Oxford

I had a good sleep and woke up at 5:30am.  Jet-lag is a problem flying east sometimes.  After updating my blog, I was ready for breakfast and be on the road to Oxford.  But nearby, about 15 minutes away, is the Warwick Castle.  I heard this one may be worth a visit.  I've been to several castles on previous trips to Ireland and Scotland but I am curious about Warwick Castle.  Using my GPS I followed directions to the castle.  When it announces that I've reached my destination, I look around and see a tall wall next to a residential neighborhood but no castle.  I stopped and asked a local resident and he gave me some general directions.  When I parked my car I looked for a sign that points to the castle but there wasn't one conspicuous.  I walked in the wrong direction and wasted at least 30 minutes before asking a contractor.

I had a 1/2 off coupon given to me by Pascal, the owner of the B&B.  that helps because the entrance fee is £26, a very steep price just to see how the rich used to live.  Besides, I have to pay £6 for parking.  The castle is very well done and maintained.  The grounds and surrounding areas are also beautifully manicured.  The exhibits were mostly about the lives of Lord Warwick and his family.  I have never heard of him but he was likely a very important and powerful person in his days.  In those days the feudal lords and the church own all the land.  The peasants had to work very hard to pay rent and are at the mercy of the aristocracy.  With the rise of unions and industrialization, these aristocrats start to lose their hold over the people.  Many had to give up their castles because they don't have the income to maintain them anymore.  Although a nice castle, I'd not have gone out of my way to visit, if I were not so close.

Warwick Castle, from the outside

Armor Exhibits

Inside the Castle grounds

After Warwick, I programmed the GPS for the Sportsview B&B in Oxford.  Again, I just entered the postal code and it knew where the destination is.  It took me a little over an hour to drive from Warwick to Oxford.  Some of it was on highways, some through small towns.  I did not have any problem with the manual stick, nor did I have any problems driving on the left-side of the road.   The challenge for most Americans may be the roundabouts, which are at almost every intersection.  This may have been thought of as a dumb idea but more and more American cities are adopting them.  They keep traffic moving.

The GPS announced that I have arrived at my destination but it was a narrow road and there were cars behind me.  Fortunately, I spotted a small side street and turned in.  Viola!  The Sportsview B&B was just right there and I backed into the car park (as the British would call it).  Kevin, the host welcomed me and showed me my room.  The B&B is three adjoining row-houses (or townhouses, as Americans would call it).  They are connected in the basement together.  I have an ensuite single-room, which means I have my own bathroom.  The cost?  £55, about US$75.  Like the previous B&B, it an old clean room.  Nothing fancy.   When traveling, I just have 3 simple requirements - a place to sleep, shower, and leave my stuff securely.  A hostel with multiple beds in a room would've been cheaper but I find that my snoring doesn't make me a good roommate.  I've been kicked and threatened before.  Besides, I carry quite a bit of expensive electronic equipment nowadays and want to make sure that they are secured.

Kevin gave me a map and showed me how to get to the city center of Oxford.  It's a 15-minute walk.  I found out that there is an official walking tour at 2pm so I walked hurriedly to the Visitor Center.  The walk was about Oxford University and the City.  There were about a dozen people on the tour.  Our guide, Bella, obviously has lived in the city for a long time and knows a lot about the university and the city.

Walking through Oxford University is like traveling through medieval times.  It was said to have been founded in the 11th or 12th century.  It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.  38 colleges make up Oxford University.  Each college is autonomous and has its own buildings and facilities.  It does not have a main campus.  Some of the better known colleges are Christchurch, Corpus Christi, Trinity, etc.  Below are some pictures of the town and university.

Cornmarket Street, a pedestrian mall

Part of the Bodlein Library

Promotional Displays on the street

Radcliffe Camera, actually a library.  The iconic building of Oxford

Meadows at Christ Church College

Bodlein Library

Christ Church College, from the War Memorial Garden

I'm glad I decided to come to Oxford.  It's a beautiful city.  Walking around town and the university is walking like through history.  Its alumni are the Who's Who of the famous people in the world:  J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, T.E. Lawrence (of Lawrence of Arabia), Walter Raleigh, Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking, etc, and 27 British Prime Ministers.

The rental car was expensive - about £180 or US$250, for two days.  But it was worth it.  Taking public transportation to Stratford-upon-Avona and Oxford would have mean a lot of juggling with train and bus schedules and I would not have seen as much as I did.  I could've saved some money by filling up the gas tank but I didn't know where the gas station (or petrol station as they called it here) was.  I may get lost and return the car late.  Then I'll be charged an extra day of rental.