Bart, Ann, Mark & Jim wandering and catching up in The University Parks

Our penultimate stop on this nine-week exploration of the UK was Oxford, home of course to Oxford University, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. (The oldest university in Europe, if you’re wondering, is the University of Bologna while the oldest university in the world is the University of Al Quaraouiyine in Fez, Morocco. Yeah, I didn’t know that either.) Back when we were in Cambridge University we learned that the town was named because early on it had one of the first bridges over the River Cam. And Oxford? You might guess that it got its name because at a narrow and shallow part of the Thames River oxen would ford the river. Who’d have guessed? At any rate no expansive trip through England would be complete without at least a quick stop here.

I have to say, we both found it hard to fall in love with Oxford. Maybe it was the cold, overcast, occasionally rainy weather, maybe it was just that we’ve overloaded on old historic cities in England, but first impressions weren’t great. Both of us though came to really like the city. I’ll explain why.

Imposing architecture and threatening skies in Oxford

First, though, a highlight of the stop was a quick visit with our old Cambridge, MA neighbors Bart and Ann. They were in the area visiting a cousin of Bart’s (his only first cousin it turns out which I find amusing; you see, I have literally dozens of first cousins) and so they drove over to Oxford for lunch with us. Walking around with them a bit, having lunch, and just catching up was great fun.

And speaking of lunch. Way back early in the trip in Cambridge, England, we discovered an Indian restaurant called Dishoom. We loved it. We found that there was a Dishoom in Edinburg and loved that one too. But there were no more Dishooms as we wandered through Scotland, Wales, and back into England until Oxford. I was a little concerned that we had built our hopes up too high and I’d be disappointed but no worries – it was as fabulous as we remembered. So we went back for lunch the next day, too. And to make it all better yet, we’ve learned that they’re opening their first U.S. restaurant some time next year in New York City – lower Manhattan even. I’m afraid we’ll never eat at home again!

Lunch at Dishoom. Or I should say, one of our lunches at Dishoom.

On our arrival day, then, we spent much of it with Bart & Ann. The next day we scheduled a tour of Oxford University with Alumni Tours, the same company we used in Cambridge. As the name suggests they have alumni giving the tours (though in this case she was a current student, but close enough) and they can give a real flavor for the school. She showed us around a bit, told some good stories, and it was OK. Not really worth two hours, and maybe that’s why neither of us fell in love with the city right away.

Rose, our tour guide, is studying physics and philosophy. I suspect she’s pretty smart.

But then when we had time on our own, we really came to appreciate it. I wandered around the core city for a while and went into a bookstore called Blackwell’s. Today it’s a huge store and part of a large chain of academic bookstores but it started a tiny shop, literally just 12 square feet. It grew and grew, taking more floors and more buildings and even remained family owned until 2022. I could have spent hours in there wandering around finding unusual and interesting books. I have to say if you enjoy reading British history, this is the place for you.

An underground space at Blackwell’s

After an hour or so there I looked at the map and realized that Oxford sits on the Thames River, so I figured I’d go see what the river looked like this far north of London. And there I discovered this great walking/running/biking path along the river, plus – this being a college town of course – lots of people in various crew configurations. It was beautiful.

It’s worth adding just how much I’ve loved these trails in England. Many of them (including the trail along the Thames River here) are part of the National Cycle Network, some 13,000 miles of shared use paths, disused railways, minor roads, canal towpaths and traffic-calmed routes in towns and cities. I’ve walked, run, and bicycled on a number of these routes and they’re usually well marked, gently engineered, and in reasonably good condition. And what I honestly love is that they’re really well used; you always see people out getting their exercise and enjoying nature. It’s truly a fabulous national asset.

Lots of shells out on the Thames

OK, so that’s how I fell in love with Oxford. And Mark? It really wasn’t until our last morning before checking out and heading to our final destination that it all clicked for him. After breakfast he went out and decided to pay the £10 (roughly $13.50) to tour Magdalen College. You see, for the most part tourists can’t get in to see the grounds of most of the colleges that make up Oxford University. The tour we did took us into Trinity College and a little bit of the Divinity School, but that was it. But unlike Cambridge University, here in Oxford the colleges will sell you access.

So with an hour or so to kill Mark bought his ticket to Magdalen College and just thought it was beautiful. I mean, it even had its own deer park! Seeing the University close up like that from the inside was all it took. So while after a day-and-a-half Mark wasn’t too keen on Oxford by the time we had to leave he was wishing we’d had another day here. But we don’t. One more quick stop and then it’s back to New York.

The deer park at Magdalen College

While they have to pose for tourists, apparently the deer get a 10-minute break every so often

On the edge of Magdalen College

Christ Church college and it’s War Memorial Garden. That’s the Cathedral up there and oddly this is one city where we didn’t go into the Cathedral. Just never got around to it…

The Thames River in Oxford with a faint rainbow barely visible

A cozy breakfast cappuccino with rainy streets outside

The Bridge of Sighs. When Cambridge University built one, Oxford had to, too. Allegedly, this one is one inch wider than the one in Cambridge.

A real rainbow

The Radcliffe Camera, named after the funder named Radcliffe and the Latin name for room, camera. It’s a circular library which … doesn’t really work well when you think of what book shelves look like. Hint – they’re not curved.

Part of the grounds of Trinity College

And one last view of Magdalen College