Bits and Bobs

Thought I'd share some miscellaneous photos -- "bits and bobs," as the English would say.

Quintessential Oxford

The Bridge of Sighs (alleyway to Turf Tavern on left)

Radcliffe Camera, a Bodleian library (undergraduate study space)

Sheldonian Theatre (where many university ceremonies are held)



Quad at Regents Park College


Camden Town in London



A wonderful market of vintage clothes, food, etc. in a gigantic old livery stable





Lots of punk outfits on parade in Camden Market

 

It's only for tobacco!



Tiff with one of the many bronze horse statues in the Market



A Day in Bath

The Circus (apartments)

In the distance, the Royal Crescent



A sketch of Jane Austen at the Jane Austen Center

Sharon having tea at the Bath Bun

What did they put in her tea???

The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring, Tra-La!

Spring has sprung in merry olde England, and the flowers are a-blooming!  I thought you might like to see some of the gorgeous flora that I’ve encountered over the last few weeks during my visit to London, as well as in and around Oxford.



First, in London, Tiff and her friend Christian and I went to Regents Park, which is a very large green space in north London.  The beds were overflowing with beautiful flowers.  It was a bright, sunny day, and the garden staff had set out lawn chairs; people were sitting in them, soaking up the rays.



One of the lovely beds

 

A black tulip!




Too early for blooms in the Queen's Rose Garden

Tiff also showed me a beautiful little garden in her neighborhood.   It’s called Albion Square.  I was amazed at the depth of the colors – especially the blue flowers.

A couple of Sundays back, my friend Sharon and I went to Oxford’s Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin) College gardens, which were open to the public that afternoon.  We got in for free on my Bodleian card!  There were lovely flowers and lots of green space, including a fenced-in deer park.

Then, last Thursday, Sharon and I went on a Midsomer Murders (my favorite TV mystery, remember?) tour of south Oxfordshire.  It was a beautiful day, and we saw many of the towns where they shoot the TV murders series.  Of particular note was the wisteria.  I heard on a British garden show that wisteria like lots of sun, particularly afternoon sun.  The vines we saw must have had lots of afternoon sun!

We also came across the grave of Dusty Springfield (“Son of a Preacher Man”) in Henley-on-Thames, which is the home to the world’s most prestigious rowing event, the Henley Royal Regatta (June 29 – July 3).  Someone had laid fresh flowers on her grave.  



The only one who could ever reach me was the son a a preacher man...







Morris Dancing

Today there were Morris dancers all over the Oxford city centre.  The Morris Dance is a type of British folk dance that dates back to the late fifteenth century.  The name “Morris” is actually derived from “Moorish,”  i.e., influenced by the Moors who invaded Spain way back when.

Groups of men and women in folksy costumes assembled in various venues around Oxford and performed their dances.  These groups were from around Oxford.

The dancers performed with sticks, handkerchiefs and bells.  Some wore heavy shoes with wooden soles that made a lot of noise as they clogged on the pavement.  The musical accompaniment for the dancers was provided by drums and concertinas.

One group had their faces painted black.  One of these guys told me that was for a disguise – so I wouldn’t recognize him! 

These folks also wore beads – some of which, I was told, were Mardi Gras beads.  The event really did remind me of Mardi Gras, a bit – although the dancers were only drinking coffee, not alcohol!  Well, it was only 10am in the morning!

Pork Crackling

For Sunday dinner Karl fixed a dish called Pork Crackling.  It's a pork roast covered by a thick layer of fat with the skin on top.

Here's his recipe:
Make sure the skin on top of the pork is dry.  Score it in lines that are about 3/4" apart.  Be careful not to score all the way through to the meat.
Rub salt on the skin -- getting all over and into the scored lines; let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Wash the salt off and pat the roast DRY.  Rub the skin with vegetable oil then salt it again with rock salt.
Put roast in a 220 degree C (about 450 degree F) oven for 25 minutes.
Turn the heat down to 180 degrees C (about 350 degrees F).  Length of roasting depends on the weight of the pork.  Roast for 30 minutes per 500 grams (that's about a pound), then add an extra 30 minutes.
Take roast out of oven and let it firm for about 15 minutes.  Cut in slices following the cuts of the scored lines.

When you eat the pork, the crackling comes off in a nice, neat strip.  A lot of the fat behind it has cooked off.  It's a moist and yummy treat -- crunchy, but not dry like the fried pork rinds you buy in the states.  The roast, of course, is also delicious -- nice and moist and tasty.

