towards more of the colleges.
We enjoyed the campus feel and walking past so many famous old colleges. We also stumbled across the Stanford House at Oxford which was a pleasant find!
Along the way we stumbled across Radcliffe Camera, an impressive library.
Like our time in Cambridge, most colleges were closed to the public so we didn't get to experience some of the fabled inner quads, but that was fine. Without going into the colleges, we felt the Oxford aura everywhere in the grandeur of its architecture and the weight of its history.
Also like Cambridge, there were some pedestrian areas that were dedicated to shopping, but commercialism felt much more muted here.
We made our way to the Sheldonian Theater and Bodleian Library, both noted structures near Oxford's center dating back 400 years. And yes, Christopher Wren was involved in their inception.
It was a pleasure to enjoy this campus so beautiful and rich with history.
It became less enjoyable as fat raindrops started pelting us, so we increased our pace and returned to the car. We felt we had experienced Oxford and, given the chance, I would love to go again.
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