A few weeks back G and I headed to Oxfordshire for a few nights as G had a training course nearby on the Saturday so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to do a little bit of sightseeing in the area on our weekend break to Oxfordshire.
I whizzed from work to Oxfordshire stopping off in Bicester for a wee stop and a little bit of window shopping…
before arriving to the De Vere Hotel property, Milton Hill House which was our home for two nights! (A full review to come!).
After not having the best of sleeps (mainly due to the fire alarm going off twice during the night) I got up and made my way into Oxford. This was my third visit and I was determined to fall in love with the city even though I did feel like I was cheating on my beloved Cambridge.
Every time I visit Oxford it rains and I end up with soggy feet and this time was no different but I was determined (and there is nothing like a determined Kiwi!) to explore the city including doing a walking tour in the rain; my walking tour of choice was the aptly named Oxford Walking Tour and our guide liked to laugh at his own jokes…a lot which I loved! This tour is perfect if you’re on a weekend break to Oxfordshire as the guide will give you a lot of recommendations on places to visit.
I love learning about the history of the famous cities in England and Oxford didn’t disappoint…The Bridge of Sighs was built so students could easily walk between buildings after curfew…
…the famous heads of Oxford…
…now work out where the inspiration came from for these buildings…
…and the house of Edmond Halley!
Then the tour descended on the Divinity School at Oxford University…
…obviously for Harry Potter reasons as this is the famous Hospital Wing in the Harry Potter movies! Pretty exciting stuff really for Harry Potter fans which I am!
I was a tad hungry and getting grouchy by the end of the tour (I was wet, cold and hungry – never a good mix and don’t get me started about the soggy feet situation as my shoe has sprung a leak!) so I ate cake in a church called The Vaults and Garden Cafe and they have a seriously good amount of gluten free options.
On a summers day it would be the perfect place to enjoy a cake or two slices in the front courtyard between the headstones if you like that kind of stuff which I do!
Around this time some of the students were finishing their final exams due to the colour of their carnations (something I had learnt from the walking tour). A red carnation shows that they are sitting their final exam; white indicates their first exam and pink is that they’re in the middle of their exams. These red carnation boys were covered in streamers and drinking bubbles straight from the bottle…
As it was still pouring down I decided to venture inside the Indoor Market for some shopping but left empty handed; it was okay if you wanted some meat and fresh flowers and other bits and bobs but I wouldn’t write a whole blog post on it. (there are a few gluten free food options to be found in a few of the cafes inside though)
I may have done a little bit of window shopping as well; Oxford has really really good shopping! If you love book shops then you’re going to love Oxford.
Venturing outside again and determined, really determined to explore some more I sudden realised that as well as soggy feet, the rain was getting heavier and I now had a soggy bottom…I decided it was time to head home via GBK to pick up a Lime Milkshake…milkshakes make the world a better place!
The reason why everything is so lush and green in Oxford…it always rains when I visit…I’m the water bearer!
The following morning (in glorious sunshine) after a peaceful nights sleep we headed to the Harcourt Arboretum which is part of the University of Oxford and comprises of 130 acres of trees, wild flowers, bluebells and many more floral treats…
…including a field of buttercups. I hadn’t seen buttercups for years!
After a long wander through the gardens we decided to head back to Bedfordshire with G leading the way.
What’s your favourite city / county to explore in the UK?
xx
If you liked this post on my Weekend Break to Oxfordshire then why not come and join me on Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest – I won’t bite!
You may also enjoy:
