Contrary to the popular belief that England and Italy are actually pretty close, it took me about 12 hours round trip to get there. After trains and buses to Milan, a flight into London, and more buses, I finally arrived last Thursday night (or should I say Friday morning?). Funny enough, it wasn't the driving on the wrong side of the road that had me most confused in my zombie-like state on Thursday night, but it was actually the English that gave me the most trouble. I found myself having to catch my Italian words before they left my mouth, and I was even struggling for words while talking to the Oxford Tube driver. Really, really weird feeling.
So anyway, after a little sleep Abby and I headed out the next morning to the Ashmolyan Museum, where we had an appointment in their print room. As in, we got to go sit in the private print room for free where the print curator literally placed original sketches, studies, and prints done by Michelangelo and Raphael in front of us. I have to say, I think seeing the practice rounds for the Sistine Chapel figures is actually cooler than the real thing.
The rest of the day we spent walking around Oxford and seeing the different colleges. In other words, I felt like I was in some strange combination of Boston and Harry Potter. And speaking of which, one of the trip highlights was definitely the hall of Christ Church college, which was filmed as the Great Hall of Hogwarts in the movies! And students actually eat there, and eat in halls like this. I was a guest at Abby's formal dinner on Sunday, where I really did have to dress up and there were actually teachers who sat up at a high table at the end of the hall and some students were actually wearing these scholar's robes which looked a little too much like Harry Potter wizard robes (I swear this wasn't just my imagination).
So anyway, rather than a play-by-play, here are things that were fantastic about England:
1. NATURE. Thank god they love gardens and "grounds". A couple of the colleges had these beautiful grounds with paths, and so we went on tons of walks. Abby's room is actually right on the Thames, which with the fall leaves and wildlife was so gorgeous to walk by. Also, they have animals: ducks, cows, deer, geese...you have to understand that Bologna is a city without grass and only pigeons and dogs. Seriously, not even a squirrel. Needless to say, thank god I finally could see some grass and breath some fresh air.
2. Tea. Or more specifically, High Tea. Seriously, who invented this? It's completely brilliant. First of all, I think I drank more cups of tea a day in my weekend at Oxford than I have in my whole life. But the highlight was certainly when we actually had tea time and went to High Tea on Saturday afternoon. Where, for about 5 pounds each, we each got a pot of tea with milk and sugar and two huge, soft, warm oatmeal scones with butter and strawberry jam. Honestly, Italy really misses on the warm, gooey baked goods thing. But England knows what's up. Therefore, I have decided I am bring tea time back to the US with me. I will not be stopped...and of course you are all invited.
3. "Cheers". This is such a great expression, and is surprisingly applicable to so much. And it makes an already excessively polite group of people just seem more polite, and also extremely charming.
4. Campus. So ok, this is slightly more Oxford specific, but that is one thing I really miss and that I don't have here in Bologna. The colleges of Oxford not only have lots of college pride, but they are close with each other and actually DO things that the college offers (like formal dinners, etc). Plus Abby's college, Hertford, had this amazing study room and tea room with fire places, cushy chairs, newspapers, and (of course) tons of tea. Perfect place to study, hang out, hold events, the whole nine yards. And at a school as big as Bologna, which is also a commuter school and doesn't have this same sort of built campus, I have to say that I do miss campus life a lot after seeing the coziness of the Oxford halls.
So overall I had a fantastic weekend, though in some ways it felt a bit like an American escape - English-speakers, Starbucks and take-away coffee...it certainly felt closer to home. Which makes me realize, and I think appreciate more, just how different Italy and the culture here is to me.
One final anecdote - I caught the Oxford-London coach this morning at 3 am, and though I was definitely bleary-eyed, I had one of the best solo travel experiences yet. It happens that a large part of the trip to the London train station is actually IN London - meaning that this morning I got a full and unexpected tour, in which I saw Hyde Park, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, and the ferris wheel on the Thames. So I think I'll have to go back and see it all in broad daylight.
Pictures to come soon on flickr! Cheers!
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