19th August 2009 - a quick visit to Oxford - but still plenty of photos!

A flying visit to Oxford today to pick up a birthday present for Jessica. On our last visit I saw a beautiful traditional set of scales that I knew Jess would love - but my darling husband in his wisdom said I could not buy them then - to a man a set of scales is just a set of scales - but to a baker and Jess is another baker - these scales are no ordinary scales - so now I have had to make a special journey just to get them - thankfully Oxford is not far from my sister's so I could do it en-route home.

Oxford was just teeming with visitors this much busier than we see it in term time. I hope to choose one of the following photos as my POTD.

Bridge of Sighs - in a rare moment without tourists in the way!

A gorgeous Oxford Building next to the Sheldonian.

'The heads' outside the Sheldonian.

Afternoon tea on the lawn at Trinity College.

The fabulous Museum of Natural history.

Inside here is my favourite museum ever - The Pitt Rivers. This is an anthropological museum - filled with artefact's from many different tribal communities - I have been many times and each time I find something new to marvel at.

This is the new animal research lab. Eleanor's lab is just next door and her college is the red brick building at the end of the road - so she was right in the middle of all the violent and nasty protests by the Animal Liberation Front when the lab was being built. We thought it may have to stay behind its protective scaffolding forever - so this is the first time I have seen it in all its contemporary glory and very nice it looks as well.

Talking of modern - I visited St Catherine's College today and was very pleasantly surprised. It is Oxford's modern college and we did not even consider this one when we were choosing a college for Eleanor because it was 'Modern'. How silly were we - it is beautiful and I would have been very happy if she had come here.