A Day in Oxford

So, if you were to come visit me for one day (no more, no less), here is what we would do in Oxford:

First, wake up to the lovely sounds of robins and blackbirds. These British birds make every walk a happy little musical.

Next, to a cafe for a full English breakfast. I must confess, I haven't had one of these yet. But I have heard rumors that they are amazing. Therefore, as my guest, you would need to have one before you left.

After breakfast, we would spend the morning wandering Oxford. Walking under the bridge of sighs is a must, as is introducing you to the courtyard of the Bod. Oh, and you must meet the Rad Cam - the place where I live and work. Then there's seeing all the colleges and just enjoying the general atmosphere.

I'm sure you'd be getting hungry about noon, so off to Cornmarket we go! There's a small stand called Cornmarket Pasties that sells heavenly Cornish pasties. Again, this is an essential English experience.

Now, I would take you wandering around shops. If you're a girl, maybe some clothes shopping to see British fashion (and make fun of it). Booklovers, we'd take a tour of all the bookstores in the general area, including Blackwell's and Oxfam.

That shouldn't take us long, maybe 2-3 hours, so then it's off to tea! Where I would take you depends on the person. For a more causal atmosphere, it would have to be the Nosebag. For a moderately classy one, but not too upscale, the Oxford Randevous or the French pastry shop on high street would be nice. But then, if we were feeling extragant, we could try the Grand Cafe or the Rose Tea Room. Apparently they have amazing teas, but I haven't been able to justify going to one yet.

Now it's getting to about 4 or 5. Starting to get a bit dark. Depending on the person, this would be more shopping. Actually, this might be the beginning of our shopping time, if you had wanted to go on a walk through some more nature-y bits of Oxford. That would taken up our afternoon.

Anyway, the point is to procrastinate until we can attend an evensong at (hopefully) one of the colleges, or if that is not available, attend a service at one of the lovely churches in downtown Oxford.

Well, it's getting pretty late now. But! We haven't had dinner - too full from tea. So, off to a pub. I'm not sure which one yet, as I've been too focused on tea to sample many of them. But, if you must make a Lewis pilgrimage, we could finish our day at the Eagle and Child. A nice plate of fish and chips, accompanied by a pint or a more girly elderflower cordial, would make a nice bookend to our English breakfast.

That is my dream day to share with others :) Possible amendments forthcoming as I discover new parts of the city.