Dreaming Spires

Today I went by train to Oxford, which is about an hour and change west of London. It's known as one of the extremely old centers (centres) of learning in the Western world, and tons and tons of smart people have gone there, like Nobel Laureates and President Clinton. It's a vibrant city, too, with many shops and visitors, like a miniature London. (Above: that's me at the Bridge of Sighs. Sigh.)

It's fun to simply walk around, look at the old architecture and narrow streets, dodge out of the way of bicycles, and look for surprises. The city is kind of like an island city--Oxford comes from 'oxen fording.' My favorite parts were the Radcliffe Camera, of course, and if I had gotten in two hours earlier, I could have paid to get into the library itself. Disappointing, because I hear it's magnificent. I was also stunned by the quad in the Bodleian Library. Each discipline of the humanities can be accessed from the quad, if you know your Latin.


I see part of a writer's duty is to pay attention. It's easy to miss stuff if you're not. I was walking away from Radcliffe Camera, looking for the way to the Ashmolean Museum, when Luigi,Mario, a girl carrying a brick box, Lady Gaga, and three men in old school Star Trek uniforms carrying phasers walked by me.

So...I turned around and followed them, expecting something interesting to happen. It did. They were Oxford students at the end of the term, pranking. How did I know? Well, they said they were students, and judging by other students walking around with bottles of Cava, I just surmised. Anyway, they were having their pictures taken in front of Radcliffe Camera, a.k.a. RadCam, until the old lady inside came out and told them to KNOCK IT OFF. They had crossed the restricting line. I thought about booing, but score one for order.


Did not post yesterday, as I was feeling under the weather. I did manage to make it out to Piccadilly Circus, one of the flashier intersections in London, and I did a little shopping for the kiddies at Cool Brittania (a play on Rule, Brittania...get it?) Today I'm feeling better. Thanks again, Cornwall. Oh, who am I kidding? Love ya, anyway. Smell you later.