The Daily Jaunt to St.Aldate's

This my friends, will be the most comprehensive pictorial guide of the twenty minute walk Catherine and I make each day (a number of times!) from our dorm at Keble to our conference location at St. Aldates.

I will make a serious attempt to be specific about what you are looking at so it doesn't become a mere tour of dusty streets lined with very old buildings.

Above is the arched entrance to our temporary home - an impressive building of Gothic architecture founded in the 1870's in memory of John Keble whose aim it was to re-establish the Catholic heritage in the Church of England. It opened to a mere 30 students with express intention of a career in the Church and only recently (1979) admitted women undergraduates...it is no longer tied to the Church of England and in fact has itself moved clearly into the realm of secularism.

The door is locked every evening so if you forget your key, you'll be knocking for some time in the hope that some kind soul in the Porter's Lodge (on watch duty) hears you and bids you entrance.

We make our way along endless ivy-covered stone walls lined by massive specimens of two of my favourite trees:

the London Plane and the Copper Beech. As such, I feel as if I could be in my own front courtyard - the similarities are so great.

Wadham College (pictured below) is on the left a block or two down Parks Road. It's Oxfords largest College and has been holding open air professional theatre since 1992.

We would have loved to catch a show of Shakespeare's Twelth Night but alas, our tight schedule hardly allows any extra's.

As it is, I have to give up the concluding session of Christian Apologetics in the Spirit of C.S. Lewis tomorrow afternoon for the highly popular (and this weeks final) tour of the Kilns.

A tough choice but I cannot see sacrificing this once in a life-time opportunity...and my brain is starting to hurt anyway. http://www.oxfordshakespearecompany.co.uk/

We are now at the end of Parks Road and are about to make a right on Broad Street to the city center...

King Arms Pub Circa 1606 was the landmark to look for when we first navigated our way from the Gloucester Green bus-stop.

Toting our luggage and backpacks, complete with camera swinging from the neck, we looked every bit the bedraggled lost tourist -- and we certainly could have used a pint of frothing Guiness!

BUT...I used discretion and we plodded past, settling for water from the bathroom tap. *sigh*

Y'know beloved, how I've always talked about replacing our front door with a wooden one?

I found this rather appealing.

What would you're opinion be?

Catherine long legs walking fifty paces ahead again...

But I have this to say:

I am not the one rapidly depleting the bandage box to cover the blisters!

And this tidbit is for Diana back home;

my beautiful newly acquired Sketcher's from SportCheck are behaving admirably for me. I must have put thousands on the pedometer already with not a single outbreak on my heels. What a well-made walking shoe that is, and the bookish owl monogram on the heel is so...so Oxfordish. :) I just love them!

Broad Street is often closed to vehicles and it's a good thing too, since it is quite enough having to look out for the myriad bikers who recklessly exercise their right of way. Canadians just don't get it eh?

But where might I ask, are the warning bells I heard so much of in Amsterdam? -- (the only other European city I've been in where my life was constantly at risk with my regular wanderings into the bikers lane)?

Bikers lane, smikers lane. Pfft!

This pic is for Tracy.

Starbucks abound. I pass at least three of them on my daily jaunt.

The line-ups are usually out the door so my latte fixes have been few and far between.

It's Tea for Two in England anyway is it not? and have I not faithfully practised that switch for months prior to this trip?

Besides, Green Tea boosts metabolism and I consider that a definite priority these days! :)

The Oxford Museum.

Explore the wonders of Oxford’s long history at the Museum of Oxford. Before the first student took his first lesson at the University, saints walked here, kings were crowned here and parliaments debated here. Discover the city’s earliest residents, medieval crafts, Civil War stories, Oxford’s famous literary connections and the growth of the modern city.

http://www.museumofoxford.org.uk/

I can't really give you any authentic history of this wall motif. But we pass it every day and it makes me laugh.

It's the Boys Bell Ringers and I thought it was kinda cute.

Speaking of ringing bells -- what a constant and glorious sound that is around here! Often you can hear more than one sounding the hour. In fact, as I type this I can hear one tolling midnight. Yes, it's midnight right now and I sincerely hope you appreciate my sacrifice in updating this blog. It can be tedious only because the visuals are so overwhelming. I know if I don't keep current, I will simply give up. Here's a great bell trivia:

Great Tom is the bell that hangs in Tom Tower (designed by Christopher Wren) in Christ Church, University of Oxford, England. It is the loudest bell in Oxford, and measures seven feet one inch in diameter and five feet nine inches in height, and weighs six and a quarter tons.

Great Tom is still sounded 101 times every night, which signifies the 100 original scholars of the college plus one (added in 1663). It is rung at 21:05, which corresponds to what used to be "Oxford time" (when different parts of the country set their clocks according to their distance from the Greenwich meridian), and was at one time the signal for all the Oxford colleges to lock their gates. The bell is only rung by swinging on very special occasions.

T'is a wistfully sad observation, but after a while - it's just another regular wooden arched door with bikes parked nearby...

I think I need to take the walking tour with a well-informed guide who can enlighten me with historical significance...so much to do, so little time.
By the way, at this point we've passed four major book stores and turned left on Cornmarket Street.

(also deemed a pedestrian only thruway at certain hours)

I simply cannot believe how many people around the world have followed us into Oxford this summer!

It's a good thing I'm lugging this oversized laptop bag on my back -- people tend to move out of the way -- it'll be good protection for my first hit and run bike incident too.

I nearly plowed into these two waltzing around the corner with camera lens attached to my eye.

When I asked permission to immortalize them digitally, the one turned to the other and said in a most delightful accent:

"Ah, the lass wants a pic o' us, let's straight and smart then...'ere ya go luv!"

Is this the place we mused?

What an interesting concept mummy!

she said.

How Inkling is that? we thought.









But no, a few doors down on the same side we found the correct St.Aldates.

...and once again, practised discretion.

It was 8:45am after all.

During breakout time when we are advised to stretch, "caffienate" ourselves and stroll out the side door for the sunniest side Oxford has seen for a while, we stare open-mouthed at this architectural masterpiece.

Tom Tower is a bell tower in Oxford, England, named for its bell, Great Tom. It is over the main entrance of Christ Church, Oxford in Tom Quad, on St Aldate's. This square tower with an octagonal lantern and facetted ogee dome was designed by Christopher Wren and built 1681–82. The strength of Oxford architectural tradition and Christ Church's connection to its founder, Henry VIII, motivated the decision to complete the gatehouse structure, left unfinished by Cardinal Wolsey at the date of his fall from power in 1529, and which had remained roofless since.

Inside the church we convene.

Next post will include specifics on the dynamic speakers we've heard and their invigorating messages but for now...

Catherine and I are agreed, today was the most amazing morning session yet. Diana Glyer talked about the Algebra of Friendship based on her book The Company They Keep

Her message was timely, timeless, powerful and ever so inspiring.

I think the standing ovation confirmed that sentiment.

Do the only right smart thing and google An Interview with Diana Pavlac Glyer at,

www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/The_Company_They_Keep.php

You won't regret it.

Okay folks, time for beddy bye. My baby is whining about lights out.

(insert rolling eyes smiley here :)

The doors will soon be locked!