Tourist, Not a Student (Day 2)

So I woke up on the second day with a clear mission… find a store with bath towels. That was actually a mission from the previous day, but I never found one. Who knew towels would be so difficult to find! When I told my twin (Hi Steph) about this issue, she stressed the importance of completing this mission TODAY. In her own words, "First impressions are everything an a smelly un-bathed one isn't the best...  trust me, I know." 

As I trekked out bright and early, I met Katherine, my neighbor who's in her 3rd and final year at Mansfield. There are 6 of us on a floor. Me, Katherine, and apparently an American guy whom I have never seen and whom Katherine has never spoken to are the only ones moved in so far. We all share a kitchen, a shower room, and a toilet room. Katherine suggested I find Boswells for towels, and gave me directions how to get there. Those of you who know me know how capable I am of following directions even in a place I am familiar with. So, I set out without a clue where I was going!

Despite the pressing nature of my mission, I wasn't really in much of a rush. I gave myself until the end of the day to get the job done, so like a typical tourist, I explored the streets with camera in hand.

Typical tourist photo...

I was slightly confused about which places I could and could not go, and it was only the second day, so I wasn’t too adventurous with trying to find unlocked doors and whatnot. Especially when you saw signs like this one…

Or my favorite...

One of the first places I went in, other than my accommodation and a grocery/department store, was St. Mary's Church, the official Church of Oxford University since the 1200s. These pictures don't do it justice. 

Kneelers 

Yes, this was in the Church. The sign goes into the hunting activities of the snowy owl and ends with "And owls are the sorcerer's companion: Hedwig was a Snowy." 

There was also a tower with an incredible view of Oxford for those willing to pay the fee. Curse my stingy nature! I regretted not doing it the minute I left, so when I explored St. Michael's Church, I was quick to cough up the fee for their Saxon Tower, which is nearly 1,000 years old! 

Going up the tower

360 view at the top of the tower

There were even drawn maps of the skyline labeling the buildings so you knew what you were looking at!

You could write prayers to share when the prayer group meets (every week?). I left my own and browsed through the ones already shared. My favorite was clearly, based on the handwriting, written by a youngin'. "To stop all war and for people to be friends and never die :) That will make me happy."

By the time I had finished exploring the two churches, I forgot the name of the store that I needed for towels! The woman working the giftshop in St. Michaels gave me a map and directed me to some locations where towels may be sold. I had remembered Katherine saying something about the covered market in her directions, so I headed there. I'd heard all about it from my advisor at Dickinson, but for some reason, it had never actually occurred to me that it is, in fact, a covered market.  I was picturing an outside market! It's absolutely wonderful with new things around every corner. 

Pigeons enjoy walking through as well. Some prefer flying though...

I went back for more later in the week. These cookies are so good! White chocolate is my favorite thus far, but I've also had the ginger and chocolate chip! 

I played a guessing game with a few old British women about what the design the bakers in the cake shop window were making for a cake! Turned out to be DJ equipment, for the record (pun intended).

They had various adorable tiny cakes for special occasions. Thanks for walking the dog, and for looking after the dog, the post, and the rabbit just to name a few!

Again, I asked a shop owner about towels and she told me Boswells. That's what it was called! She even drew a route on my map. No way I'd get lost now! Right? As I hit the streets again, I saw a ton of street performers... singers, musicians, and fire jugglers. Although this young girl attracted the biggest crowd, and for good reason! 

Yeah, I can't even do a normal hand stand on the ground!

I was also told Blackwell's Bookshop is a must see. I happen to stumble upon it on my quest for towels, and it certainly met expectations! 

Looks small from the outside, but you would be shocked by what's inside! 

The Norrington Room alone, in the basement has more than 160,000 books and over 3 miles of shelving. There are a total of 4 floors by the way.

The entirety of Alice in Wonderland and Beowulf on one page each. They also had one for The Hobbit and The Great Gatsby. 

I really liked this mug! 

Holywells Music Room, the oldest Concert Hall in Europe! Another must see!

In case you were wondering, no, I hadn't forgotten about the towels. Yes, I was still looking, unsuccessfully. But at that point, I was more concerned about food than towels. For lunch I went up to a little food stand selling filled corn pastries and asked for their most popular one... traditional - beef, potatoes, and onions. It was so good! The streets just smelled so good with all the food places. 

Finally I found Boswells! It is huge and they sell everything! I got my towels and some other essentials. Mission for the day accomplished! When I arrived back at my room I was greeted with a lovely email with a list of my 6 tutors for the year! They all seem extremely well qualified and I can't wait to get started working with them! 

When I first told people I was arriving at Oxford on the 23rd of Sept. when orientation doesn't start until October 5th, everyone always asked why I was going to early! These past few days, I was not an Oxford student (other than the student discounts and entrance to restricted areas like the Radcliffe camera!). I was a tourist, in every sense of the word!  I need this week for trial and error, getting lost, and figuring out budgets. There is something so incredibly freeing about waking up and just going outside and exploring! There are still so many things to see! The next mission... getting a bike!