It was about two Saturdays ago,
that I took a trip to Oxford and was able to take a tour of all the
universities that make up this historic place. A lot of things had taken place
in the town but my most favorite moment of the tour was when I found myself in
an alley that was believed to have inspired C.S Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch,
and the Wardrobe”. It was a cute little alley, a lone lamppost at the end which is said to be the same lamp Lewis was depicting in his book.
Along with the post we came upon a door that held a lions head along with a
mini version of Mr. Tumnus, these pieces were also said to be inspiration for
the characters of this book and you could clearly see the visions of these characters played out in your head.
Along
with C.S Lewis, Tolkien was also a predominate figure in Oxford, both of these
authors would gather at a pub called “The Eagle and Child” and would
brainstorm/discuss ideas for future creations. Some of the books you may know
include: Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Tolkien) as well as Chronicles of Narnia
(Lewis). Knowing that some of these great writers created right down the road from where I stood was quite an exciting thing to learn as well as think about, these little facts made the two hour trip completely worth it.
Last Sunday I hopped on a train in to Central which put me right between Big Ben and the London eye, and I found myself not in awe
of what was before me, but severely annoyed with all the tourists that lined
that Westminster Bridge. Experiencing this crowd of people was eye opening because
it gave me a chance to show that I was a local and could no longer compare
myself to a tourist. That may sound a bit odd to some, but once I was put into
that mindset it was quite liberating to know I was finally making a home here.
Tricia and I even adapted the ways of the locals and slammed our way through
the people gathered along the bridge. That may sound harsh but that’s just how
things get done around here, they don’t move for you so don’t move for them.
When we were done fighting our way
through the crowd, a couple of friends and I decided to try out one of London’s big
attractions, The London Dungeon, and I must say I was completely impressed. In
this attraction you move to different rooms that depicted certain gruesome
aspects of English history. Some included King Henry VIII, the Black Plague,
for some humor Sweeny Todd as well as a recreation of the Tin Bells where Jack
the Ripper did some of his haunts. There was just the right amount of funny
with a proper bit of horror that anyone could enjoy it. So if you ever find
yourself in Central London be sure to take the time to check it out. We also got our first taste of a traditional Sunday roast which certainly won't be my last. It was quite yummy and held all the nutritional value I have been lacking since I've arrived here, I truly do believe I will eventually turn into a pizza I've consumed so much. If you ever find yourself here in England on a Sunday make sure to take part in this dish.
Thursday brought some proper bit of
excitement as I found myself making a trek to Heathrow to pick up one of my
friends from home. Trish is here for a week and it’s great having her. She and
I were once roommates so I must point out this will work well with the current
living situation since my room is very small. It’s a pretty awesome experience
to be given the chance to see a familiar face from home. It's great having the opportunity to show them
everything you’ve learned as well as experienced while you've been abroad.
Tomorrow we are setting out to Old Spitalfields
market; I’ve heard great things about this place, as well as Tin Bells, which
has been made famous due to Jack the Ripper. I visited this pub once before and
the atmosphere is fantastic. I also found myself being called Doris repeatedly
by a 50 something year old man that night, but that’s a story for another time.
Tuesday we will be venturing to
Jane Austen’s house so I am completely excited to see where this legend
composed some of the best books in history; you can’t tell me you’re not a
sucker for Austen novels. Who knows, maybe I can find my Mr. Darcy!
I’m completely kidding, but I had to throw his name in there somewhere right?
I’m completely kidding, but I had to throw his name in there somewhere right?
Hope all is well wherever you call home.
Cheers
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