A full Friday afternoon in Oxford.

I ran back to the room real quick to recharge the camera battery and call Tim to check on his eyes.

Then the afternoon started at this cozy homecooking Japanese restaurant on one of the side street (that looks more like ally)

The line for this place is usually out the door due to the food and limited space. We were lucky to get in before the crowd as after they opened. The miso soup was special and it would worth the wait.

Then we headed back out to the center of town for the afternoon. I can't believe how big of a jackpot we hit with the weather. It couldn't have been anymore beautiful. high 60s and sunny....

This "Bridge of Sigh" was particularly special to the tourists. Everytime I walked by it there would be a slew of people taking its pictures. I briefly skimmed through a bulletin underneath the bridge to see what it's all about. Yet still didn't see why it was significant, but figured, "Well i'm already here, so I'll do as Roman tourists do." Here it is, googled it, still just think it's a regular passway, VT has a much bigger one on its campus.

Here is a view of the Radcliff Camera with beautiful architecture details that one cannot get in with out some sort of membership.

 Oh, THIS. This my friend is the tower at St. Mary church its offers one of the best aerial views in town. We rushed in to beat the afternoon crowd and climbed the stairs to the top....

If climbing up this tower is an activity you'd want to take on one day, then this is the sight of stair steps that will greet you for the next 4-5 mins. I lost count of my steps as I had a hard time getting my feet on the steps itself. I climbed up tiptoeing half of the way because the steps were too narrow for my whole feet.

But the slightly dangerous climb was well worth it for the kind of view you get up here. you can see as far as the eyes can see. (If you were like Tim who had turned near-sighted after the lasik surgery, well that's not much too see. ) But if you have any decent vision, your eyes would carry you well out into the country meadows out side of Oxford... where the horizon lies.

 Here's the Radcliff Camera from up high....

 Here's the center of the town area in front of the meadow backdrop.

I peered into the neighboring college.

... And  soaked in that beautiful, sun-light coated view of downtown and the country side all at once.

It's was a particularly beautiful and sunny day, after 3-4 days of rain and clouds. All the sudden, people spilled and flopped out all over the grass around the colleges. They appeared rather sun-deprived.

More view of the old town.

 And here is my "Hanh was here" statement without vandalizing a historic building like some idiots before me had.

Details on the top of the tower...

I just have to make a note about young people died those days.

Underneath the tower lay this little church (smaller than Christ Church college's chapel). But the carving on wood and limestone and marble were still great.

We came out of the church...
Then I got distracted and went back into the covered market to marvel the flower shops. mmmmmm... I wish I lived here.

Then I was determined to take a picture with the red phone booth. So despite of my better judgement, I stepped in to that standing oven, striked a silly posed for the picture. But as soon as that was done I hopped right on out of there. I couldn't tell you how it looked inside, if you asked.

One of my new colleagues got his PhD from Oxford University and went to Magdelin college (reads "Maudlin" - I know, weird), so he recommended me to pay it a tour.

Inside lied this beautiful chapel, with many (reads MANY @.@) magnificent carved detailed and artworks.

My new love (though quite impractical) is carved marble. Like this piece.

Or limestone would be an ok sub :)

Overlooking the chapel's lobby-looking area is this 15th century reproduction of the last supper. That piece is gigung-normous!!! it's at least life size, if not bigger.

Here's where the rich and talented ( at least rich) students have their meals. We weren't allowed to walk down the tables isles, just standing within 9sq.ft. at the doorway that were roped in for us.

Then we exited the building and walked out the its beautiful ground. The bag i'm holding has a small piece of pretty linen fabric in it I bought from one of the local shops. I have plan for that little beauty. <smiling gleefully>

If you look closely, there's a trail that goes between the main buildings area and the vast nature filled meadow in the back.

Here how the trail looks. It is said to goes all the way around something, although i can't remember what it does go around. There's a little canal that runs along side the trail, where I saw ducks and geese swooping around happily. I'd almost say it must have been nice going to school here, but then i remember, I hated it when it rained all day and cold. So maybe it wouldn't be nice to go to school here. But compares to where I went to school... well... there just wouldn't be any comparison. phrrt!

Here's the view of the "new" building from the trail. It was ONLY built in the 1700th. That was all.

Back on the trail, I squatted for a quick pictures with the wild flowers that lines it. It is supposed to be rare when the purple and white flowers grow together like that... mmm. OK.

A strange looking tree appeared on the trail.

I appeared on the trail. No just kidding. (That was a lame joke, but I'm trying to entertain myself, so pardon me)

I was on my way outta there when I saw this poetic vine of red flowers climbing of a mossy (moldy?) old building...

In front of the "new" building is that tree you can see here, planted in 1801. It has 2 HUGE supporting steel beams on the side to support its large branches. The beams must have been put in a long time ago, because the top of them were completely "swallowed" up by the tree's growth.

Then we headed out to catch a boat ride in the local river. But my feet had had enough and they started to kill me in revenge.

So I went back to the room to make peace with my moving partners. Headed out for a quick last minute shopping and dinner before calling it a trip in Oxford. Packed and ready to go by 1.30 am. Taxi arrived promptly at 6am. I hurled my behemoth suitcase down 2 flights of stairs and off to London I went, waiting for Timmo to come from America.