We finally discovered University Parks the other day too, making the most of the sunshine. It's a big sports fields/park/river area really close to the science part of the university where I spend my days. Here are the rest of the photos.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Springy spring spring spring!
From snow to sunshine! We've had the most glorious weather here over the last week, although it's starting to get a bit cloudier and cooler again now - it doesn't want to trick us into thinking that we'll actually get a summer... But, while all the blossoms started appearing it was absolutely magnificent. I can't get over how it all suddenly bursts into life at exactly the same time! The clumps of daffodils everywhere are stunning, as are all the trees completely covered in flowers. We just don't have anything like it at home!
We finally discovered University Parks the other day too, making the most of the sunshine. It's a big sports fields/park/river area really close to the science part of the university where I spend my days. Here are the rest of the photos.
We finally discovered University Parks the other day too, making the most of the sunshine. It's a big sports fields/park/river area really close to the science part of the university where I spend my days. Here are the rest of the photos.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
(Finally!) some photos of the snow
Having not yet managed to transport all my files over from my nearly dead old laptop to my bright, spanking, amazing, lovely, so fast I can't believe it, incredible in every way new laptop, I realised that I forgot to put up the photos from February online.
We had a HUGE dump of snow here in Oxford in February and I went a bit crazy taking photos of everything I could see! We made a fantastic snowman in Port Meadow, but those photos are still on Adrian's camera (which he has taken away with him on holiday obviously so I'll have to add them to the album at a later date).
We had a HUGE dump of snow here in Oxford in February and I went a bit crazy taking photos of everything I could see! We made a fantastic snowman in Port Meadow, but those photos are still on Adrian's camera (which he has taken away with him on holiday obviously so I'll have to add them to the album at a later date).
The other photos are of Duncan's visit to Oxford and our excursion to Christ Church college.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, 23 March 2009
The Bathers come to visit
The other weekend we had Henry and Sonja come and visit us from Bath. Oxford was gracious enough to put on a good show and we were able to spend most of the weekend out and about enjoying the lovely spring weather. We’ve also been rather sneaky in attempting to spread out all the touristy things in Oxford so that we always have something new to do when visitors come. Our evil master plan has been working out just fine so this time Sonja got to go up to the top of St Mary’s Church with me and Henry got to watch the SJC MCR football team in their victorious final league-winning match (well, it was a draw but they ended up winning the league anyway...). St Mary’s is a stunning gothic church in the middle of town and it was great to head up and see the views over lots of the colleges. I had no idea that sundials were such a predominant feature so I think I will have to make a comparative study so I can actually work out how to read them all!
I took them on a tour of St John’s as well (once all the kerfuffle over the Thai Prime Minister’s visit died down – we’re in pretty good company of some illustrious personages here!). Sonja pointed out to me in the little garden to the side of the library that there was some flax, a kowhai and even a feijoa tree!! There must be a New Zealander on the gardening staff... I was very excited about the whole feijoa thing until Sonja told me that you need a boy and a girl plant to have fruit. I think I’ll have to find that NZer and see if there are any extra stocks they can plant somewhere! Henry, as a good architecture student, also pointed out all sorts of interesting architectural elements in college that I would never have noticed before, and I now know the difference between all the brick types (just don’t quiz me on it!).
Lisa’s flat had an early St Patrick’s day party which was great fun on Saturday night and we managed to find some interesting beer from the Grog Shop down the road (I kid you not, that is it’s actual name) to celebrate with. Not exactly Irish, but I think the chilli beer with a massive whole chilli inside it was my definite favourite.
The following day we met up with two of Sonja’s friends from Wellington (one of whom is in some of my classes! Small world...) and went for a big long walk in Port Meadow. I’ve talked about that before, but it’s a big common area of mainly pasture near to our house. We walked along the Thames path up to the pub at the other end and joined the throngs of Oxfordonians (or Oxfordites? I will have to find that one out) who were out enjoying the spring weather. It was even warm enough for shorts and t-shirts!
I took lots of photos, so check them out.