Along with the pork, Karl served homemade dressing, yummy brown gravy, Yorkshire puddings, and roasted potatoes and carrots, along with broccoli and peas.  It was a scrumptious  feast.  We licked our plates clean!

Somehow, though, we later managed to have some Jamaican ginger cake and coffee for dessert.

Cowley Road

Today’s adventure was a trip to Cowley Road with Tim.  We left Spencer House, walking, at 11:30am and got to Cowley at 12:45.  Good exercise!

Cowley Road is a busy ethnic district in Oxford – kind of like its “Little Five Points.”  There is a lot of diversity in the people – more working class, blacks, Muslims (there are a few mosques along Cowley), etc.  The shops are more diverse than the usual Oxford offering – I even went in a few pound stores (like a dollar store).   And bunches of charity shops – lots of knick-knacks and clothes.

We ate lunch at a Turkish restaurant – but Tim and I both cheated – we got American-style food!  I had fried chicken, and he got a burger and fries.  The Turkish dishes looked good – especially the stuffed eggplant – but I was so hungry for fried chicken.  It was pretty good too!

Afterwards, we wandered back down Cowley, stopping at interesting shops.  I went in a Moroccan deli that smelled divine.  A woman shopping in the store was raving about some spicy Moroccan sausage, so I bought some.  Also couldn’t resist some dates and baklava. 

We also went in some charity shops – saw an interesting pansy bowl that I had a hard time resisting (but I did resist).  Also checked out a fair-trade shop that sells items from developing countries, made by people who are not being exploited. Then Tim and I both bought some interesting scarves at a vintage clothing store.



Magdalen College

After some ice-cream at George and Delilah’s, we headed back to the City Center, crossing the river (Cherwell) at Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin’) bridge, next to Magdalen College.  Saw people renting punts to go rowing on the river.  Although it was a nice day, in my opinion, it was still a bit to cool for punting.

Walked back to the bus stop at St. Giles, where I took the bus.  Tim headed to Regents Park College to see if anyone was around.  It was a very enjoyable day – not too cold and a bit of sun here and there – with a lot of walking!  A nice little nap was in order once I got home.

Oxford Museum Of Natural History

Today I visited the Oxford Museum of Natural History with one of our students, Tim.   It’s housed in an impressive stone building on Parks Road.  As you enter, you walk into a huge square space that’s surrounded by columns and covered with an arched glass ceiling.  It feels almost like a cathedral – and it is: a cathedral of science.

The Museum of Natural History houses collections in Geology (including Paleontology), Mineralogy, Zoology and Entomology.  The Geology area is impressive with its massive replicas of prehistoric skeletons – from mammoths to giant whales.  There are also skeletal specimens of modern-day animals – as well as stuffed specimens (badgers, owls, tortoises, foxes, etc.). 



Skeleton of an African Elephant



Callie and a stuffed badger



Tim shaking hands with a dinosaur



The most famous replica in the museum is that of the dodo bird, which once inhabited the island of Mauritius.  Europeans help to bring about the demise of the dodo by introducing dogs and rats to the island.  By 1680 it was extinct.  Lewis Carroll made the dodo popular by putting it into his Alice in Wonderland story.

There two galleries above the main floor; one is for insects – not sure about the other one.  At the end of the main-floor hall is the entrance to the Pitt Rivers Museum, a curious and eclectic collection of artifacts (many collected in the nineteenth century) from all over the world.  Tim and I mainly explored the main floor of the Natural History Museum, but we did go into the Pitt Rivers Museum for about a half hour.  There were human skulls that head-hunters had collected, Noh theatre masks, ancient writing instruments, an Egyptian mummy with its inner and outer coffin, a collection of hookahs, a cape made out of bird feathers, a 40-ft totem pole…it was amazing, but I was soon glazing over.

From the museum we wandered over to the Vere Harmsworth Library with my librarian friend Susan.  This is one of my favorite libraries.  It’s a Bodleian library, but it’s relatively new – opened in the early 2000s, I think.  It’s light and airy – a great place to read – and it houses the American Studies Collection.  I’ve been using it for research on Basil Hall, a retired Scottish Navy Captain who wrote about Columbus on his journey to America in 1827-1828.

Grande Dame

Tiff's new name for her band is Grand Dame.  She's got a Facebook band page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grande-Dame/142345075826730?v=app_178091127385

If you're on FB, go to the band page and click "like" (left-hand of page). Please help her build up her fan base!

And while you're there, listen to some of her music!  "Almost and Maybes" is a little bit country -- the other songs are Tiff's special blend of rock, jazz, blues, etc.

Enjoy!