You had me at the snow
Yesterday morning I woke up with that slight aching in the neck and eyes that signals a determined mini-migraine, and noticed that there was a stripe of light lying across the bed. My thought pattern ran thus: "Sun... on snow... pretty... photos... MELTING!" And I was out of bed, into yesterday's clothes, with a cup of coffee down my neck, and out in it, within 20 minutes. (A minor miracle.) And despite the migraine, (which only developed into full-on pain and nausea when I got home) I spent three and a half hours retracing my steps round Oxford and re-taking all of the day before's photos. With one exception.
I walked past Magdalen College the day before yesterday to see a big sign; "COLLEGE CLOSED ALL DAY". Meaning that, even though I'm an Oxford resident and can go in any time I want, they wouldn't let me in. I went back yesterday, looked longingly at the sign, and turned away. A girl with blue hair came up to me and said kindly, "You can go in, you know."
"I know - I'm an Oxford resident and I'm in and out all the time," I said. "But the sign..."
"Just look like you know where you're going," she said.
"You're so right." I replied. "Thank you!"
So I took off one glove, and walked quickly through the lodge, scowling at the ground and tugging on my glove as though I was headed in to give some tutor a piece of my mind. And it worked! And once I saw what lay inside, I thought that girl might possibly have been an angel.
It was so beautiful I actually cried. (Quickly, because it was cold.) I went straight through the cloisters to New Buildings, and out into Addison's Walk. I will remember that walk for the rest of my life. I don't think I've ever seen such perfect beauty, and the whole way round, I kept unconsciously praying "Thank you God, thank you for such beauty and for the eyes to see it."
New Buildings and the start of Addison's Walk.
My favourite Oxford 'gargoyles' on the outside of Magdalen, haloed in snow.
Christ Church meadow.
This morning I'm off to Headington Hill Park to see if there's a fantastic view over Oxford, and to see whether they're letting people climb St Mary's again. Now that view would be mind-blowing.
I walked past Magdalen College the day before yesterday to see a big sign; "COLLEGE CLOSED ALL DAY". Meaning that, even though I'm an Oxford resident and can go in any time I want, they wouldn't let me in. I went back yesterday, looked longingly at the sign, and turned away. A girl with blue hair came up to me and said kindly, "You can go in, you know."
"I know - I'm an Oxford resident and I'm in and out all the time," I said. "But the sign..."
"Just look like you know where you're going," she said.
"You're so right." I replied. "Thank you!"
So I took off one glove, and walked quickly through the lodge, scowling at the ground and tugging on my glove as though I was headed in to give some tutor a piece of my mind. And it worked! And once I saw what lay inside, I thought that girl might possibly have been an angel.
It was so beautiful I actually cried. (Quickly, because it was cold.) I went straight through the cloisters to New Buildings, and out into Addison's Walk. I will remember that walk for the rest of my life. I don't think I've ever seen such perfect beauty, and the whole way round, I kept unconsciously praying "Thank you God, thank you for such beauty and for the eyes to see it."
New Buildings and the start of Addison's Walk.
My favourite Oxford 'gargoyles' on the outside of Magdalen, haloed in snow.
Christ Church meadow.
This morning I'm off to Headington Hill Park to see if there's a fantastic view over Oxford, and to see whether they're letting people climb St Mary's again. Now that view would be mind-blowing.