Oxford and a Hint of Spring

Yesterday we spent the day in Oxford with our friends Tom and Christina. It is about a 2 hour drive from Cambridge so we set off in the morning and got to Oxford around 11. The city itself was similar to Cambridge in a lot of ways but on quite a larger scale. We went on a walking tour that we had printed out, so we saw several of the highlights of the city. Here are a few of them:

Christ Church College:
One of the largest colleges, where King Charles lived during the English civil war. Has a large cathedral on site, of course with damage from the reformation. Notable alumni include Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland), John Locke, John Wesley. Also the great hall is where the inspiration for the great hall in Hogwart's came from and some of the scenes of the Harry Potter series were filmed at the college.

Tom, Christina, and Ryan outside of Christ Church College

The Great Hall

The Eagle and Child:
We had dinner at this pub, which was a favorite hangout of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein and their friends called "the Inklings" who met in the pub every Tuesday morning for over 30 years. There was a letter on the wall written by C.S. Lewis and signed by their group of friends.

Ryan outside of the Eagle and Child

New College:
A college that is built around the old city walls of Oxford. Also in New College is a hill that was a burial mound during the plague in England.

Christopher Wren architechture:
An alumnus of Christ Church college, Christopher Wren designed several buildings in the town including the Sheldonian Theatre and the tower in front of Christ Church college.

Kelly inside of Christ College, Wren tower in the background

It was a beautiful day in Oxford. We enjoyed sunshine for most of the day and saw crocuses and snow drops blooming all over town. In Cambridge we even saw a few daffodils blooming! The warmer temperatures are a very welcome break from the cold we have been having lately.