In Which Break Ends
So after I left Edinburgh, it was down to Birmingham to see the Stanleys. Michelle used to babysit me when she was back in the states, so they're all family friends, and I figured I'd go see 'em. Was a lot of fun, we actually went and walked around a massively windy ruined castle instead of Birmingham though XD
After that, I went to Oxford... oh my god, Oxford. I've really never been anyplace like it. It was just so... weird really. First there was the geek factor from The Golden Compass and everything, and seeing places that were in the movie, or were in the book, and knowing that I'd been standing right there where XYZ supposedly happened. I saw the bench from the end of Amber Spyglass, I saw the Camera, all stuff like that.
I think that kind of thing made me more receptive to noticing how special the place really is. There's no other place like it, it's the oldest center of learning in the english-speaking world. It was a city in the year 952, it's unbelievable. And yet there it stands, defying time almost... it's hard to say, there's just this sort of mystical feel to the place, at least for me. The spires are mesmerizing, they look like they just fell through the cracks in time almost... they look especially pretty as it starts to get dark. Seeing the stars behind the Radcliffe Camera and the Towers of Hertford College made me wish I had a camera that could take night shots.
I also got to sit in the Botanic Gardens as the bells of Magdalen College across the street rang for Easter, they went on for hours... it was just so incredibly relaxing and peaceful, transcendent almost. I guess it's sort of this feeling like time doesn't really exist there it's so old and so unchanged, and there's nothing to worry about in a way... it's hard to describe, it's just this weird feeling like Oxford's it's own little world, and I was just sort of visiting it for a little while.
It's like leaving Disney World after a few days... you sort of have this "oh well, back to the real world" feeling... that's what it was like leaving Oxford for me.
Julia and Mela are totally gonna think I'm crazy, but man, it's an amazing place. If you ever, EVER get a chance, go to Oxford. I don't know if you'll react like I did, but if you do you'll be glad you came.
After that, I went to Oxford... oh my god, Oxford. I've really never been anyplace like it. It was just so... weird really. First there was the geek factor from The Golden Compass and everything, and seeing places that were in the movie, or were in the book, and knowing that I'd been standing right there where XYZ supposedly happened. I saw the bench from the end of Amber Spyglass, I saw the Camera, all stuff like that.
I think that kind of thing made me more receptive to noticing how special the place really is. There's no other place like it, it's the oldest center of learning in the english-speaking world. It was a city in the year 952, it's unbelievable. And yet there it stands, defying time almost... it's hard to say, there's just this sort of mystical feel to the place, at least for me. The spires are mesmerizing, they look like they just fell through the cracks in time almost... they look especially pretty as it starts to get dark. Seeing the stars behind the Radcliffe Camera and the Towers of Hertford College made me wish I had a camera that could take night shots.
I also got to sit in the Botanic Gardens as the bells of Magdalen College across the street rang for Easter, they went on for hours... it was just so incredibly relaxing and peaceful, transcendent almost. I guess it's sort of this feeling like time doesn't really exist there it's so old and so unchanged, and there's nothing to worry about in a way... it's hard to describe, it's just this weird feeling like Oxford's it's own little world, and I was just sort of visiting it for a little while.
It's like leaving Disney World after a few days... you sort of have this "oh well, back to the real world" feeling... that's what it was like leaving Oxford for me.
Julia and Mela are totally gonna think I'm crazy, but man, it's an amazing place. If you ever, EVER get a chance, go to Oxford. I don't know if you'll react like I did, but if you do you'll be glad you came.