We woke up this morning and made our way to Oxford. Before we left though, Amanda stopped by and asked me a few questions about the trip. She was hesitant at first about going because she wasn't sure or not if we were going to go by the Eagle and Child (the pub where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would often sit around and chat). So, I went and checked with Dr. Ross and he assured me we were, so Amanda decided to go. Anyhow, we walked down to Euston Square station, rode over to Baker Street, then got aboard the X90 and were off to Oxford. Of course, for me this was the second time in a week, but I really like Oxford so that's all right.
We arrived in good time yet again, and immediately went to the streets and started looking around. Dr. Ross took us all around the main city of Oxford, showing us the different colleges and historic places. We stopped in the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and looked looked at the amazing architecture and cityscape that makes up Oxford. By the way, although most people think of Oxford the university, it is important to remember that Oxford University is made up of 39 individual colleges which are spread out across the city. They are also highly competitive. After look around a bit we made our way to a place called the Turf Tavern (or just "The Turf" to the students), which was a neat looking little pub.
We then made our way to the Eagle and Child. It was a quaint, nice English pub. We all sat down and ordered our meals and let me just go ahead and say: I have tasted perhaps the single greatest food in the British recipe book. It is called: Steak and Ale Pie. If words could describe just how awesome this meal was, I would use them. It was as if God's chef reached down from Heaven and placed this exquisite culinary masterpiece before me. Alex also ate it and he will verify my claims. Upon eating the steak and ale pie I was immediately moved to divine and celestial places as the taste of steak, gravy, potatoes, peas, carrots, broccoli, and the delightful crust went cascading across my pallet. I apologize for trying to sound so poetic, but this stuff was really, really good.
After enjoying that fine meal we headed over to Christ College, one of the colleges at Oxford. Men such as John Locke, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland), William Pitt, and Charles and John Wesley were schooled. Christ Church was an amazing example of beautiful architecture with astounding ceilings, breathtaking stain-glass windows, and a general feeling of majesty. I was incredibly impressed.
Upon finished at Christ Church we went back to the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and several of us climbed the narrow staircase up to the very top where we managed to capture several marvelous views of the city of Oxford. It was a beautiful time of day (the sky was actually blue!) and one could see for quite a ways. Once we had climbed back down, we boarded the X90 and made our way back to London. I am now about to eat a bit of dinner then probably go to bed early. Anjelica and I are leaving for York tomorrow and we'll have quite a busy day. Now, there are two other things I wish to make mention of.
First, tomorrow is the second anniversary of the London train bombings. I would like to ask that everyone please be in prayer for the families of those who lost loved ones on that day, that God would comfort them and bring them peace, as well as they would forgive those who transgressed against them on that day. I would also like to mention yet again: I will be in York all day. My train will not get back to London until around 8:00 p.m., which means I probably will not get back until around 9:00 p.m. If I do not post or respond to e-mails tomorrow, don't be surprised because I'll be very tired. Also, keep in mind that terrorists like to attack on special dates, and all things considered, tomorrow would be a preferred date for them to attack. I will have my phone card on me and if something happens, I'll try to stay up to date and call in if I can. But if I do not, do not be alarmed or panicked or anything like that. Pray and know that God is in control and that I will do my best to be in contact.
Second, let me explain now why I will never use American Express ever again. First, traveler's checks cost me $15 just to get them. Second, it is next to impossible to find anywhere over here that will cash them without charging a fee and as far as I'm concerned, I paid all necessary fees when I paid my $15. The only places that will cash them are either the American Express offices or a special type of bank. Well, banker's hours in England aren't any different from banker's hours in America, so if you need to cash a traveler's check after about 3:00 in the afternoon, you might as well forget it. Also, amazingly, the American Express offices like to close at around 6:00 as well. Now, excuse me, but I was under the impression that the entire point to even dealing with the crooks at American Express was because they were convenient and provided some sort of safety net. Granted, if I lost a traveler's check at 1:00 a.m. I could call them and get it replaced whenever an office opened, but what if I need to cash one at a time other than 8-5? I'm sorry, but with the rate they charge and the hassle that goes into just cashing their checks, it really is not worth it. Wachovia does not charge much to just use an ATM over here, and there are ATMs everywhere and they are accessible at all times. Just a word to the wise if you ever travel to London: don't waste your time dealing with American Express.
Now that I've gotten that off of my chest, here is a link to pictures from Oxford:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page3/
P.S. Thanks for reading my rant about American Express. I plan to actually send it to them once my trip is through.
P.P.S. I received a letter in the mail from my grandmother today, which was quite nice to read. I really need to send some letters to some folks back home, and I apologize to any of you reading this who I have not written to yet. By the way, the Tour de France began today (or sort of began today) here in London. I accidentally stumbled on it while I was wondering around Piccadilly Circus for two hours trying to find an American Express office. A few quick notes about that. First, there were a lot of people at the beginning of the Tour de France, and it was very unimpressive. Even other people that I have spoken to about it said it was not worth checking out. Second, the police here in London are incredibly friendly. Even though most of them have a horrible sense of direction (as none of them gave me good directions), they are still very friendly. Third, I the train traffic here yesterday and today has been awful. A train derailed yesterday on the Central line and so all of the other lines are backed up. Today we had to experience the smell of B.O. in a crowded train car. But, it seems our experience wasn't too bad, as Molly told me about an old man farting on the train car they were riding on and the hilarious reaction of the British passengers. These Brits sure are funny.
