LoveTravelEngland
  • 2019 Trip Blog
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Oxford

Oxford is super easy to get to from the airport or London. We chose a bus trip straight from the airport. It took about 90 minutes.The bus was plush and comfortable and we nodded pleasantly off after being up all night on the plane. The driver figured out exactly where we needed to get off, and kindly made sure we didn't miss the stop. A true gentleman, he was.
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Of course, Oxford is a college town. It just happens to be eons old and steeped in cool history and architecture and pubs and shopping and tea shops and little lanes and passageways. Which takes it up to the level of sublime. Super sublime. 

Oxford actually has its own color: "Oxford Blue"

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We watched the guy paint this door and asked him how he got it so shiny. He explained his process, which has way more steps than we use when we paint our doors. The key, it seems, is to lightly sand the paint between coats. And to add a tad of mineral spirits to the paint. And to use oil-based paint. None of which we do. Which probably explains why my front door looks nowhere near as awesome as this one.

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The same shade of blue is used all over Oxford. Here it is on bulletin boards in a dorm room at University College, and on a university dorm door.
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See inside an oxford dorm room

Oxford pubs 

Judging by the number of pubs, there's quite a bit of drinking going on in Oxford. We were happy to join in. Here are a few of our favorites. 
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Read about: The Bear Inn
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Read about:The Eagle and Child
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Read about: The Turf Tavern 


​Oxford Gargoyles & Grotesques

It's a bit eery walking around Oxford under the disapproving eyes of these haughty creatures. What the heck is a "grotesque" anyway? I had to look it up. It means a decorative work that combines incongruous human and animal figures with scrolls, leaves, etc. OK. Now we know. 

You might care to know that the word gargoyle comes from our friends the French—from the wordgargouille, which means throat. Why might you care to know this? Because then you'll understand what these guys do (the gargoyles, not the French). They have a purpose. Gargoyles channel water from the stonework or gutter of a building and spew it out through through their mouth (like gargling). Neat, huh?
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Read a poem about gargoyles

Saturday 9/21

Land at Heathrow, train to paddington, train to Exeter, train to barnstaple, walk to The Old Vicarage—where we are staying until Thursday.
Have to remember how to read these boards.
Our room.
Love the bath!
First, tea in the garden.
After our tea we walk to the bus station to pick up bus schedules. Hop the 21 to Fremington, which is where we left off last time.
On the path.
Ha! Bob wants “he was a character” on his tombstone.
Fairly uninteresting walk, mostly along marshes.
Security idea for PP@L
We’re on an old railroad line, cute tunnels and all. This looks like a tunnel from the Thomas videos.
Our first pub. This is Instow.
My new favorite drink. It’s cucumber and elderberry and so good I have two. Which means we are finished for the day! We’ll complete this stretch of the walk tomorrow.
We order fish& chips takeaway rather than eating it in the pub because (a) it’s about half the price, and (b) fish & chips taste best outside! Check out the newspaper wrapping!
Not so healthy but it’s the first night and we’re on the coast where the fish is fresh, so.

Sunday, 9/22 Morning

Ate a marvelous breakfast, then walked straight out of Barnstaple to pick up the path heading northwest.
We fill out a little form the night before, choosing our breakfast time and meal items. Plus, there’s a sideboard of granolas, yogurt, fruit, etc.
View from our table.
Walking through Barnstable before hike.
The path. Heading first to Braunton.
The path is flat and fairly unremarkable. Sky is threatening.
We reach Braunton, almost pass right by this, then decide to stop for a short break.
Lovely inside, nicest people.

Sunday, 9/22 Afternoon

We walk Braunton to Saunton, intending to catch bus at Saunton, except I read Saturday’s bus schedule instead of Sunday’s because it’s so easy to do that and we soon find out there is no Sunday bus service in Saunton.
This Is looking back to Braunton. Path leads along this estuary. I think it’s an estuary.
Blackberry bushes are everywhere!
We’re right next to military training grounds.
Lunch break. Sandwiches. Forgot to pack dessert.
Ha! We see this sign as we close the gate after walking across the field.
It’s here that we realize that no bus will be coming. Luckily there’s a golf course right next to the path and we bum a ride to Braunton, which we know for sure has Sunday buses.

Saturday, 9/22 Evening

Our main goal on Sunday every time we come to England is it to make it to a Sunday Roast Dinner. Usually we miss it. Today though we are lucky: we find a good place in Braunton and end the walk on a full-belly note. Total miles today: 11.5.
Roast beef, potato, assorted fresh veggies, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. Yum.
Waiting in the rain for the bus back to Barnstaple.
The Vicarage at last! We are both exhausted.
This waits for us every afternoon. That’s fresh cream on top.
Washed our clothes though not very thoroughly.
Choose breakfast and go to bed!
  • 2019 Trip Blog
  • Our Hikes
  • Town