Keble College

Our time here is passing quickly, and we will be back in Ardmore in less than five weeks. Every day here has made some new memories, the little pieces of life that we can’t capture in pictures or in our blog. We don’t have a sound track, for example, so we can’t pass on the wide mix of languages that we hear every day on the street—Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, eastern European languages that we can’t identify, and of course Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Through the open window of our flat this evening, we can hear African drumming and the sound of field day games at the nearby meadow and park. Last Saturday during our walk, there was some type of graduation ceremony, and we were treated to the ringing of the bells at Magdalen College. (There are many graduation ceremonies—this city gives more degrees than a thermometer.)

We keep adding different colleges to our collection. (see July 12 post) Yesterday's was Keble College. This is officially the one that Phil is associated with, although he is physically working at the nearby science park and we had not actually been to the college grounds before.

Keble College Quad

Architecturally, Keble is very different from all of others. The walls are brick rather than stone, and have a complex mosaic of different colors—a red background with a crisscrossing yellow pattern, and a mixture of darker ones that appear black or dark blue, depending on the light. In addition, the quads are sunken, so that the buildings seem even taller.

Keble College Chapel

The chapel was being used for a wedding so we did not get inside to see its most famous (or hideous, according to some) art work, a painting called The Light of the World by the British artist William Holman Hunt. So we can save that for another day.

Library Card

If you're looking for exciting,riveting news from Oxford today, we're afraid you will be sadly disappointed. Today's post is of the everyday routine of life.

Running dangerously low on reading material, it occurred to Deb a few days ago that maybe--just maybe-- she could qualify for a library card. She was prepared to throw herself at the mercy of the Oxford Public Librarian and ask for some professional courtesy (no librarian worth her salt would abscond with another library's materials), but it didn't come to that. An easy online membership form produced a temporary card she could print out and use-- which we promptly did by renting a DVD of the British television series Inspector Morse, which is set in Oxford. Then, the very next day her official card arrived in the mail-- a sharp card with a photo of Oxford's stately Sheldonian Theater on it.



Before she was able to put her new minted card to use, we turned on the Oxford BBC radio station in time to hear that the Oxfordshire libraries were closed for the next two days. The librarians had gone on strike! They are hoping for 50 pence more per hour (equal to $1.00). Wanting to show solidarity with her comrades, Deb hasn't crossed the picket lines. But if she does, you'll hear it here.....

Sandford Lock

Sunday dawned virtually cloudless, so after church we decided to continue our exploration of the Thames footpath. (Click link for satellite map view)

We picked it up from the Donnington Bridge and headed south past Iffley, in search of the Sandford Lock. We noticed that the water level of the river had definitely increased from last week-- we were not surprised! Once we passed under the bridge of the ring road, the vistas were decidedly more rural. It appears that fishing season opened this week, however, because there were quite a few fishermen out, and we had never seen any before. Part of the path leads you away from the riverside and into a cow pasture, so it made for some interesting walking (dodging the cowpies). For the most part the walk was quite serene.

Thames River Footpath

About a mile and a half along, we began to see more activity along the river and realized that we were approaching the Sandford Lock. This lock is larger than the one at Iffley and the area was quite lively since there was a pub called The Kings Arms that was doing a lot of business (Everyone decided they needed to "dry out" in the sun).

Kings Arms Pub at Sandford-on-Thames

After staying to watch a few steamers full of tourists make their way through the lock, we headed back. Sustaining us on our Sunday hike was the knowledge that the Isis Tavern was up ahead, with promise of coffee and dessert. Last Sunday was drizzly so just a few tables were filled when we stopped for lunch with Ray, Linda & Claire, but this week every single picnic table in their huge yard was filled with folks enjoying time with friends and family. And yes, they still had that piece of chocolate cake I had been dreaming about.
--Deb