My Week In Oxford

Hi again!


I just got back from a great week in Oxford! We stayed at University College, which is the oldest Oxford college. The interesting thing about this town is that it is made up of 39 different colleges, and there is really no such thing as "Oxford University" (though I got the sweatshirt anyways...). We all had single rooms and got to eat in the dining hall for breakfast and lunch. I have to say that I really enjoyed not having to cook for myself this week. I never thought I would say that I miss SMC's Alliot dining hall, but I really do!

The city itself seemed to be more crowded than Bath, but there were a lot of familiar shops and restaurants that I recognized. It is more urban than Bath, and I began to miss Bath's scenery the moment I arrived. The actual Oxford students are just starting to return now for the semester, so I can imagine that it will get even more busy and more fun. While I was there we had our classes as usual, but for me that just meant two classes on Wednesday and one class on Thursday. So, I had a lot of time to explore. I went to see Christ Church, the Ashmolean Museum, Bodlein Library, and numerous Oxford colleges. I also got to see one of my lifelong best friends, Emily Brock! She is studying at Oxford Brooke's for the semester, and it was so nice to be able to meet up with her.

Emily and Me

The Oxford sweatshirt

First Day Exploring

At Christ Church. Many Harry Potter scenes were filmed here!

University College

Some other highlights of my trip were the Saturday night disco with the students and ASE staff, going punting along the river, and our fancy 3 course dinner in the University Hall!

Friends at the Disco!

Relaxing on the river with my housemate Sarah

My turn to punt. It's harder than it looks!

Friends and me before our dinner

The fancy dinner. I love tea!

To round off our trip in Oxford, we visited Blenheim Palace and it was amazing! It is currently the home of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, and also the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Sometimes I become bored and uninterested with old historical spots (haha!), but this one was truly breathtaking!

Well I think that is all for now! I am excited to be back in Bath for the weekend and recover from my inevitable fall season cold :( spending a week away from my new home made me realize how much I truly love it here. Next weekend I am heading out to Dublin!! So check back for new stories and pictures :-)

Cheers!

Sara