Touring Oxford

Today I spent the day touring around Oxford. I have seen most of the city on my previous visits but it is kind of like being home, you have the beauty all around you and you never make the time to see it. Today I made the time to see it. We started by picking up lunch at my favorite place, Sofi de France. I really wish we had shops like this at home!

Jenny, Colleen and I went through Christ Church College first. It is a large college in central Oxford that was founded by King Henry VIII. Some avid fans may appreciate the fact that the staircase and hall were used in the filming of the first two Harry Potter movies. The college is also the place were Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland. He adapted several things about life in the college to create the world of Alice.

Colleen and I then climbed to the top of the bell tower at The University Church St. Mary's. The climb itself was not hard but it was up a circular stone staircase that was used to go both up and down. It was a VERY tight fit and there was some pushy people on that staircase. The views of Oxford were very good though. After we climbed down, we went to the Oxford Botanical Gardens and just strolled through the beautiful greenhouses and gardens. It was a quiet and relaxing walk. We ended the afternoon just puttering through Blackwell's Book Shop. Not a bad way to spend a day!