After an exceedingly turbulent flight that several times had me praying to ___, I finally arrived in England. I took the bus to Oxford and walked to the hotel, which was appropriately old and charming. I had instant garden envy!
Although it was raining, I decided to set out immediately for the Oxford Botanical Garden; this was my only afternoon off, and I wanted to make the most of it! On the way, I passed the famous tavern where Tolkien and Company used to ‘chill.’
Along with many bikes, there are quite a few professorial types wandering around here.
Miraculously, the sun came out the second I arrived at the botanical garden, just in time to take in this incredible conifer (I forget the exact name).
The alpine garden was beautiful in the late-afternoon sunlight.
As were the flower beds. I ended up taking about a million pix, so more TK in future posts!
I walked home on High Street, which like much of downtown Oxford seems a ‘lil touristy.’ There’s always something a bit incongruous to me about seeing modern chains/storefronts in such old buildings; it’s not an easy trick to pull off without coming across as garish or ‘Disnified.’ (I’m not sure what the solution is.) I’m guessing that the locals make a point of taking the back routes, where the throngs are less likely to deviate.
I saw a restaurant called ‘Zizzi,’ which is our nickname for Zephyr. I felt a little homesick. As I write this, the church bells are tolling and I’m thinking about a Walter Benjamin essay in which he describes the melancholy of church bells on a Sunday afternoon. It’s time, I realize, to get up and go.
