Day 8

Today was an early day because we had to wake up with enough time to eat breakfast and take the Tube to the Paddington National Rail Station to make our 9:21 train to Oxford. Since we were traveling with the commuters, the train was packed and we were all forced to stand up, completely blocking the entire center aisle and awkwardly brushing against the seated passengers for 30 minutes until the first stop. The rest of the trip was more comfortable, and after exiting at Oxford Station, we boarded a bus which brought us to the center of Oxford. From there, we walked to the Oxford Covered Market and spent 30 minutes browsing the various shops and boutiques. Once we met up outside the market entrance, Professor Parkhouse began his guided tour of the Oxford University campus. He explained that there are several colleges on the campus and that the students' loyalty is to their specific college and not the university as a whole.



We walked through the twelfth century Christ Cathedral at Oxford which is one of the oldest buildings in Oxford and the only church in the world to be both a cathedral and a college chapel. Professor Parkhouse explained to us that it was one of the smallest Anglican cathedrals in England. From the cathedral, we followed Professor Parkhouse upstairs in one of the buildings to the private dining hall which was used as a model for the set of the Great Hall in the Harry Potter series. On the menu for lunch was rabbit pie, chicken pie, beef pie and sweet corn pizza with a salad bar and various side dishes. After lunch, Professor Parkhouse brought us to the building where the undergraduates live and showed us where his old room was located when he attended Oxford. From there, we dispersed into groups and returned to the Oxford Covered Market for additional shopping. Then, we caught a bus back to the train station and took the train back to London.