Sunday, March 17, 2019

England: Goodbye to Oxford

Our last morning in Oxford and still much to do. So much we didn't do that another visit is in order. But we basically just had the morning till it was time for our train. So, we started out for the city center and made a quick stop at Alice's Shop.


We picked a side street and ended up at Modern Art Oxford, which had a bunch of interesting environmental displays. Their current exhibition was called Imagining Future Knowledge and focused on understanding climate change.


One of the most intersting to me was a time table that spanned billions of years past and into the future.


It wrapped around two long walls.


They had quite a few notes on the wall before this one: History Starts!


And I found this one particularly interesting.


Locaed near that was the Story Museum.


It was closed but looked to be a wonderful spot for kids with many interactive activities and spots for kids to enjoy stories.


And the entrance was enchanting with floating umbrellas...


...and plenty of reference to Alice!


It was one of those times when you wished you were a kid again, just discovering all these wonderful things!


Rick had wanted to climb this big hill called the Motte and Bailey. It is described as a scheduled  ancient monument. I didn't know ancient monuments had schedules, but there you have it!


So I gave him the camera to catch a few views.


He said it wasn't all that great, with more than a few obstructions, but I liked this.


Then we ambled toward the Oxford Covered Market. We should have discovered this place earlier.


There were about 50 stalls, everything under the sun. Seeds...


...and cakes...


...and the requisite Meghan and Harry stuff.


Rick decided he should get his hair cut while there and yes, there was also a barber shop!


The finished product. A little shorter than he would have liked it but hair grows back!


The market had some fabulous murals and I'll share more of those some Mural Monday!


We also spent a fair amount of time looking for a plaque in the middle of the High Street that Mike from A Bit About Britain had posted HERE commemorating the martyrs Thomas Cranmer and others.


And no, I didn't get hit by a car as I'd venture into the street to take a photo of what turned out to invariably be something like this. (I should have re-read Mike's post before we arrived!)


We walked back toward our hotel, preparing to head for the train station. We passed by the Bate Musical Instrument Museum and Rick stopped in again. While he did I took a last look at Christ Church Meadow.


The light was different now and those flowers, so lovely.


I may have shown these two photos in an earlier post, but you have to understand -- outside is a world of white and I need to see these flowers!


And yes, they made me very happy!


I leave you with two of my favorite photos from Oxford. If only I could crop out that stump of a post. But then I suppose it wouldn't be real anymore!


And this.


Off to Bath!

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40 comments:

bobbie said...

Oxford sounds like a great place to visit for about a month or so!! thanks for sharing your journey ~
And now off to Bath? ~ I can't wait!!

DUTA said...

The sight of the towels with the names of Harry and Meghan redirects us to reality: Royalty, Brexit; Uk where to?

Susan Kane said...

Billions of years to be discovered, but the sign says "Closed". Isn't that the way of it?

NanaDiana said...

I just feel like I am traveling right along with you. I told a new follower of yours (she found you through me) that I suspected you were a happy, smiling person and would be fun to know in real life!

I hope you have a blessed, wonderful St. Patrick's Day- xo Diana

Olka said...

Oh, I've been to the Oxford Covered Market! It's not a big market, but there are plenty of nice stores :)

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I've enjoyed all your excursions and trips. The market sounds like a great one and so many beautiful buildings and history. Thanks for taking me with you.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Ahhh, lovely Oxford. Your post is interesting and fun, Jeanie. So much to see and do. I learned about Motte and Bailey castles when we were in Devon at Okehampton Castle. How neat your husband climbed the hill for the view. He even got a haircut--how nice. Your photos are great and the weather is beautiful. Bath is next--oh good--Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pam Richardson said...

Jeanie, the market looks so fabulous. I have thoroughly enjoyed Oxford, you are a marvelous tour guide!

Miss Val's Creations said...

I would have loved this day as much as you! The historical exhibit sounds fascinating. The hill hike looks like a lot of fun!

William Kendall said...

Wonderful captures!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am sure that Lewis Carroll could never have imagined the long term sensation his work would be, and how Alice would become known the world over, and how the meaning of his books would be debated by scholars and layman alike. Oxford is a fitting place for you to encounter Alice - and obviously a great place for a guy to have a haircut too. All the flowers are quite wonderful. I can hardly wait for our first burst of colour here.

bj said...

What a fun trip...beautiful flowers...I hope Rick is thankful for all that hair, too short or not. Most fellas have lost a good deal of their hair by this stage of the game. Did he miss his bike riding while on vacation?

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's been wonderful to see some of the photos from your trip. I see so many places I would love to go...like Alice in Wonderland! Your scarf has such pretty colors...very complimentary to you! Thanks for the fun! (has his hair grown back in by now? heehee) Rick looks great!

BeachGypsy said...

I think Rick's haircut looks great on him and I loved all the pictures in this post ESPECIALLY THE COLORFUL flowers! so much to see and do over there, I'm glad to get to see it all through your posts and your photos! Hope y'all had a real nice weekend, I am so glad spring is here and DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!! YIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPEEEE! LOL

Recep Hilmi TUFAN | rehitu.com said...

In Turkey, we, as men, didn't have women barbers. It is really interesting!

krishna said...

I took a bus tour in Oxford, so i couldn't good pictures. now I'm again seeing Oxford through your blog. Thanks a lot. Please keep posting. :)

Valerie-Jael said...

Wonderful photos, glad you had such a great time in Oxford. Hugs, Valerie

Iris Flavia said...

