As you may know, I have spent the past month double-abroad. (i.e. away from the U.S.A., and away from England. AT THE SAME TIME.) If you weren't aware of this fact, perhaps it is because you were busy doing important things like celebrating the holidays, which coincidentally, probably did not involve staying at sketchy inns, fraternizing with nine-fingered drunks or being struck by lightning. (More on this later.)
Anyway, if you haven't the patience, capacity for procrastination, or vague interest in the AWESOME which are all required to read this blog, then I suggest you do something more productive. Like watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QspuCt1FM9M
I apologise if this post appears in several episodes, but there is simply too much action, tragedy, and photography to fit onto a single page, or into a single night, for that matter. So bear with me while I spin this woeful but life-affirming tale of travels.
The Girlfriend and I left on December 12th for Cambridge, England. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure any Couchsurfing accommodation, so we booked a quaint lil' hostel near the city centre. We arrived by train, (did I mention the fantabulous public transportation in Europe?) and stayed until the 14th, during which time we sufficiently explored the small college town.
Cambridge is a biking place. These people were intense: they hauled backpacks around, made intricate hand-signals, dressed up in shiny fabric, and shouted at you if you were in the way. It was pretty neato, and far less smog-y than most cities in England.
Mostly the Girlfriend and I did some sightseeing. We visited King's College and a couple of museums. Afterwards, we went shopping and made our meals in the hostel kitchen. Overall I'd say it was a good couple of days, as well as a good indicator of what the remainder of our trip would be like.
Church where we attended mass on Sunday
Closed History Museum. Awww. (Click to enlarge.)
Dinosaur head in the College Museum of Earth Sciences!
Plaster-cast statue in the Museum of Classical Archeology
Girlfriend being a poser
King's College!
Awesome tree near King's College
Girlfriend pretending to enjoy our third set of PB&J sandwiches.
Highlight of Cambridge: Visiting the renowned Cambridge University Press bookshop. So tasty.
Wasn't that exciting? I can feel your anticipation. Next we caught a coach bus to Oxford, England. It took about three hours or so, but hey, it was cheap. After unpacking in the AMAZINGLY COZY/elaborately decorated hostel, we decided to look around a bit. We soon discovered that this was going to be quite a pleasant visit. Over the next few days, (December 14th-16th), we immersed ourselves in the wealth of knowledge that Oxford had to offer. The museums, college life, and surrounding town created an altogether scholarly atmosphere (which we thoroughly appreciated.)
Eagle and Child: Pub where the Inklings met to discuss and share a pint
Girlfriend in The Eagle and Child
Letter which J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wrote to the bartender
praising him and his superior bar tending abilities
Ashmolean Museum: the oldest museum still in existence (and free, too!)
Stradivari collection at the Ashmolean
Blackwells: a bookstore with over 3 miles of shelves, and 160,000+ books
*sobs* It's so beautiful... (click to enlarge)
Exterior of the distinguished Oxford Library
River which ran through Oxford
We also visited the Oxford shopping scene, stopping in places like Alice's, which sold Alice and Wonderland paraphenelia. Apparently Lewis Carol wrote his masterpiece here in Oxford. Back at the hostel, the Girlfriend and I enjoyed some mulled wine and local beer before our long train ride to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Highlight of Oxford: Aside from the astounding book shops, I would say the discovery of Ramen Noodles as an alternative to sandwiches.
In general, I rather enjoyed the English towns we visited. We learned a lot at the *free* museums, and enjoyed much of the *literary* history surrounding the local life. On our journey we met quite a few students who studied or presented at the colleges. Hostels are great places to meet people interested in traveling. Yo.
Well guys, that's all for now. Don't look at me like that! I'm afraid that it'll take me a while to fully chronicle my exploits. With finals in the next few days, time management is of the utmost importance. In the meantime here is a preview of what is to come:
Who said snowmen had to be made of snow? NOBODY. THAT'S WHO.
Yep. So go peel some grapes or something while I sleep for hours. (Sleep. Mmmmm.) Never fear, though. I'll keep you posted. (Haha, get it? Posted? 'Cause this is a post?)
Next stop: Edinburgh, Scotland.
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