WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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Cimetary as parking place, seen in Oxford

ON TRACK OF INSPECTOR MORSE

I love watching British crime stories and had recently discovered Inspector Morse who is so famous that he is even mentioned in Wikipedia here. Although the series date from 1987 on, I only saw the first Morse film on TV last year ! Apparently it took a long time to make him speak French, or maybe the French and Belgian TV had not enough money to buy these series earlier. Never mind, I started to like Inspector Morse and his assistant Lewis.

Unfortunately I missed the "Morse" tour organized in Oxford on Mondays and Fridays, where crime scenes are shown and also his famous red Jaguar. So I tried to find him on my own and next time when a French speaking Morse is on TV I can unnerve Mr. G. by exclaiming "I have been there" all the time.

The hotel where he used to have his beers or stronger drinks was just around the corner (or nearly) of the Balliol College where I stayed.






It looked very posh and beautiful.

I also took my "posh" look and stepped inside armed with my little camera to take some pictures of the place.

Immediately a uniformed person asked me "May I help you Madam", I said yes, I have an appointment with Inspector Morse. He smiled and showed me the way ....





Unfortunately he wasn't there, probably hunting murderers. So I decided to come back another day ... But before I left I had a look into the other rooms.



the restaurant



the entrance (my camera started to get moody and made stripes)



and the staircase up to the rooms.

It was interesting to see and this evening we will watch a Morse film which Mr. G. has recorded during my absence. No murder happened during my stay in Oxford.

WITH ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Never in my whole life I would have thought that I would find "the" Alice out of my childhood's book in Oxford. So when I was sitting on the top of the sight seeing bus and heard the voice in the headset telling me that we would now approach the little shop where Alice used to buy her sweets, I was really surprised ! I had read the book long ago and don't remember very much, only that I didn't like it and that I had found it very strange. After that I had never touched the book again and never watched the film either. But this book is such a part of children litterature that it is impossible to ignore it.

I got out of the bus and followed Alice's footsteps !



First I saw the church where her father was a Dean. I don't know if she also lived in there



The whole story was written outside



Just in front of the College was the little shop



Besides the fact that there were tourists of all colors and shapes, the shop probably hadn't changed very much.



modernized of course



and the evidence that I had been there ! Photo taken by a young Japonese student.



I wandered through the shop and took pictures of everything which seemed interesting to me. The real Alice was dark haired and not blond !





I just had finished when the owner touched my shoulder to tell me that it was not allowed to take pictures inside the shop. I assured him that I wouldn't, I just had put my little camera in a wallet in which I carry it around and therefore looked very innocent as usual.



Of course I couldn't resist and buy a little souvenir, the Cheshire Cat !



The original Cheshire cat design from 1866. At least they have the same smile !

If you want to know more about the history of the book you can find it here
in Wikipedia

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. On Monday morning I left my friends in Eastbourne with a heavy heart and took the train to London. From there I went by bus to Oxford. It was a very nice journey because I saw much more of the landscape than I would have if I would have taken the train.




I arrived at the Balliol College (see Wednesday post below) and spent the afternoon by walking in this beautiful place.



I had booked a student room and just imagined who slept and studied in this room during the year ? I was lucky, I had nothing to study, I was only a fake student.



Having breakfast in this huge hall where parts of the Harry Potter films were made, was very impressive ! I felt like Mrs. Potter although I have never seen a Potter film, only extracts

2. To see the most of Oxford with the less of effort, I bought a sight seeing bus ticket for two days so that I could "hop" on and off as I wanted. That's the best way to visit a city you have never seen before. With the ticket you got a pair of handsets and could listen to the explanation of each important building or place.

3. I made the first trip all around sitting on the right sight which allowed me to take pictures from all buildings and important places on the right, and then I did the same tour sitting on the left.






Oxford is a paradise for bikers ! I thought I was in Amsterdam.




I visited the Christ Church where Alice (Adventures inWonderland) had lived with her father who was the Dean.



The little shop where she bought her sweets and I of course the Cheshire Cat and other little souvenirs.



Of course I couldn't miss to visit the Macdonald Randolph hotel, featured in the Inspector Morse television series several times, and where there is now a Morse Bar.

4. On Wednesday my blogfriend Janice from Jabblog came to visit me as she lives not far from Oxford. It was so nice to see her " life" at the entrance of the College ! As it was lunch time we went through Oxford looking for a nice Pub to eat outside, but only found one with no garden. But it didn't matter we had a lot to chat and I even forgot to take a picture of us in the pub. After lunch we went back to the Balliol college, and we sat there at the "Buttery" in the colleges' beautiful park, far from the huzzle and buzzle of Oxford, which is real terrible ! So many people ! you could hardly walk and on top it was very hot.

Late afternoon she returned to the station and I went along with her, we still hadn't chatted enough. She took the train and I took my sightseeing bus for the 4th time, not listening to the explanations, which I now knew by heart, or almost.



Here we are in full beauty or should be, unfortunately my camera has got some troubles and we are "striped". It's really annoying. I hope Janice's pictures are better !

5. The next day I had to leave and for the first time since I had arrived in England it rained cats and dogs ! My intention was to leave Oxford very early and spend the whole day in London, but with all this rain I changed my mind, left Oxford only around 11 arrived at Victoria station where I had to take another bus to get to St. Pancras to catch the Eurostar. I was quiet wet from the short walks from bus to bus and to the station. I couldn't go outside so I hang around for more than 3 h in this train station which is far outside the London city center ! At least I could write half of this post while drinking my x's cup of coffee !

Ponctually I arrived in Brussels, where Mr. G. picked me up.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY & Oxford

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Throwing stones on plates 1 £ (good for your nerves)



I swear I didn't




Nice clock !

Seen in Eastbourne during the Harvest Festival

****

On Monday morning I left my friends in Eastbourne at 10 am and went by train to London Victoria.

From there I took a bus, called "Oxford Tube" from London to Oxford. It was real nice it was almost like a sightseeing tour much better than a boring train. I arrived at 2.30 pm and the bus Station was near the Balliol college where I stayed for the 2 1/2 days.



Of course when I arrived, I had never thought about the fact that in 1263 there were no lifts and they had put me on the 5th floor !

A porter gave me a paper with a map to my room, on which was indicated Staircase n° XXII which is not my size but the Latin n° 22) room n° 27.

I wandered around pulling my suitcase behind me and of course got lost. Not a soul around and my Madam GPS ignores staircases. Finally a gardener showed me where my staircase XXII was.

Then I had to look for my room 27 I climbed up floor by floor and found it finally to be on the 5th. Fortunately I had left my suitcase downstairs, because the door didn't open. I went back to the entrance, (long way) and then back to XXII where I waited for somebody to come to open my door. Meanwhile I was half melted. It was hot !

Finally a man showed up, tried to open the door, he probably had thought that I was a stupid old blond who couldn't open an English college door, but the door didn't open. He had to dismantle completely one door handle, and repair the whole thing and finally we got in. As I am a weak woman when I want he had also carried my suitcase up the 5 floors !

Next surprise was that the Internet connection didn't work. When I complained (again to the porter) who was the only visible soul in these huge buildings, I got the impression that he didn't believe me, why should a woman (!) not the youngest one, be able to handle a computer. But apparently I wasn't the only one who had problems in Staircase XXII, the rooter had broken down, I was told the next morning !

Now you know, why I couldn't answer your comments !



But when you see this and where I had breakfast this morning, it was worthwhile !