Today as part of our program, we took an hour train for a day trip to Oxford. While most people might be excited to see such a prestigious institution, which has provided the world with some of the brightest minds for centuries, I was more anxious to see some of the places where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. Shows you a little insight to my priorities, doesn’t it?
When we got to the city of Oxford, we walked from the train station through some of the main streets. It’s a really cool little city, which actually feels more like a large town. Throughout the city you can see Oxford University’s buildings and parts of the campus. Oxford University is made up of 30 individual colleges. Each is it’s own entity, but students who are enrolled in each are considered Oxford students, and graduate with the same name on their degree. Each college varies by subject or interest area. As part of our trip to Oxford, we got a tour of Jesus College. This is actually the college that Lawrence of Arabia attended during his time in Oxford.
This specific college was nothing like I imagined Oxford being like. It was pretty small, and while it was beautiful, it seemed like any other institution. I kind of felt like a senior in high school again going on a college visit, and when I think back that seems like it was a lifetime ago. After that tour, we went to Christ Church, which is the site where some of the first two Harry Potter films were filmed. This to me, was exactly what I pictured Oxford to look like. It was prestigious and historical and it’s pretty obvious why parts of Hogwarts are modeled after it. When we walked inside, we passed the staircase where Harry waits before entering into the school for the first time and where he goes to see the flashback of Tom Riddle’s diary in the flashback in the Chamber of Secrets. We walked the stairs and into the dining hall of Christ Church, which is the scene of the Great Hall in Hogwarts. This room was really cool, and full of large portraits on the wall. It was actually a little weird to see the pictures not moving around in their frames!
We left the Great Hall and walked through Christ Church’s campus, which is where Harry and his friends learn to fly their brooms in the first movie. I’m not sure what’s sadder, the fact that I know so much about Harry Potter or that you as the reader/movie-watcher know exactly what I’m talking about. From there, we walked through Christ Church’s historical cathedral. The cathedral was an amazing building. But most of us in our group spent very little time actually admiring it because it was completely overshadowed by our love from Harry Potter. It’s funny how I care more about a random staircase at Oxford than such a beautiful and historical cathedral. J.K. Rowling has changed the way the world looks at so many places in the United Kingdom!
After Christ Church, we broke from the group and walked around the city. Chris and I walked through some of the back streets to get a better picture of what the city looked like. We stumbled on this park; as we walked through, we saw some guys playing Cricket. It actually ended up being the Oxford team practicing. We stood by the field and watched a few of the Bowlers (pitchers) throw the ball. It was a very cool experience. We continued on our way and ate some lunch at a little pub nearby. At 3:30PM, we met back up with our group to have high tea. We sat at a long table and each ordered our respective teas. I got the Peppermint Tea, which when combined with a little bit of brown sugar, ended up tasting amazing. When the waiter put the teapots on the table, I asked him why they were so short and stout. He didn’t get my little joke. He poured me my first cup, and as I held the tea, I made sure to lift my pinky and ring fingers off the handle. While this is something I probably wouldn’t do at home, I’m really glad we did it here. After the tea, we stopped by a pub to grab a drink before taking the train back. In general, I loved Oxford. To me, it helped to round out my British experience and get away from the hustle and bustle of London.
One of Oxford's building
Love the outfit, but they didn't have it in my size
The streets were narrow and charming
Jesus College
The Chapel in Jesus College
The library in Jesus College, which was full of leather-bound books that were hundreds of years old.
Christ Church
Christ Church
Do these hallways look familiar to you? A lot of Wash U is modeled after Oxford
The Staircase in Harry Potter!
The courtyard where Harry learns to fly!
The staircase in Harry Potter and entrance to the Great Hall.
Inside the Great Hall
Look at all the portraits in the background
Jodi, Chris, and I on the stairs to the great hall. Emma Watson has stood here, no big deal
Inside Christ Church's Cathedral
Inside Christ Church's Cathedral
Inside Christ Church's Cathedral
Inside Christ Church's Cathedral
Just a huge tree that was on display
Cricket practice
Bowlers on the Oxford Cricket team
The scoreboard and sitting area for the Cricket matches
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