““Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.””-- Lord of the Rings Trip

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Yesterday my World Beyond Oxford Class went on our class trip to Oxford and Birmingham. We got to see CS Lewis' house and them went to hike in the wilderness behind his house. Then we traveled to Birmingham to see a mill, and a bog that "influenced" Tolkien in his childhood. We also stopped to see two towers that were suppose to be the inspiration of the two towers but they were not as fun as the bog : ).

In Oxford we got see Lewis's home. We were toured around by two Americans who were living there because it is used as a Lewis study house and such. It was a very lovely house and I was glad to see where CS Lewis wrote his many works and where he and Joy lived.
One of the most memorable pictures was of "Tom the cat"- this picture was of a huge cat that Lewis had and loved. In the cats elderly age Lewis made his cook start cooking the cat meals because he has lost all of his teeth. I could hear the same sentence coming from my father's mouth : ) hahahahahaha I could relate to Lewis' love of his Kitty and I know my daddy could have as well : ). It made me miss the cats and daddy a lot.

Next we went to go hike in the wilderness area that Lewis and his brother would walk in. We also saw the lake that they would swim in almost daily but I would not want to swim in that now.

After Lewis we went to look for Tolkien's inspiration for the Shire and the Two Towers.
We went to a mill which he played around as a child. But the highlight was Moddly Bog that we hike through and got lost in with Andrew Butterworth. We had so much fun romping through the puddles and mud. I had worn my new hunter boots but not everyone had rain boots so I dont think everyone enjoyed it as much as I did but we all laughed and talked about Tolkien for a long time.
After our romp through the bog we went to down town Birmingham where we could see the "two towers" they were not as great as the bog to be sure but we got pictures so it was worth it : ).

Over all yesterday was an excellent day in the footsteps of some of Oxford's greatest authors.

Hope to hear from yall soon
LOVE
VC

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Photos

Tom the cat and the grounds man
If that dosent look like one of Josh's cat I dont know what does : )

Our amazing tutor!!
she is a hoot and teaches at Oxford!

The Bog
where the adventure began

I found a gator in the Bog
it made me miss LKW!!!

all of our boots after the bog!
Such a wonderful day!

one of the two towers
i think it looks like Rapunzel's tower!

the other tower
the other tower is part of the water works!