Pics from Oxford

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Oxford is a pristine city that exudes learning and academic aspiration throughout its 38 colleges in what has been called "the city of the dreaming spires" (see bottom two pictures). I took a two hour walking tour around the central part of the city (everything is relatively close) and learned more about the history of Oxford that I can even remember. Oxford is the oldest, English-speaking university in the world, founded in the 12th century. During the tour we entered three of the colleges (see 3rd picture with me at Oriel College) as many were closed for different events, one being a graduation day! I'm not sure why they are graduating while school is about to begin here but there were graduates with caps and gowns on all over.

One of the highlights of my time was touring the Bodleian Library, one of the oldest in all of Europe that has in its collection over 8 million books! Every week 1,200 new books enter the library. The agreement with Thomas Bodley, who helped to restore and put the library on the track it continues on back in the 1600's is that out of every new book printed in England, one copy is sent to the library. Unlike a traditional library, one cannot check out books but must have a reader card to be able to enter and read. No pens, food or smoking in the library and to get a reader card among other things one must promise to never take a book out of the library! (2nd picture). During the library tour we saw one part of the library that was used in the library scenes in a couple of Harry Potter films! On one of my trips here to the UK I hope to make use of the library for my research if there are books that are difficult to get a hold of.

On the buildings throughout Oxford one finds gargoyle heads on the downspouts and other, sometimes humorous, monster heads on the buildings. Our tour guide pointed out at one college that the first letter of the images on the building spelled the name of the first female principal of that college. I'm not sure why they are there on the others. At once kind of freaky and at then almost cartoonish at other times, an interesting tradition (first picture).