Oxford

On Tuesday night I made my way to Oxford where I caught up with some friends from Uni days. While I had seen one of them about 4 years ago on a visit back to Australia, I hadn't seen her husband since before they left Australia about 6 years ago (and I hadn't met their second child)- so we had a great catch up at the local British Legion Club (reminiscent of a country RSL). It was even darts night.

On Wednesday they showed me around the town of Oxford, particularly Christchurch college - including the famous cathedral and dining hall (used for the dining hall in the Harry Potter films).  Our little group of four was given a personalised tour around the cathedral and even were taken out a door mrked 'private' to be shown a secluded courtyard not open to guests. 

We also climbed the cupola at the top of the Sheldonian Theatre from where we could gaze out at the 'dreaming spires' of Oxford. Other stops included the Divinity school of the Bodleian Library (AKA  the infirmary in Harry Potter) and the famous Turf Tavern (where Bill Clinton didn't inhale, Bob Hawke did drink a record breaking yard glass and where the fictitious Inspector Morse spent much time drinking). We also ate a delicious lunch in an old church vault and visited the science museum which included a blackboard that Einstein had drawn on during a guest lecture.

I was finally treated to both traditional English weather of heavy rain and the sight of green lawns (London was a brown, crispy grassed dustbowl!) before boarding the return flight to Stockholm.

Windsor & Eton

On Tuesday Ali took me to Windsor. To get there we had to change trains at Slough train station - which was rewarding for me as the train station was used in several episodes of my favourite tv series from my youth (Press Gang).

It's great being shown around the place by 'locals' - a standard tourist would probably only go to the main gate, and you'd have to pay to get in to get a good look. Ali took me around the back where you get a pretty respectable look at the castle.

We then wandered around the streets of Windsor, crossing the river to Eton and peering into the courtyard of the school, and strolled along the river inspecting the long boats and swans.

Lunch was at a pub - you can guess what we had to  drink. Then it was farewell to Ali.

London - Day Two

On Monday Ali & I headed into London again while our menfolk returned to work.  The day was another warm one but with frequent periods of overcast cloud and the occasional sprinkle. We started off with a cruise down the Thames, starting from Westminster, past the Tower of London, under the Tower bridge and docking at Greenwich. 

We posed for the obligatory photo at the Meridian marker before looking though the observatory museum (lots of navigational aids including the first portable accurate timepieces). 

We then re-boarded the boat and journeyed back up the Thames where we were rewarded with the unusual sight of the Tower bridge opening to let the HMS Richmond be towed out. 

We finished off the afternoon with a good old fashioned English high tea (with scones, clotted cream, victoria sponge, strawberry tart and of course, cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off). A quick visit to Fortnum & Mason and Harrods saw us through to Pimms O'clock (imbibed in the Little Venice area).

London - Day One

On Sunday Ali took us into London via the train. Our intro to the tube was uncomfortable due to the heat as once again the daily temp was around the 30 degree mark and the tube is not cooled in any way (they make health announcements and have signs up advising you to take water with you and not to ride the tube if you are unwell) - it's really quite revolting - and that's not even talking about the huge amounts of people around!

Ali took us on a short walking tour of several of the iconic London sights including Piccadilly Circus, Nelson's Column, Buckingham Palace, Westminster & the Bell Tower and the Thames. it happened to be the day of the London 10km fun run, so while there was no traffic (the roads were closed!) there were an awful lot of people as we arrived in town as people were finishing. 

Dr M left us then to go and meet up with an old friend of his own, so Ali and I went to Regents Park for a picnic under a weeping willow tree.

Following our lunch we headed to the Charles Dickens museum - which is housed in one of his former residences (where he wrote his most successful novel "Oliver Twist"). The museum contained items belonging to Dickens, rooms done up in the style of the period, and original issues of his novels (as his novels were written as serials then published in a book afterwards - the book is the first edition but the collected completed serials are referred to as issues and this is what CD collectors would be looking for). I touched his desk. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

We then entered the British Museum where I inspected the Rosetta Stone and a few other ancient Eygptian artifacts (before being thrown out by the security guard as it was closing time). I did a few more required touristy things like riding on a double decker bus and popping into a phone box on the way to St Paul's Cathedral. We walked accross the millenium bridge (locally known as the wibbly wobbly bridge) and sat in a pub with another jug of pimms and lemonade while we watched the sun set on the skyline of London.  Please be advised that navigating the stairs on the double decker bus after drinking more than your share of a jug of pimms is not for amateurs.

Leeds Castle

Friday night we hopped a British airways flight and flew into Heathrow. I can confirm that BA does not stand for best airways. Luckily we had been warned that the BA version of dinner (breakfast and lunch) is a sandwich (tuna mayonnaise - very soggy) and ate before we left Stockholm. We were met at the airport by my friend (from school days) Ali and her husband Paul (who I went to uni with). They quickly introduced us to the notorious English traffic on the motorways - both on the way back to their place and the next day when they drove us down to Leeds castle (which is nowhere near Leeds - it is south east of London in the Kent area).

We first visited a traditional English pub where I was introduced to a jug of pims and lemonade (we became firm friends immediately) and we had a standard lunch of fish & chips. We then entered the grounds of Leeds Castle.

It was a very warm day by English standards - at least 30 degrees - so inside the shady grounds and cool castle walls were a pretty good place to be. We looked through the castle which was home to many people during the ages (including Catherine of Aragon - Henry VIII's first wife) and admired the grounds which were full of bird life.

The castle was very well preserved as it has been in almost continuous occupation since it was built. It was situated beautifully, and was obviously built equally for looks and security. 

We would have liked to visit the aviary and hedge maze, but managed to get to them just as they shut (well, we did try to sneak into the maze from the exit end but were thrown out by the security guard). Next time!