Oxford/London

Rachael and I spent our last moments together in the airport in Milan as she was headed back to Raleigh and I to London. I was sad to see her go after all of the fun we had but I was fortunate to be headed on another adventure which would allow me to take my mind off of missing her. When I arrived in London I caught the first bus I could to Oxford where Thomas, a friend from NC State, was awaiting my arrival.

After dropping off my stuff and emailing home to let the folks know I had arrived safely I was ready to finally relax. Thomas took me to the Royal Oak which is a tavern in the true sense of the word. The place was a maze of little booths and hallways with dim lights and oak timbers everywhere. For dinner I was served a huge cheese and bacon burger (apparently not called a bacon cheeseburger), a pint of dark pull tap beer, and delightful conversation with two of Thomas' South African classmates. From there Thomas took me for a short walk around the town and through some of the colleges. While there is not much activity late at night, I found it really nice to see all of the old halls lit up and vacant.

In the morning Thomas and I had to say goodbye as he was about to begin a week of class and I a week of vacationing. Before I left town I had a chance to go back around to see the inside of probably the most famous college in Oxford, Christ Church.





The campus of Christ Church is absolutely amazing. The grass is the greenest I have ever seen, one of the few positive side effects of all the rain, and the buildings are like that of a medieval castle. The dinning hall is the great hall in the Harry Potter movies and is actually still used three times a day to serve the general student population. There is a wonderful old chapel that sits right in the heart of the campus and has displays of medieval relics and tombs of knights. The most incredible part about Oxford is not Christ Church but rather that all of the colleges are equal in their splendor.







After my short tour of Oxford I caught a bus into London to meet up with Enrique. We started our tour with a short walk down the Thames to what is probably London's most famous landmark Big Ben. The weather was gray and rainy but I think that added to the whole atmosphere, after all you don't go to London to get a tan. The area around Big Ben is beautiful, with little greens tucked in between Westminster Abbey and the Parliament buildings. As I surveyed my surroundings I kept having deja vu, I think because of the notoriety of this particular place as well as seeing the pictures from my grandparents' many trips to London. From Big Ben it is just a short walk to all of the other famous London sights so I made sure to double knot my sneakers in preparation for a little urban hiking.





After a stroll through beautiful St. James Park which was full of blooming flowers, some more of the greenest grass I have ever seen, and white pelicans, we arrived in Trafalgar Square. The square was absolutely abuzz with crowds milling around huge fountains and beneath Lord Nelson's column. In keeping with my urban outdoorsman theme I decided to do a little bouldering and climbed up the base of the column. From here I was rewarded with an amazing view of Big Ben down a street packed with row houses and double decker buses as well as a great photo opportunity with a wild urban beast!





We then continued our tour making stops at Buckingham Palace, a short walk through Hyde Park, and ending in Piccadilly Circus for a big plate of fish and chips. The contrast between the stately Buckingham Palace and the frenzied Piccadilly Circus could not be greater and yet they stand only a few blocks from each other. This amazing mix of the historical and modern is what gives London such a unique appeal.







After dinner Enrique and I decided that one good turn deserves another so we went down to the Thames for a night time stroll. We were greeted with clear skies, a full moon, and bright lights covering London's landmarks. After walking out on the London Bridge and getting some good shots of the Tower Bridge we headed in for the night.







In the morning we had just enough time to get to the Tower of London and take a quick tour around the grounds. I wish I had gotten the chance to go inside but I guess that I will just have to put that on my list of things to do next time.



I always wondered why my grandparents took the same vacation to London over and over again but within my first hour there I completely understood. It is impossible to see everything without going a million times and if you have already found one of the greatest places in the world why go anywhere else? London is an amazing city full of different cultures and a lively spirit. I was sad to have only had the chance to spend one day there but have the feeling I will be back many more times.