This is a delightful article and I've spent many a day in the Bodlein. Your photographs are breathtaking and I'm feeling very whimsical after reading this. how beautiful.
Yes, what a lovely tone you create here! With the ghosts and the long history that’s almost unimaginable for Americans. I like that you acknowledge being an outsider too because that’s the flip side of the same coin, how belonging gets defined. You get at all of that here. I like the catchy “false start” too— ie I could say, but I won’t…. Kudos!
I absolutely love your descriptive writing style and I am impressed with your ability to research and note the rich background information and links. I always say "I'll never be there", but you might convince me to book a ticket across the pond!
By sheer coincidence, we will be in the UK this coming September, so thank you for that snippet of information about the Heritage Open Days. I'll definitely look into it. And thank you for this really enjoyable post about Oxford; it whets the appetite.
Thank you so much for this lovely tour! My son graduated from Oxford a few years ago. I made several trips to visit him while he was a student but haven’t been back since. Somehow it was always raining or gray during my visits, so I appreciate your beautiful sunny photos!
Incidentally, I, too, have an Oxford sweatshirt, which I bought during a chilly visit. My son refers to it as my “stolen valor” sweatshirt. 😂
Ah I absolutely love Oxford - I'm lucky enough to have a schoolfriend who went and he pretended I and my other friend were his cousins come to look around to decide which college we would apply to - we got in everywhere. Of course I never had any chance of getting in!
Thank you for sharing your experience and research in this fabulous essay, jodi. It was lovely to see the photo of the Bridge of Sighs, which is in my old college, Hertford. I used to walk over it on the way to weekly tutorials. Lots of memories coming back! Thank you.
Thank you, Jeffrey! Knowing that people who actually went to Oxford might read my post almost stopped me from writing it! So it's kind of you to say that it brought back fond memories.
I'm glad you decided to write it anyway! I'm hoping to visit later this year and I've already noted the Holywell cemetery, as I'm a Kenneth Graham fan and didn't know he was buried there. 😊
This is a delightful article and I've spent many a day in the Bodlein. Your photographs are breathtaking and I'm feeling very whimsical after reading this. how beautiful.
Thank you so much!
Yes, what a lovely tone you create here! With the ghosts and the long history that’s almost unimaginable for Americans. I like that you acknowledge being an outsider too because that’s the flip side of the same coin, how belonging gets defined. You get at all of that here. I like the catchy “false start” too— ie I could say, but I won’t…. Kudos!
Thank you, Victoria! ❤️
Am heading to Oxford in July
Also - great to see a shout out for Heritage Open Days. They really are a great way to see the usually lesser explored places!
I feel super lucky that I got to see some of the things that I did!
I absolutely love your descriptive writing style and I am impressed with your ability to research and note the rich background information and links. I always say "I'll never be there", but you might convince me to book a ticket across the pond!
You should go!!!!
I really really want to dig up an old photo of you in your Oxford sweatshirt to share with everyone here - off to the photo boxes I go! 😉
That's not necessary. 😂
You're lucky so far...no luck!
This is impressive! Love ............... And the pictures!
Such gorgeous photos. They really allow us to see the intricacies of the architecture.
Thank you, Shan! I love the architectural details - I could look at them all day.
By sheer coincidence, we will be in the UK this coming September, so thank you for that snippet of information about the Heritage Open Days. I'll definitely look into it. And thank you for this really enjoyable post about Oxford; it whets the appetite.
Thanks, it is a bit fairytale isn’t it? I do agree with you though on that sense of being on the outside, the open days at least give a peek!
Thank you so much for this lovely tour! My son graduated from Oxford a few years ago. I made several trips to visit him while he was a student but haven’t been back since. Somehow it was always raining or gray during my visits, so I appreciate your beautiful sunny photos!
Incidentally, I, too, have an Oxford sweatshirt, which I bought during a chilly visit. My son refers to it as my “stolen valor” sweatshirt. 😂
Beautiful stuff.
Ah I absolutely love Oxford - I'm lucky enough to have a schoolfriend who went and he pretended I and my other friend were his cousins come to look around to decide which college we would apply to - we got in everywhere. Of course I never had any chance of getting in!
Thank you for sharing your experience and research in this fabulous essay, jodi. It was lovely to see the photo of the Bridge of Sighs, which is in my old college, Hertford. I used to walk over it on the way to weekly tutorials. Lots of memories coming back! Thank you.
Thank you, Jeffrey! Knowing that people who actually went to Oxford might read my post almost stopped me from writing it! So it's kind of you to say that it brought back fond memories.
I'm glad you decided to write it anyway! I'm hoping to visit later this year and I've already noted the Holywell cemetery, as I'm a Kenneth Graham fan and didn't know he was buried there. 😊
Lovely! Some new angles on a place we both love. Planning to walk a twenty mile stretch of the Thames Path into the city this Spring
That sounds lovely!
If we can find something memorable to eat en route it might just be a story 🤞
There's always something memorable to eat!!