On our trip to Europe last summer, we didn’t really plan on seeing Oxford when we visited England. We ended up spending a little longer in London than we planned, so we decided to venture out of the city. Since it was such short notice, and we only had one day, we decided to see Stonehenge, because I love me those ancient sites of humanity. Weirdly, at such late notice, the only tours available included other locations, and we hopped on a tour that encompassed Windsor and Oxford as well. I was hoping for a glimpse of the Queen–alas, she was in Scotland, according to our tour guide–at Windsor, and Oxford looked like a pretty little town to visit.
Oxford ended up being almost the highlight of the tour for me, although Stonehenge was amazing because, Stonehenge, and its always a ball to see another castle, and Windsor includes a useful museum and many gorgeous, furnished rooms. For a random throw-in, Oxford was so adorable and scholarly.
(And, bonus: scenes of Harry Potter were filmed here! What.)
We wandered around the city, explored the university a little–it’s gigantic–and took a lot of pictures.
As is a common problem when traveling, a taste of Oxford made me wanting more. I sometimes think the first time you visit a country is when you suss out the places you want to come back to and spend more time, and Oxford is one of those places! I mean, can you imagine going to university in Oxford, a school so old it has no specific date of foundation, but potentially dates back as far as 1096?
^I could not get enough of the doors in Oxford. You’ll see.
^A store with Harry Potter souvenirs, of course.
^Walking down a skinny English street and suddenly, there appears an amazing landmark.
^Even the lamps are pretty!
^This little archway is modeled after the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Gorgeous, no? I took many pictures of this detail from a few different angles…
^Imagine If I Lived Here strikes again!
^I just…had to include another angle.
^What is it about statement doors?!
^Are you sick of seeing pictures of my feet yet? 
^probably the smartest, handsomest guy in Oxford.
^And obviously, the best-looking couple to ever set foot in Oxford. Except Will and Kate have probably been here, and, let’s be real, they win.
^I was struck by the bright blue house peeking between all the old stone. What can I say, Oxford had my artistic, creative, and smart juices flowing.
I mean, look at these doors. Even reading Latin makes me feel smarter. Too bad we couldn’t actually enter any of these doors as we don’t actually belong to any of those schools…but small details.
This is letter O for the April A to Z Challenge! Click the image below to find out more!
