Oxford

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From South Downs we drove past the Windsor Castle, then toward Oxford. Bill Bryson states in his book, Oxford is his nomination for most pleasant and improved city in Britain. There is too much to document here. The Oxford hostel was in a great location for access to the city by foot...the streets are clogged with cars and zillions of bicycles. Obviously an active city because of the University. Can't remember exactly, but something like 40 colleges, with 20,000 students make up the University. I took a hop-on/hop-off City Bus Tour to get oriented.

The Natural History Museum is great, but the Pitts River Museum is outstanding. Museum of Oxford, Bodleian Library, on and on. Phil saw a posted notice for a midweek Jazz Communion Service at Christ Church Cathedral, so we took that in...very worshipful. I could resist going to the university botanical garden..gorgeous. I couldn't resist going to Oxford Univ botanical gardens.

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in Great Britain and one of the oldest scientific gardens in the world. The garden was founded in 1621 as a physic garden growing plants for medicinal research. Today it contains over 8,000 different plant species on 1.8 hectares (4½ acres). Magdalen College, founded in 1458, buildings are viewed from the gardens along side the River Cherwell, with its punting boats.

It sure appears they have many of the same plants, but do they not get the frost we do in ATL? Several of their species are not hardy back home. When in Oxford, don't miss this garden.

While strolling the city came across the Eagle and Child Pub (commonly known as the Bird and Baby or simply just the Bird) where the Inklings met informally on Tuesday mornings during term. Always time for some ale, so stopped in The Turf Pub, where Bill Clinton allegedly didn't inhale



Oxford YHA http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/oxford?utm_source=google&utm_medium=maps&utm_campaign=google-places

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