On Day 2 of our trip, we headed to Oxford. It was Mothering Sunday in the UK as well as the start of British Summer Time (Daylight Savings Time). We rushed to worship at St. Ebbe's (http://www.stebbes.org.uk/history-st-ebbes) and made it just in time for the kids to go to their own special time. We enjoyed a lovely service and sermon before heading on our way to lunch. Joey is going to do a separate post on all the sites we saw that had to do with C.S. Lewis. For now, I'll include a sweet picture of me and the boys enjoying our Mothering Sunday lunch at The Eagle and Child. C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien famously gathered at this pub to discuss their writings. We sat in the room where they used to meet and enjoyed seeing pictures and memorabilia from their time in Oxford.
There was a beautiful garden and we enjoyed wandering around taking some pictures.
Outside the Chapel, we found a sculpture of Tolkien created by his daughter-in-law as a tribute to Tolkien for his time spent studying at Exeter College.
A hallmark of our trip and one of the secrets to our success was well-timed treats for the boys. So, as energy waned, we headed to the Covered Market and our first taste of Ben's Cookies. Several of our friends that spent time at Oxford have a special place in their hearts for this little bakery booth and it did not disappoint.
delicious lunch of fish and chips and chicken pie
Across the street, we found St. John's College. Oxford is comprised of 38 small colleges that all make up the larger Oxford University. Each college has its own building, chapel, garden and space for students. St. John's is free and open to the public so we decided to explore inside and see our first college.
Joseph snapped this picture of us and captured a classic James' expression.
walking through the courtyard
the Chapel at St. John's
After St. John's, we headed towards town and to a must-do on Joey's list: Blackwell's bookstore. The main store opened its doors in 1879 and houses 250,000 books! The boys and I explored the kids' section while Joey picked up a few books for himself.
like father, like son
Our next stop was to meet and spend time with some friends of friends from the Trinity Forum Academy, where Joey spent a year after he finished college. We met Syman, Mary Catherine, and their daughter Laney at Exeter College, where Syman is finishing up his PhD before heading back to the States to work as the Executive Director of the Academy. The boys loved running around the garden with Laney. They were fast friends and had a blast exploring, eating snacks and reading books. The adults chatted in the college garden, one of a handful of places in the colleges where you can walk on the grass. Before we left, they showed us the chapel.
beautiful chapel at Exeter College
A hallmark of our trip and one of the secrets to our success was well-timed treats for the boys. So, as energy waned, we headed to the Covered Market and our first taste of Ben's Cookies. Several of our friends that spent time at Oxford have a special place in their hearts for this little bakery booth and it did not disappoint.
taking a break in the Covered Market
Exeter College has a beautiful view of the Radcliffe Camera from the wall of the garden but we decided to head there after our treat and see it up close. The Radcliffe Camera is home to the Radcliffe Science Library. It was built in 1737 with funds from a donation left by Dr. John Radcliffe.
the absolutely stunning Radcliffe Camera
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