The first few days passed by in a blur, and it's hard to recall the exact order of events. So instead of giving you a play by play, I'll leave you with the highlights.
Mickey and I spent one sunny afternoon exploring the area nearby. Across the street from me are horses, so we ventured over to pet them. I ducked under the fence and hung out there for a bit, and a friendly woman standing nearby asked if the horses were mine. They aren't, obviously, but they weren't hers either, so we carried on.
Exhibit A: My Oxford Souvenir (surprise, Mom!)
A bit later, we ended up behind a restaurant on St. Aldate's in the back area where the food deliveries are made. The back of the restaurant is right along the Thames River, and it looks like you shouldn't be back there, but just keep going - it's fine. If you cross over a little bridge, squeezing one at a time through the kissing gate, you end up in Christ Church Meadow. The meadow is beautiful; Mickey and I were very impressed. We had a fun time exploring and thinking out loud, but we realized how little we know about so many things. Our conversations generally went something like this:
"Are those cows?"
"I don't know ... they have horns ..."
"Maybe they're bulls ..."
"Why don't you pet one and see?"
"Kathryn, these aren't horses ..."
Other questions that were raised included:
"Are those geese, or swans?"
"Is this bridge safe to cross?"
"Do you think the crew teams party here?"
"Do you think WE can party here?"
And, perhaps the most important question, "Where exactly are we???"
We tackled most of these questions on our own but decided to ask for help answering the last one. Four people in a canoe were drifting down the river toward us, so we called out to them. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "Excuse me, do you know which way Abingdon Road is?"
British guy: "No! Do you know which way North America is?"
Lol. But they were actually quite friendly, and even without their help, Mickey and I managed to find our way home. Job well done.
