Week 3 - Oxford

We went to Oxford!!!! I love this place. The picture above is from Christ Church college. 

Train station

 I was so excited to ride my first train! Turns out it was super crowded (this was the day of the royal wedding), so I was actually just standing in the aisle for the first bit. Not what I had imagined, but still enjoyable. 

The trench coat in this picture is shamefully misleading. It was quite hot and VERY sunny. I ended up getting a super bad bright sun/dehydrating headache because I was unprepared for just how bright and warm the day would be. But doesn't the coat make me look more Oxford-like? 

Notice I am no longer wearing the coat

Gardens at Christ Church

This is the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien met in their book club (they called it a literary discussion group), The Inklings. Andrew brought a book of C.S. Lewis poetry, so we got to listen to C.S. Lewis's words in the very pub that he used to eat and discuss and create. Wow. Below is my favorite poem that he read; it's entitled "Prayer." 

“Master, they say that when I seem

    To be in speech with you,

Since you make no replies, it’s all a dream

  – One talker aping two.

They are half right, but not as they

   Imagine; rather, I

Seek in myself the things I meant to say,

   And lo! the wells are dry.

Then, seeing me empty, you forsake

   The Listener’s role, and through

My dead lips breathe and into utterance wake

   The thoughts I never knew.

And thus you neither need reply

   Nor can; thus, while we seem

Two talking, thou art One forever, and I

   No dreamer, but thy dream.

                       – C.S. Lewis, 1964

Look at the lights. This town loves LOTR

Also at Christ Church

We went to Evensong at the Christ Church cathedral; their beautiful choir verbalized the peaceful feelings this chapel brings. I love that this campus has cathedrals right in the middle of it; I can just imagine slipping in to say a prayer or hear a beautiful song during your school day. 

“Aren't you ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?"

“And yet,to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.”

We saw A Midsummer Night's Dream performed as it should be. There was rock music, Royal Wedding references, LOTs of references to the Americans they knew were in the audience, a full on food fight, a secret trap door . . . they pulled out all the stops to tell this story in a highly energetic and endlessly creative way. My favorite (and least favorite) - after a long hilarious opening monologue, they explained that Rowan Atkinson would be playing Bottom in this production. We all totally believed it and could NOT contain our excitement to actually see Mr. Bean! When the time came to introduce him on stage, he did not come. Instead a stage manager explained he was stuck in an elevator. One of the actors then goes into detail on how to refund your ticket - where to email the receipt if you don't have it with you, which desk to line up at, etc. etc. No one moves, because we are sure this is all still part of the joke. Then, they bring up the house lights. So we all just sit in that theatre for five whole minutes wondering what the heck is going on. Finally, a planted audience member generously offered to play the part of Bottom for Rowan, and the show continued. I loved how far they took the joke. 

xoxo

Rebecca