The house is wonderful. It looks exactly like it does in the picture below. There are 11 rooms with 1,2 or 3 people in them. Each room has a bathroom and a kitchen with a stove, oven, broiler, toaster, sink and refrigerator. We also have a large kitchen and TV room. There is also a beautiful conservatory that will be great when it gets warmer (we've all been wearing heavy coats and scarves here- it's been the 40's and drizzly all week). We have a very green backyard which I imagine will be quite enjoyable in nicer weather.
Today we went as a group to the Bodleian Library (above) for our orientation. It is the second largest library in Britain after the National Library and has a copy of every book published in the UK since the late 16th century! (That's about 8 million books) It is also a reference-only library, meaning that even the Queen cannot borrow a book. We all had to swear an oath citing that we would not do a number of things including "kindle flame!" This statue is of a big time patron of the arts, the Duke of Pembrooke (Shakespeare dedicated his first manuscript of 32 plays to him!)
After that, we went on a walking tour of the city. I took a lot of pictures (described left to right):
1) This is the square where three Anglican bishops were burned at the stake during the Reformation. To further embaress the last, who was a graduate of Cambridge, Bloody Mary had him executed in the Oxford Square. (They have a Georgia-Georgia Tech or Georgia-Florida rivalry.) 2) This is a cute little street belonging to one of the colleges. The church at the end is one of five in Oxford that has been unconcenacrated and turned into a library for the college that owns it. 3) This is the Radcliff Camera, a reading room for the Bodliean Library. We had our orientation, but haven't been allowed in yet. This structure houses thousands of literature books and is where I am most likely to be found.
4) This is the Sheldonian Theatre were Oxford students are welcomed as freshman and leave with degrees when they graduate. 5&6) Here are two pictures of the University Chapel. It is massive. It was built during the 14th century, but the facade and spires indicate that it was remodeled in the 17th century. It has been a morge when the plague swept through Oxford, a place to keep the town's firetruck and most recently, a cafe. I'm going to try to go to the Easter service here.
7) Jesus College has the largest of all the college chapels. It's nearly as big as the University Chapel! Queen Elizabeth I chartered this college. The real Lawerence of Arabia was a graduate. 8) This is the front gate of New College. Hugh Grant went here. 9) Unlike every other college at Oxford, All Souls College does not have an admissions process. They invite a few number of fellows to come study at their college. This is the most elite college at Oxford.
10) These are the newly renovated dorms of University College. This is where Bill Clinton study when he was a Rhodes Scholar. 11) The tower you can make out over the trees belongs to Murton College's chapel. As part of a tradition, all the students in Oxford gather below this tower every May Day at 6 am (May 1) to welcome in Summer. The night before the students stay up all night and go pubbing. And yes, there is class the next day. 12) Ok, this is just the post office. But look how cool it is! It has a lion and a unicorn over the door (for England and Scotland).
13) And, well, you know what this is. Joseph in a red tellie booth! That's really about it. There is also a huge shopping area and a couple of open air markets. Tomorrow we will be going to Stonehenge and Bath! Check back in a couple days to hear about our exciting adventures!
