Getting to Oxford 23/5 and 24/5

It is hard to tell where one day ends and another starts when you are travelling.  The times changes somewhere, the food arrives, you try to sleep, you cry your way through movies and more movies ... Well, that's how I do it anyway.

We made it to Oxford via Melbourne and Abu Dhabi with Ben.  We didn't sleep much.  We felt sick by the time we got here (as usual).  It was good to get to bed last night and have a sleep.  We made it to 8pm before we dropped into bed.

Highlights of the trip were:

• painted pandas at Melbourne Airport

Trev acting like a panda

cute one for Regina

• Travelling with Ben  (much nicer to have someone you know and love in both the seats you are next to) 
• smoking rooms at Abu Dhabi!!

• The food was OK on the flights (Etihad) 
• Our bags made it in one piece (all of them) and undamaged. - I always consider this to be a miracle.
• A pleasant roadside stop for refreshment - and a lovely little english lake to look at with huge fish and yellow irises growing along the sides of it.

the guys on their stag party are just leaving in the background (with inflatable doll) as Trev and Ben ponder the fish in the lake. 

• SEEING THOM AND LAURA (Biggest highlight) 
• a lovely walk along the canals and rivers to give Ben a look at Oxford and to keep us all awake.

canal rules

lovely studio overlooking the canal.  I could sit and write poetry here I think. 

allotments - established during the war for people to grow what they needed in order to live. Thriving at this time of year. 

Port Meadow

Girls who had been "trashed" after their final exams were just finished taking a swim at the swimming hole to wash off the worst of the silly string, food, shaving cream etc. and getting back into their black Oxford gowns

 Apparently you wear a white carnation to your first exam, pink ones in the middle exams and a red one to your last exam.  Then when people see the red carnation they can congratulate you (your friends can also trash you)

This tree looked like it had spider webs all over it - the fine white mesh is hanging on the tree. see pictures below. 

beautiful blue irises beside the canal

• A brief tour through Oxford streets (because why not)  - including the Bodleian library with it's amazing ancient stonework and doors

• Dinner at the college (informal) so we saw the inside of that amazing dining hall all over again).
• Giving Thom his Christmas present from Grandma (Aussie chocolates are not the same as English ones) Aussie are better.

Enjoying Aussie chocolate - note the HSS gift quilt in the background - still in constant use. 

It is great to see the place in the spring.  The land is so lush and green with plants growing crazily.  Especially in contrast to our land with the crops just trying so hard to take hold with the tiny rain that we have had in oz... This world is such a contrast!