Today's adventure included some driving, some train travel, as well as a Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus and a LOT of walking! Marty did an excellent job setting up the train details (after I told him the nearest town with a direct line to Oxford), and he also arranged the bus transportation that made the visit not only entertaining, but much easier on the legs!
We were up and out early and made it to the Princes Risborough train station in plenty of time to catch the 8:57 AM train to Oxford.
An hour later we were sitting comfortably in the top of the tour bus, ready to enjoy our adventure!
And an adventure it was!
Our ride took us past Christ Church
Alice in Wonderland Sweet Shop
A war memorial
and an unbelievable array of architecture that captured our attention nearly everywhere we looked.
Are you amazed yet?
We popped into the library and spotted some interesting displays. I found these ancient books of psalms to be quite fascinating. Some dated back as early as the mid 1400's.
And, of course, there were books. Many were featured on a wrap around second level where one could spy them through the glass from the first floor.
Across the street is the History of Science museum, which was quite fascinating. Here are just a few of the items I found to be interesting:
This astrolobe was gifted to Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 by Sir Robert Dudley
A compound microscope created by John Marshall in 1704.
A microscope used by King George III to teach his children. Look closely, and you'll see someone smiling on the other side.
Here is a photo of Lewis Evans, co founder of this museum. He is holding an ivory sundial, known as a Diptych dial. .
And here is the beautiful item that he is holding in that painting.
I'd never seen anything like it and was quite intrigued. Information showed that it had been made in Germany from Ivory and gilt brass in 1612. There were a number in the collection, most dating from an earlier time than this one!
On the wall is a preserved chalkboard that was used by Albert Einstein. It is mounted behind glass presumably, to prevent someone from erasing the equation.
The museum had a section on medical advances, particularly identifying and treating typhoid. Were you aware that oysters were a main source of typhoid during Victorian Times? They were an inexpensive, easy to grow food source, but the medium in which they thrived also was a breeding ground for typhoid.
This section explained the various developments that helped to contain future outbreaks.
We also learned that although Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin, he was unable to purify it. It took 10 years for an international team to produce a successful product. Those advances took place in Oxford.
We didn't spend much time in the museum, but we were fascinated by what we did see there. It was a glorious day, and it didn't make much sense to stay inside when we could walk around and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.
We headed to Christ Church and the grounds surrounding it.
I was surprised to find Longhorn Cattle roaming the field across the street from the church.
It seemed that every corner we turned had something amazing to view.
We walked along until we came to the Bridge of Sighs, a replica to the one that stands in Venice. (Plus there's no water under it here in Oxford.)
When we first hopped on the bus in the morning, one of the fellow visitors who was familiar with Oxford, had mentioned that we could go to the top floor of the shopping center in Oxford and enjoy a beautiful vista from the top.
And, so we did!
From here we decided to head to stop #5 where we could take a one hour walking tour that was included in the price of the hop on/hop off. Our guide was named Richard and he was quite informative.
He took us to the oldest building of the colleges, which features King James in the center. The King James' Bible would have been translated here in Oxford.
Richard had a somewhat cheeky disposition, and he thought we would enjoy the story of Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar who would have studied in Oxford. If you recall, there was a question regarding whether President Clinton had smoked a questionable substance while studying here in Oxford. His response had been that he did not inhale.
Well, Richard took us to the pub where the incident is believed to have occurred, and there on the wall hangs this plaque.
How's that for a tribute?
Before I sign off, let me leave you with three interesting things that I learned while visiting Oxford.
We were told that there are 39 different colleges in Oxford. The colleges supply 95% of the revenue for the city.
The patron saint of Oxford is Saint Frideswide who lived from 659-720. Her Abbey was where Christ Church stands today.
And, finally, here is the crest of the city that hangs in the town hall. It is an Ox, crossing a Fjord.
And, there you have it: Oxford!
I hope you enjoyed our speed tour of Oxford in a day. I know that we did!
Until next time...
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