By the time my class had arrived in Oxford, I was absolutely exhausted (transcontinental flight + coach ride to Oxford = very sleep Stanley) but we had to get moving. We were allowed to wander around on our own before a quick tour of Oxford, so my good friend Cedric The Gnome and I decided to grab some lunch first. We were hoping to eat at the historic/infamous The Eagle and Child pub, but it was closed! Fortunately, we found a place right next door that served pretty darn good food. After grabbing some sandwiches, we decided to simply meander around Oxford for awhile. It's exactly what you would picture a town in England to be like - narrow streets, historic looking places, quaint shops - it was gorgeous. But, before we knew it, it was time for our tour around Oxford.
It was an okay tour - we walked by a lot of buildings instead of going into them, so it started to get a little boring after awhile. However, if you're a Harry Potter fan at all, Oxford is a must see. We got to go inside the infamous "Great Hall" that's located inside King's College, plus there were a billion other places that the guide pointed out as we walked by "This was used to film the library, this was used to film this scene," etc. etc. I've read all the books myself and have seen most of the movies, so that part was interesting.
The Great Hall
My friend, Cedric The Gnome, and I sitting down for a meal in the Great Hall
However, I was more interested in the literary/historical connections. Some of my favorites? Seeing the area that inspired much of Alice in Wonderland (the tree that inspired the Chesire's cat tree is still standing for your viewing pleasure, and we learned that the REAL Alice actually had black hair. No one really knows where this blond business comes from). I was also curious as to why Oxford was seemingly spared during WW2 when so many other important parts of England were bombed to smithereens (Coventry was one of our stops - literally a phoenix rising out of the ashes). As our tour guide informed us, Hitler specifically avoided bombing Oxford because he had planned on using it as his headquarters once he won the war. Oxford was also fairly infamous for it's flip-flopping during the "Are we Catholic or are we Anglican" war that Henry VIII started. They just went with the flow, and many of it's religious buildings were spared for it.
After the tour we packed up and headed straight to Stratford-Upon-Avon aka Shakespeare Central! I was so excited for this because, as an English major, Billy Shakespeare is one of my favorite peeps. We spent two nights here, and it was fabulous. Not only did we get to explore all of Shakespeare's old hang outs (his birth house, Anne Hathaway's house, etc. etc.) we saw where he was buried, and we saw a fabulous rendition of King Lear performed by the RSC. AMAZING. As an extra surprise, our professors had the actor who played Lear come and eat dinner with us afterwards at The Dirty Duck (also knows as The Black Swan). It was beyond amazing. If you call yourself an Anglophile at all, Stratford-Upon-Avon is a must.
Cedric and I at Shakespeare's grave
Just chillin with Shakespeare and his muses
Oxford, England
Where to eat...
The Green Cafe
http://www.greenscafe.co.uk
Stanley rating: ***
At first I was so disappointed that The Eagle and Child pub was closed, but this place (right next door!) turned out to be pretty good. They had a variety of wraps and sandwiches and drinks.
Recommended eats: The free-range chicken wrap with mango chutney
What to see...
Tour of Oxford's campus
Stanley rating: ***
For the most part it was interesting, but it was long and could get a little boring at times. I do not recommend taking this tour if you're still a little jet-lagged.
Stratford-Upon-Avon, England:
Where to eat...
The Dirty Duck (aka The Black Swan)
Stanley rating: ****
I ate here two nights; the first night was not as good. It was buffet style, but it was mainly a bunch of American food (onion rings, chicken fingers, etc.) when I was hoping it would be more English pub food. The second night, however, was delicious! Soup, fish and chips, and a wonderful lemon concoction for dessert.
Recommended eats: Fish and chips
As You Like It Cafe
Stanley rating: ***
Great place to stop for a light lunch or snack. Right down the street from the Shakespeare Birthplace. Has good sandwiches, friendly service, and great treats available!
Recommended eats: The cupcakes! (Any of the grilled sandwiches are also good)
What to see...
If you like Shakespeare or historical things, just take it all in! The tour of Shakespeare's various properties (along with his final resting place) is a lot of fun. They've done a great job keeping the properties maintained, and you can learn a lot about this infamous man. If you're short on time, I'd definitely recommend Anne Hathaway's house and the actual birthplace. If you have time, catch a show! It's Shakespeare's birthplace - the theatre is practically guaranteed to be great!
Happy travels!
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