Dreaming Spires and soggy socks
May. 25th, 2006 08:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pandopPalimpsest BDO II 24th May 2006
A good day, despite the weather!
After a very early start (I know I am a morning person, but 5am is a little early, even for me) I made it to Oxford ok, and met the rest of the intrepid Palimpers.
The morning consisted of a very wet walk around the pretty buildings of Oxford - we made it into the Sheldonian Theatre just in time to miss the hail storm. The Sheldonian was Sir Christopher Wren's first commissioned building, and is really worth seeing (especially as it is really cheap to get in). The view from the Cupola is wonderful, even in the rain:
Then we dashed into the Bodleian library (well the only bits of it that you can see) and in particular the Divinity School (which is used as the Infirmary in the Harry Potter films). Very pretty, but my pictures of the ceiling weren't so good.
Then came another long wet walk to the web cam at the Oxford Internet Institute, where Gil kindly got a screen grab of this:
All the Palimpers, in the rain - and the Martyr's memorial.
Lunch did not come a moment too soon, and I can heartily recommend the Turf Tavern.
The afternoon was devoted to The Natural History Museum and The Pitt Rivers Museum both of which were absolutely fantastic. One of the best things was that they allow flash photography throughout the whole museum. My pictures of the fantastic dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum didn't come out too well, but I have some good pictures from the Pitt Rivers. One picture I wish I had taken - the buckets catching the leak in the Natural History Museum, right next to the donations box!
There was a special exhibition in the Pitt Rivers on textile techniques, so of course I took pictures of spindles and what looked like tablet weave:
And then, of course, I had to take a picture of the Shrunken Heads:
After a brief trip to the Travelodge to check in, we met up again in The Eagle and Child - the haunt of J. R. R. Tolkein, C. S. Lewis etc - because well you have to:
Dinner was at Pizza Express, as our first choice was unfortunately closed that night - unexpectedly, and generously, A paid for dinner for all of us!
After a very wet walk, we all made it to the Jehrico - which was indeed a very nice pub. I think I could have stood getting less wet on the way though ...
All in all I had a really good time with the Palimpers, although I was very glad of the brief return to the Travelodge, as I was getting in need of a break by then. This is the longest and most social I have been for some time though, and I think I did quite well - only a couple of 'desperate' texts were sent (as an aside, my phone hates Oxford - never have I had so much difficulty getting a signal).
Speaking of phones, this was my favourite contrast between new and old in Oxford:
Thursday 25th May 2006
A very nice, but all to brief, time withsilvernik, in which she climbed the oldest tower in Oxford (I got stuck part way up as it had stairs that you can see through, and I really can't do them at all) and we had a very nice lunch and excellent catch up chat. I was delighted to find my new job doesn't actually entail me doing anything at the moment - as I really have very little time. I am so sorry I won't see her at Whitby this weekend, but I do have something better planned (and no, I am not telling)
Oh - and I managed to get 7 bookmarks this trip - an excellent haul!
Edited to add: it was a good cider day too, a very good cider day [Unknown site tag]
A good day, despite the weather!
After a very early start (I know I am a morning person, but 5am is a little early, even for me) I made it to Oxford ok, and met the rest of the intrepid Palimpers.
The morning consisted of a very wet walk around the pretty buildings of Oxford - we made it into the Sheldonian Theatre just in time to miss the hail storm. The Sheldonian was Sir Christopher Wren's first commissioned building, and is really worth seeing (especially as it is really cheap to get in). The view from the Cupola is wonderful, even in the rain:
Then we dashed into the Bodleian library (well the only bits of it that you can see) and in particular the Divinity School (which is used as the Infirmary in the Harry Potter films). Very pretty, but my pictures of the ceiling weren't so good.
Then came another long wet walk to the web cam at the Oxford Internet Institute, where Gil kindly got a screen grab of this:
All the Palimpers, in the rain - and the Martyr's memorial.
Lunch did not come a moment too soon, and I can heartily recommend the Turf Tavern.
The afternoon was devoted to The Natural History Museum and The Pitt Rivers Museum both of which were absolutely fantastic. One of the best things was that they allow flash photography throughout the whole museum. My pictures of the fantastic dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum didn't come out too well, but I have some good pictures from the Pitt Rivers. One picture I wish I had taken - the buckets catching the leak in the Natural History Museum, right next to the donations box!
There was a special exhibition in the Pitt Rivers on textile techniques, so of course I took pictures of spindles and what looked like tablet weave:
And then, of course, I had to take a picture of the Shrunken Heads:
After a brief trip to the Travelodge to check in, we met up again in The Eagle and Child - the haunt of J. R. R. Tolkein, C. S. Lewis etc - because well you have to:
Dinner was at Pizza Express, as our first choice was unfortunately closed that night - unexpectedly, and generously, A paid for dinner for all of us!
After a very wet walk, we all made it to the Jehrico - which was indeed a very nice pub. I think I could have stood getting less wet on the way though ...
All in all I had a really good time with the Palimpers, although I was very glad of the brief return to the Travelodge, as I was getting in need of a break by then. This is the longest and most social I have been for some time though, and I think I did quite well - only a couple of 'desperate' texts were sent (as an aside, my phone hates Oxford - never have I had so much difficulty getting a signal).
Speaking of phones, this was my favourite contrast between new and old in Oxford:
Thursday 25th May 2006
A very nice, but all to brief, time with
silvernik, in which she climbed the oldest tower in Oxford (I got stuck part way up as it had stairs that you can see through, and I really can't do them at all) and we had a very nice lunch and excellent catch up chat. I was delighted to find my new job doesn't actually entail me doing anything at the moment - as I really have very little time. I am so sorry I won't see her at Whitby this weekend, but I do have something better planned (and no, I am not telling)Oh - and I managed to get 7 bookmarks this trip - an excellent haul!
Edited to add: it was a good cider day too, a very good cider day [Unknown site tag]
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-26 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-26 11:25 am (UTC)