Christ Church, which did charge me admission, is the largest and grandest of Oxford's colleges. Its Tom Tower was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. There's also an impressive Norman cathedral and a lovely meadow leading down to the river. On the other side of Corpus is Merton, with its famous medieval Mob Quad, the oldest quad in Oxford. J.R.R. Tolkien was professor of English here from 1945 until his retirement.
Students hurried past me in the long black gowns they wear to formal dinners and exams, the frayed ends of their jeans and trendy running shoes visible underneath. Off High Street opposite the Botanic Gardens is Magdalen (pronounced "Maudlin"), whose chapel and cloisters are among the loveliest buildings in Oxford. Go to a service if you can -- I'll never forget my first sight of the chapel during a midwinter wedding ceremony, its choir stalls and buttressed ceiling jubilantly lit by candlelight. The college's generous grounds include Deer Park (there really is a herd of deer) and Addison's Walk (named for the 18th-century essayist who was a fellow of the college), which snakes through meadows to an island in the Cherwell.
On the way to Salisbury, stop by Stonehenge, the Neolithic monument whose origins remain a mystery.
(Photodisc)
|
_____News from Britain_____
•
Paper: Blair Was Warned About Chaos in Iraq (The Washington Post, Sep 19, 2004)
•
N. Ireland Talks End In Deadlock (The Washington Post, Sep 19, 2004)
•
Zombies & Pub Life, on Tap in 'Shaun' (The Washington Post, Sep 19, 2004)
•
Paris Auto Show Changes to Reflect Market (The Washington Post, Sep 19, 2004)
•
2 Americans, Briton Seized By Gunmen In Baghdad (The Washington Post, Sep 17, 2004)
|
| |
|
If you're willing to make yourself the object of undergraduate amusement, hire a punt at the Magdalen bridge. It isn't as easy as it looks, and when I visited, know-it-all undergrads were laughing and teasing tourists as they pushed their boats along the banks of the river. Later a friend, a former student, let me in on the secret. "In Oxford," she said, "the tradition is to punt from the back. In Cambridge you punt from the front. You can spot the tourists because they get it wrong."
The colleges are mostly open to visitors only in the afternoon, so save the morning for the university buildings or Blenheim Palace. The best-known university buildings are the impressive Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who also designed St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street is Britain's oldest public museum, dating from 1683, and houses a dauntingly varied collection of art and artifacts. Churchill fans (or anyone pondering the state of Anglo-American relations) may prefer to visit Blenheim Palace, eight miles northwest of Oxford. Blenheim is the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and set in beautiful gardens landscaped by Capability Brown, it's one of England's great establishment houses.
Oxford is packed with sandwich bars, and for lunch I took a picnic to the Botanic Garden, a quiet, richly planted oasis of pinks, greens and blues. In poorer weather, try the Turf Tavern on Holywell Street, which is built into the city wall, or Browns Restaurant, an Oxford institution. Or splurge at Michelin star chef Raymond Blanc's top-notch Le Petit Blanc on Walton Street, cousin to the amazing Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons hotel and restaurant outside of Oxford. These last restaurants are pricey, but they do offer better value at lunchtime and on fixed-price menus. However, if you're after a full gourmet dinner, they may be best saved for an overnight visit, allowing you to linger late into the evening over a spectacular meal.
Directions: Oxford is 56 miles northwest of London, about a 75-minute drive. By car, take the M40 to Junction 8. By train, it's an hour from London's Paddington Station; a Cheap Day Return ticket is about $26. By bus, it's an hour-and-40-minute ride from Victoria, Marble Arch, Notting Hill Gate or Shepherd's Bush. Details: www.stagecoach -oxford.co.uk/oxfordtube.
Attractions: Oxford University, 011-44-1865- 270010, www.ox.ac.uk/visitors; admission charges vary by college, with Christ Church, for example, about $6. Ashmolean Museum, 011-44-1865-278000, www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk; free. Blenheim Palace, on the A44 Evesham Road, 011-44-1993-811091, www.blenheimpalace.com; admission is $16. Further information: www.visitoxford.org.
Restaurants: Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxford, www.manoir.com; lunch from $72 per person, dinner from $128. Le Petit Blanc, 71-72 Walton St., Oxford; á la carte menu starts at about $40 per person, prix-fixe, $24 for three courses. Turf Tavern, 7 Bath Pl. off Holywell Street, Oxford; pub food under $16. Browns Restaurant and Bar, 5-11 Woodstock Rd., Oxford, dinner from $37.
Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge
There's no shortage of cathedrals near London: Canterbury, the pilgrim's destination in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales"; Winchester, renowned for its boys' choir; Salisbury, known for its attractive setting on the Salisbury Plain. I like Salisbury best, for the beauty of the surrounding scenery, its single spire and the opportunity to see Stonehenge en route.
