Old Town at Christmas Time

Took a trip to Old Town.  Here's the results.  

 

To Infinity...And Beyond!

My cousins came down for a visit a couple weeks ago, and we went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, where I got to see some planes and a space shuttle.  That had actually been to space...multiple times.  Crazy, right?  

Oh, and a creepy Charles Lindbergh doll...

Borough Market

Welcome to the Borough Market, full of delicious food stands.  

Been around since the 1700s! 

And home to Monmouth Coffee.  Took a while to find it, but was well worth the wait.

Check out how they filter each cup of coffee individually!

After checking out all this food, we were hungry.  Oh, look, sausages!

Diana enjoyed...

...and I can unhinge my jaw like a snake.

Pubs, or How I Spent My Free Time

Everything closes around 6PM in Oxford.  So, what does one do?  Pub.  Not just for the pints, but because each one holds some kind of special historical or otherwise unique claim to fame.  

The Kings Arms claims to be the oldest pub in Oxford (and serves my favorite Double Chocolate Stout): 

The White Horse is wedged between two wings of Blackwell's Bookstore (one of the largest in the UK?): 

The Eagle and Child, affectionately called the Baby and Bird, is where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to write:

 The Turf Tavern is hidden down an alley, and is where Bill Clinton didn't inhale:

And the Lamb and Flag doesn't serve food.  (Note: don't go to the Lamb and Flag, order a pint, and only then find out they don't serve food when you're hungry.  Trust me.)

Some Sights from Foggy London-town

25 kilometers around London.  25.  In one day.  That's over 15 miles.  In one day.

There are just some of the sights we saw.  Many more to follow (as is my allegedly promised foot massage...still waiting on that one, too).

Look, kids, Big Ben...

...Parliament...

St. Paul's Cathedral...

The iconic Tower Bridge...

London Eye...

The other London Eye...

And tourists taking pictures of a crosswalk across Abbey Road.  Still not sure why...

I saw the signs

Apparently, since driving in Oxford is so nuts, everyone rides a bike.  Or a "cycle" as they're called.  Signs like this one were posted on literally every wall and fence: 

More proof that there are just too many bikes over there, this was posted next to a bike rack:

Ay, clean up after your pup!

And this sign appeared on nearly every patch of grass we came across; they take lawns seriously in Oxford:

Also, Brits don't tell you to leave, they ask you to "kindly note" the closing time:

And finally, see yourself out, the British way:

British Delights

I recently spent a couple weeks in England, learning at Oxford and touring around London.  Naturally, this meant lots of pubs, drinking, and eating.  And the opportunity to have some fun with my new camera.  

Here's the obligatory fish and chips meal (well, one of them):

And the aftermath of said meal: 

Every glass I drank from had a CE mark on it, and a line indicating where a true pint was: 

Also, there are more bees and wasps in Oxford than I care to deal with.  This one got greedy and paid the price:

 Wine was always a good substitute for beer:

 Especially when delicious chocolate cake was involved:

Or a deliciously warm cookie: