Oxford Trip 2004 IV: The Sights of Oxford

In my continuing adventure overseas, I journeyed toward the touristry parts of Oxford proper.



I first visited the University Museum. This a wondeful biological and geological museum. Every animal from Dinosaur to Dodo is contained here. They even have fossilized rocks going back hundreds of millions of years ... or 6,000 depending upon your interpretation of Scripture.



I next journeyed to Wadham College. This was one of the first colleges for girls at Oxford.



Here is a nice shot of Parks Road looking south towards Radcliffe Square.



Here is a great Oxford sight; the bridge over New College Lane. It reminds one of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. I actually have a great "Bridge of Sighs" picture taken at Cambridge that I am anxious to post.



Here are the Gates to the Bodleian Library. The stone figure depict monks. The next few pics are of various library buildings inside the gates.







You can tell that I really like architecture.





Here is the great Bodleian Library building at Radcliffe square. This building is nearly impossible to enter. It has extremely odd hours and is almost never open at a reliable time.



Incidentally, almost all of these sights can be seen in the movie The Saint, starring Val Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue. It seems that they filmed the movie at Oxford and used the local sights for there scenery. The buildings are out of context but that's Hollywood for you.



I next made my way down toward Christ Church College (See above). This is the school where Lewis Carroll taught mathematics while he dreamed up Alice in Wonderland.



Looking at the buildings around town, the gargoyles, the statues of the monk heads, and all the animals like Dodos and such in the University Museum, I can imagine how one could write a book like Alice in Wonderland. Small wonder that this town has produced the world's greatest writers. And many KGB agents. So you never know.



Incidentally, here is the famous Alice Shop.



This is the shop that inspired Carroll to write chapter five ("Wool and Water") of Through the Looking Glass. It's a tourist trap; don't go in. There's is nothing of real interest inside the shop. Just take a pic and move on.



I next ventured into University Park. This is the recreation center of Oxford. You can often see students jogging, playing "football" and even rowing upon the river. Here we have a group of guys playing cricket.



And, finally, here is the aptly named High Bridge of University Park.

So ends all my pics of Oxford. I will have my pics of the William Carey, Andrew Fuller, and John Newton sights posted soon.

Cheers.