Oxford Town
James and I have been itching to get out of London for a while now, and we finally pulled it off with a day trip to the one and only Oxford! Just a short 1.5 hour train from London Paddington, it was ideal day trip material. We arrived around 10:30am and started off straight for the University of Oxford Natural History Museum, James' favourite place in Oxford. The museum, still used for lectures today, was constructed between 1855-1860 to house the entirety of the university's then scattered collection of anatomical specimens.
~Fun Fact: Ironically, this pro-evolutionary facility was funded by Bible sales.~ After perusing the many displays we paused for a slice of the scrumptious 'California Cake' from the cafe upstairs, where we had awesome views of the detailing on the beams and rafters. Each beam bears a different species of plant, memorialised in steel. Every individual column lining the balcony is made from a different stone; many are colourful varieties of marble.
The dinosaurs are, of course, awe-inspiring, and the various animal skeletons are instructive and fascinating. James was enamoured of the stuffed Emperor Penguin, seeing as he adores the waddling fuzzballs, and I was particularly entranced by the exhibit displaying brains of a variety of animals. I admittedly spent too much time obsessing over the T-Rex's stupid little arms. It was only after a good deal of imitation that I felt satisfied enough to move on.
Afterwards we went over to the Pitt Rivers Museum, my favourite spot in the city. This Museum, founded in 1884, is set apart not only by its vast collection of global objects (over half a million overall), but also by its organisation. Items are grouped together by category or function, rather than year or locality. For example, there is a case dedicated to 'representations of enemies after death' which contains a variety of skulls and shrunken heads from civilisations around the world. They also have displays for types of items as diverse as playing cards and games, tools for body modification, and armour. (Speaking of which, there is a helmet made of a goddamn puffer fish. See below.) I love the Pitt Rivers museum for the quality and quantity of its objects, but also for its message. The arrangement of items in this way highlights the universality of human nature and innovation throughout cultures across the globe. When displayed via function it becomes undeniably evident that humankind have faced and overcome the same struggles regardless of political or geographical divisions. Those struggles, wether they're survivalist or celebratory in nature, are unifying for mankind, as the Pitt Rivers Museum demonstrates.
Later on we strolled through one of Oxford's many vast meadows and enjoyed a home-packed lunch of ham, tomato and lettuce sandwiches, a refreshing kale salad, and organic apples. We then meandered through the quaint city streets before finding a tea room to rest and enjoy yet more cake in.
After a delectable Victoria Sponge it was time for more exploration! We made our way down to the Oxford University Botanic Garden, which was just coming into bloom with the spring season. Founded in 1621 with the mission 'To promote the furtherance of learning and to glorify nature' the garden is approaching its 400th anniversary! We lingered in the sun-warmed greenhouse where we were safe from the afternoon's forceful winds. We lounged lazily for some time in the glass house of flowers, marvelling at the colour, fragrance, and determination of the blossoms and vines around us.
We finished our day by dining in a hidden 16th century Tudor style lodge which boasted traditional Thai cuisine, the first James tasted. As our long day of frolicking came to a close, an exhausted Jeordy and James welcomed sleep on the swift train ride home. Dreamy Oxford, with its pastel painted buildings and well-aged bricks echoes cheerfully in our minds. It surely does the same for all who visit!
