Took the megabus from Canon Park Station which is just outside the campus, directly to Oxford Water Eaton station. Megabus is usually very on time and it departs/arrives at the stated timing. However, it was almost 25mins late behind schedule due to a major traffic held up on the highway.
Why? BECAUSE IT RAINED!
RAIN!!! Such spoiler to a day excursion! Don't be deceived by the 2 lovely pictures above, they're taken only after the sun came out in the late afternoon.
When I reached Oxford (which is an university town), it was already drizzling quite a bit and the skies were dark. HATE IT! Because it meant not enough sunlight---> ugly photos!
I felt lost for a moment after alighting from the bus but eventually followed the road signs and arrived at the tourist information centre to book a Official Oxford Walking tour for 2pm & bought a map. It kinda sucked cuz I arrived there at about 1.02pm and the 1pm tour had already started. Thanks to the traffic jam; thanks to the rain.
There were still some time before the tour so I walked around nearby and spotted BLACKWELL! It's well-known for its large collection of books, music and art pieces. It occupied the area of 9 shops! They sell very special things like medieval music, musical/opera audtion etc.
I browsed through some of the DVDs and there's so many which I wanted to buy! Mozart's Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Shakespeare's Romeo&Julie. These are all classic performances!!..but pricey too. In the end I only bought Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet DVD performed by Kirov Opera at St Petersburg!!! I really want to watch a russian live ballet performance someday. =]
Oh! The british royal ballet is performing Swan Lake in London from 9 -19 June, but I guess I probably have to give it a miss. =(
I walked further down the streets and randomly discovered... The bridge of Sighs!
Actual name is Hertford Bridge. No idea why it is called bridge of sighs but it's said to bear close resemblance of the bridge in Venice.
This is just one of the many college courtyard.. forgot which college this was.. Haha. Way too many..
The buildings are actually residences of the students and also comprises of several college facilities. Such nice campus right... Lucky smart cookies..
Yup, this is not the famous dining hall scene in Harry Potter but Oxford are generally well known for their grand dining hall. This is for real. On scheduled nights, students will sit down together in this dining hall and enjoy a good meal. (They are fed by the college.. how nice.. dun need to go Tesco shop for groceries and slog over the stoves)
Duh...Oxford leh... Creme de la creme..
Perhaps Cambridge students could have their laundry done for them as well so they'd have more time to study. LOL. That's a total exaggeration. =X
The Divinity School - which is the filming scene for Hogwarts' hospital ward in Harry Potter.
The Divinity school is also the very first examination hall, whereby students are examined 1:1 by a professor or head of the college...whatever you call it in the past. The guide told us that each student was examined orally, whereby the examiner ask a question/ post a topic and the student have to talk and talk....and talk until the examiner thinks that the student has displayed deep knowledge of the topic. This could go on for THREE DAYS! Can u believe it!!! It's true... IN THE PAST!
This is probably the only place I took a photo with myself in at Oxford. Got some Asian uncle to help me take and this was the result.... -.-"
It's nice to have my full body in the pic.. but.. the focus should be on the Radcliffe Camera (the cool building at the background)!!!
I wasn't pleased with the photo but thanked him anyway cuz he and his family were nice people. =)
I walked around to take other photos and then randomly asked for a caucasian auntie to help me snap a photo with the Radcliffe Camera again since it's kinda like the landmark so I really wanna take a photo with it. Turns out much better after she kindly took 3 shots. Very friendly auntie too. Hehe. ^^
After going for the Bodleian Library Tour (covers Duke Humphrey Library and the Divinity School), it started to rain quite alot and totally dampens my mood. It was so hard to get around cuz the map was drenched. I couldnt make it in time to the Alice's shop and was too cold to head to the Thames river (where punting activities were), so I went to the Odeon cinema and bought a ticket to watch Sex and The City 2!
Luckily I'd checked out the timings before coming as a wet weather plan. Reached the cinema at 5pm, bought tickets from the patient lady who had a total miscomm with me, grabbed some southern fried chicken with chips at the Kebab shop opposite and went for the movie at 6pm. Perfect timing!
It would have been a totally enjoyable day out if not for the rain! I think I haven't seen all of Oxford yet. Hopefully can go back again.
I quite like travelling alone cuz it's always OTOT, no one to rush me and I can do whatever I like, EXCEPT for the fact that it's hard to take nice pictures with myself in it. LOL!
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