I took them on a tour of St John’s as well (once all the kerfuffle over the Thai Prime Minister’s visit died down – we’re in pretty good company of some illustrious personages here!). Sonja pointed out to me in the little garden to the side of the library that there was some flax, a kowhai and even a feijoa tree!! There must be a New Zealander on the gardening staff... I was very excited about the whole feijoa thing until Sonja told me that you need a boy and a girl plant to have fruit. I think I’ll have to find that NZer and see if there are any extra stocks they can plant somewhere! Henry, as a good architecture student, also pointed out all sorts of interesting architectural elements in college that I would never have noticed before, and I now know the difference between all the brick types (just don’t quiz me on it!).
Lisa’s flat had an early St Patrick’s day party which was great fun on Saturday night and we managed to find some interesting beer from the Grog Shop down the road (I kid you not, that is it’s actual name) to celebrate with. Not exactly Irish, but I think the chilli beer with a massive whole chilli inside it was my definite favourite.
The following day we met up with two of Sonja’s friends from Wellington (one of whom is in some of my classes! Small world...) and went for a big long walk in Port Meadow. I’ve talked about that before, but it’s a big common area of mainly pasture near to our house. We walked along the Thames path up to the pub at the other end and joined the throngs of Oxfordonians (or Oxfordites? I will have to find that one out) who were out enjoying the spring weather. It was even warm enough for shorts and t-shirts!
I took lots of photos, so check them out.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Dancing with the stars
We’ve been learning to ballroom dance for several weeks now and at our last class we were asked if we would be available that weekend to go up to Blackpool to help out as volunteers at the University DanceSport Championships. It’s the biggest event of the year for all the uni teams and this year it was taking place at the Winter Gardens, a big venue in the middle of town.
The volunteering itself was a bit intense, as the day lasted from 8am to midnight (we didn’t know that it would be longer than working hours), but it was great to see the standard that we’re attempting to get up to! I think we’d actually need to practice rather than saying we were going to if we ever want to impress anyone...
We managed to escape a couple of times during the day for some food and to see a bit of Blackpool, but the following morning we had a few hours before the drive back to explore. It was great to be wandering around in the morning with hardly anyone else up (it was Sunday morning in a big party town so that wasn’t surprising!) and the tide was low so we could explore under the pier and all along the beach. It was brilliant to be by the sea again – even though Blackpool’s beach doesn’t really rate compared to NZ beaches!
The most fun was going to the pier though; we were the first on the Ferris wheel and laughed ourselves silly at the funny faces to stick your head through. We also spent £4 (although I was totally suckered in and would have spent a fortune!) on the dart throwing – man, those guys are good at what they do! We came away with two of the very cheapest toys, but they are some of the best airplane toys I’ve seen and have provided us with endless hours of amusement!
Check out the rest of the photos.
The volunteering itself was a bit intense, as the day lasted from 8am to midnight (we didn’t know that it would be longer than working hours), but it was great to see the standard that we’re attempting to get up to! I think we’d actually need to practice rather than saying we were going to if we ever want to impress anyone...
We managed to escape a couple of times during the day for some food and to see a bit of Blackpool, but the following morning we had a few hours before the drive back to explore. It was great to be wandering around in the morning with hardly anyone else up (it was Sunday morning in a big party town so that wasn’t surprising!) and the tide was low so we could explore under the pier and all along the beach. It was brilliant to be by the sea again – even though Blackpool’s beach doesn’t really rate compared to NZ beaches!
The most fun was going to the pier though; we were the first on the Ferris wheel and laughed ourselves silly at the funny faces to stick your head through. We also spent £4 (although I was totally suckered in and would have spent a fortune!) on the dart throwing – man, those guys are good at what they do! We came away with two of the very cheapest toys, but they are some of the best airplane toys I’ve seen and have provided us with endless hours of amusement!
Check out the rest of the photos.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Bits and bobs from January
Here are some photos from around the place in January. The day we got back from New York we went to the pantomime in Oxford with Lisa which was absolutely brilliant (altogether now: 'Boots and cats and boots and cats!') and we had a whole heap of snow which was so much fun. We built a snowman out on Port Meadow (named Edward Lucas) who was taller than the both of us and had devil horns! I hope he's enjoying himself now in the big snowman heaven in the sky...
I went to Stowe Landscape Gardens with my class (to discuss issues around nature conservation etc. etc.) and we also headed down to London for a night out for Duncan's birthday.
I went to Stowe Landscape Gardens with my class (to discuss issues around nature conservation etc. etc.) and we also headed down to London for a night out for Duncan's birthday.
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