University of Oxford Colleges

During my time at Oxford, Rachel and I decided to visit all 44 of Oxford's Colleges and Permanent Private Halls. We spent multiple days throughout the end of term traveling around Oxford, attempting to find each one (with our trusted map). The first day we went to the furthest away college, St Stephen's House. At each college, we took a picture of the building and a picture of ourselves in front of the building. Here was my first one!

I've only included the pictures of the colleges that I loved, or noteworthy pictures. We also went to Magdalen College the first day, which was gorgeous! The next few pictures are from there and our walk around the Deer Park.

I love the above picture! This tree is famous somehow (I don't remember) and C.S. Lewis (who taught here) had an office in the New Building (in the background). I'm proud of this picture!

One of my favorite colleges of Oxford, Queen's College (not to be confused with Queen College, Cambridge). I loved the symmetry of it and how gorgeous the blue sky and green grass were!

Keble College, which was right down the road from Wycliffe Hall.

Me in front of my home for the term!

This is a panorama I took of New College. Luckily, our library cards get us into the colleges for free!

This is the tree where Harry Potter was filmed (when Draco gets turned into a ferret).

A rare picture of Rachel and I actually together.

The flowers and gardens at New College were amazing! We also had an older man stop and tell us about how the college has changed since he was a student there many years ago. It was pretty interesting!

Worcester College, another beautiful one!

Trinity College! I felt a strange bond here...

Christ Church College, perhaps the most well known of the Oxford Colleges.

In the gardens.

Harry Potter anyone?

And finally, the Great Hall of Christ Church College. 

Rachel and I had a blast visiting colleges, I must say, and I hope I can return to them one day! It'd be great to see them all again.

Libraries of Oxford

One of the main places I was this term was in the libraries. Now, Oxford has a million libraries. I mainly studied in 4 of these: The English Faculty Library (EFL), the Gladstone Link, the Radcliffe Camera, and Duke Humfrey's Library (which is in the Bodleian). Seeing as I spent a lot of time in each of these, I thought I'd share them with you!

Sometimes there were issues such as this: a Period Drama being filmed, and not being able to leave bikes there.

The RadCam is gorgeous!

I snuck these pictures of the inside of the RadCam.

Most of my time was spent in the EFL, as my lectures were all there. I took this picture the last time I was there, dropping my books off one final time.

This is the old Bodleian library.

Rachel and I went there the first week, and I didn't go back until one of the final weeks.

Sometimes Oxford is sunny and there are rare blue skies.

And sometimes the windows have awesome reflections.

I'm slightly obsessed with the RadCam.

Because it's way prettier than the EFL, which is one of the modernish buildings in Oxford.

But the books inside the EFL are great! I took this when I was studying Oliver Goldsmith.

I often studied up in the top of the EFL, at these tables.

And I just loved all the shelves.

The RadCam from the University Tower.

Rachel and I in front of the RadCam.

This is inside the Gladstone Link, an underground library. The shelves scare me, as I'm afraid I will get crushed.

But it has an awesome way to get to it! This is the walkway down to it. It's kind of like a Star Wars warp or something.

This is the Divinity School, a room within the Bodleian.

Finally, Duke Humfrey's, where Harry Potter was filmed! No pictures are allowed inside, so I took this one outside the door. 

Hope you enjoyed the libraries!

Alone in London

I decided to head to London for a day alone on my last weekend in Oxford. I made it onto the bus by 7:35 am (I was proud of myself), and got into London around 9:30. I started out my trip by going to Buckingham Palace again.

I didn't actually see this, because I didn't want to wait two hours. It would have been awesome though!

Queen Victoria Statue.

The first of many awkward, "Can you please take my picture? Thank you!"

The London Marathon was the next day, so a bunch of streets were closed and decorated.

I walked through a park, heading toward Big Ben. I had to get ice cream of course!

My best telephone booth picture by far.

Walking past Big Ben, I headed to Westminster Cathedral. I came back later in the day for an Evensong service, so that I could get in for free.

Big Ben and the London Eye.

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. They were filming a movie in the courtyard.

Me in front of the London Eye.

Next, after a cup of coffee, I headed to the Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery. I have to say, pictures get a little boring after a while. I tried to see most of them, but I think I failed at this.

Next stop, taking the Underground to the Natural History Museum. I waited in line for 45 minutes, but the cute stuffed mammals inside were worth it!

For example, these things.

And this cheetah.

After seeing a bunch of dead wombats, I have decided that I want one as a pet.

Inside the museum.

When I went back to Westminster Cathedral, I snapped this picture inside before I heard that photography wasn't allowed.

Next to St. Paul's Cathedral. By this time, I was just casually strolling around, not worried about making it everywhere.

And a walk across Millennium Bridge to Shakespeare's Globe.

The Globe!

I walked back to the other side of the river, crossing over London Bridge. All I was thinking was "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down..."

Back to the Tower of London for the 2nd time this term!

I rewarded myself with Starbucks. My barrista was super nice!

Me with Tower Bridge.

Final stop: King's Cross Station. I waited in line for 30 minutes for this picture (some stranger took it), but it was fun and enjoyable. Typical Harry Potter fan picture.

I headed home after the station, making it back around 10 pm. It was a full day, filled with lots of beautiful sites and fascinating information. I feel as though I mastered the Underground and would be confident going back to London alone.