Great you have to go back! :-)
Love the lamps at the Story Museum!
Oh, Alice. Last movie Bro and I watched with our Mom.
The Oxford Covered Market seems to be great, too! I mean... seeds ... and a Shaun!
LOL, I´d never had the nerve... oh, wait. Ingo got tabacco for his pipe on the last second and he sniffed first, too!!! Haircut, choosing something, argh!
Glad you weren´t hit by a car, I was as lucky with a train, I´ll blog about this later...
Oh no, you still have snow?
You do look very happy indeed :-)

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Jeanie,

I enjoyed following your visit to Oxford. The Museum is wonderful. I love all the city scenes, beautiful flowers and architecture. Pretty photo of your happy smiling face! Enjoy your day, have a happy week ahead.

Pam said...

WHat an amazing vacation that was. Seems like you were gone a yr with all those pics. AMAZING and the memories you have are great. Is that a purple door or blue? Love it. Great pics.

Mae Travels said...

My much-loved local used book store is called Motte and Bailey. The term (as you obviously learned from the placard) refers to a particular construction method for early defensive castles. We have visited one or two of them in traveling around. They became obsolete when weaponry changed -- yes, the arms race that we are still propagating probably started before we were even human.

I like the very specific quality of the term "scheduled monument" in Great Britain -- this one is very fascinating. The word schedule had a broader meaning before it became the term for a railway timetable.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

La Table De Nana said...

Alice:) I just purchased AIW stamps that aren't terribly great but I had to:) Fun visits..lovely pics..feel like I have been there!

My name is Erika. said...

What an exciting post. I didn't realize all the cool things in Oxford-I thought it was mostly the university with some restaurants, hotels and pubs. Silly me. I love that exhibit with the bottles and the timeline. Tht's right up my alley. Hope it's a super new week Jeanie. Hugs-Erika

Preppy Empty Nester said...

I feel like I was right by your side, dear Jeanie! Rick looks very handsome in his new 'do!! Have a great week.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

The photos of flowers are LIFE GIVING! Our snow is starting to melt but we still have quite a bit on the ground! Some piles are over 2 feet tall so it's going to be awhile before it's completely gone. But with the melt comes flooding, which I know you are dealing with. So a slow melt is best for the residents of our city as many homes are prone to flooding in our area! So far ours is fine. We've never had water in our basement and hopefully that remains the case this year!

Oxford definitely looks like a really charming city!

Pam said...

Jeanie, thank you for your sweet thoughts on my blog concerning the changes in my life. I have however backed off of one I was working on. Work, I will be doing that one. I just need to get out more. I have become a hermit of a sorts (my standards according to who I used to be). Working will help get me out and I have hopes that only doing it part time will not be so bad on me. Working on my place and moms takes a toll on me but sometimes you just have to work through things like my health in which to make my life easier in the long run. However.....buying a house I have decided to pull away from for a bit. Thanks for your words and concerns.

Sami said...

Oxford looks like a very pretty city. Love those photos with the flowers too, so pretty :)
All those Alice in Wonderland things are so cute and love the mural too.
Thanks Jeanie :)

Red Rose Alley said...

Alice's Shop is so delightful. Jess would love browsing through there. Love that red door. The Story Museum with the purple door is enchanting with the words, "speak friend" and "enter." The floating umbrellas are cool. I would love to visit the market! Those cakes are fantastic. And the purple flowers planted by the stone wall are beautiful. What a charming post, Jeanie. I must go back and see it again. : )

~Sheri

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Oh! This brings back the best ever memories of our visit, it's just so exciting and beautiful, isn't it? It looks like you had an absolutely wonderful time. Thank you for sharing this special trip with all of us, and the many photos, I've so enjoyed it. Hope your day is beautiful! xo lidy

Joanne Huffman said...

Yup; I really want to go to Oxford.

Sketchbook Wandering said...

Your happiness shines wherever you are! I love the Alice's Shop and the Time Table and everything! Oh, those umbrellas! And Rick's hair too, very cool.

Sandra said...

So many wondrous sights.

BB said...

Oh, would I enjoy a visit to that market.
H would love to have as much hair as Rick.

Running on empty said...

So strange that I get your posts after so many others have commented . Great photos. Rick looks nice with that haircut, it suits him. My hubby would have made a beeline for the motte and bailey. They were the forerunners to castles, you know. Pretty cakes.

Cath

Pamela said...

So much to see! You did well with your time there.

Sandra at Maison De Jardin said...

Jeanie, I save this until I had time to read it. I knew it would be wonderful and I wasn't disappointed. Loved every photo and all your comments. The Christ Church Meadow is lovely. I also enjoyed the photo of Rick and his new hair cut. Looks like a great job to me. The photo of you, says it all,"A wonderful trip." Thanks for bringing us along.

Little Wandering Wren said...

Hi Jeanie - I know Oxford well from my teenage years. It is always great to see what others find to do visiting the area, you have covered lots on my to do list with guests. Of course, if you were there in the Summer we'd have had you out punting on the river with the students - well you could have sat on board and Rick could do all the work!! I'm glad you had such a lovely visit AND that you have to come back for more! One day we might meet in Oxford that would be fun!
Wren x

Tammie Lee said...

It looks like you had a wonderful time there! So happy for you.

Marilyn Miller said...

I thought I had left a note here, but I guess not. Loved that Rick got a hair cut while traveling. That mural was spectacular. So many pretty sights and Alice too. What a very special trip.

Lowcarb team member said...

Love how you make it such fun :)
Another lovely post and photographs.

All the best Jan

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