The End

Perhaps in karmic retribution for the difficulties Ani and I had the last time we were in Heathrow airport, our arrival in London this time went very smoothly. After dropping our large luggage at the hotel where we were to stay next Friday (a handy trick for people burdened with a semester’s worth of stuff and attempting a whirlwind tour of the UK ), we hopped on the bus to Oxford.

A double-decker that comes with wireless internet! Could you ask for a better bus?

My roommate from Macalester, Katie Willingham, has been studying abroad at Saint Catherine’s College in Oxford and she not only proved an excellent tour guide for the city but also put us up in her dorm for the weekend. Oxford is an absolutely gorgeous city – picturesque in an almost fantastical way with the stunning architecture of the many colleges intermingling with the almost stereotypically British charm of the place.

Because Katie and her friends are all students at the university, Ani and I were able to not only admire the outside of many of the buildings but were treated to insider views of many of the colleges. We met up with Katie’s British friend Charlie who attends Jesus College where there grows the second oldest Wisteria in the world.

Very old Wisteria

Ani, Katie, and Charlie in front of Jesus

We then went on a walk, past Christ Church College and over into their meadows. Like many good British towns and cities, Oxford has a number of parks open for public wanderings. In Christ Church Meadows we past some punters on the river (a favorite student past-time apparently) as well as some rowers, another popular activity.

Looking across the meadows to Christ Church

We also visited the Bodelain Library, which is the main Oxford library. Unfortunately, this is one area where just being with a student wouldn’t help us. You have to show student ID to get into the building, so we contented ourselves with the outside of the building, a place impressive unto itself.

Ani at the medical students’ door

These are apparently not used anymore, but it’s fun to imagine students in black robes hurrying through them into halls of knowledge!

Students learning

That evening we went to Hall, which is the Oxford equivalent of going to the school cafeteria for dinner – only EPIC. As Katie noted, Harry Potter is perhaps less innovative than we might have originally thought when it comes to some of the Hogwarts school activities. At Hall, the professors of Saint Catz enter (while the students stand) and then sit at a table at the front of the room. We were then served a three course meal that, while no Café Mac, put Botswana to shame. Additionally, students are required to wear robes during their exams and, for various reasons including an abundance of college balls, it’s not that uncommon to find male students walking the streets of Oxford in suits and even a tux or two. Suffice it to say I was considerably impressed.

Katie, Ani and me at Hall

Following the meal, we wandered across Oxford (which is a remarkably small little place—everything is within walking distance) to a pub called the Eagle and Child. Here C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and other members of a group of writers used to get shwasty while discussing books. Naturally, this meant that we too had to have a drink there, in the hopes that some of these writers’ success might rub off on us.

Standing where Tolkien once stood

We also enjoyed what I am assured by Katie and her friends is a true Oxfordian pub experience when two rather inebriated British men in the pub shared a story about Nelson Mandela with us before engaging in a lively debate with some of Katie’s friends as to the existence of God.

Thanks to some surreptitious photography (or maybe not, one man seems aware of the camera): Ani and our table guests

The rest of the weekend we wandered the town, familiarizing ourselves with Oxford. We went to a completely vegetarian pub, which was surprisingly delicious. I climbed the Tower of Saint Mary’s College to get a panoramic view of the city and Katie’s friend Mike let us all into the Philosophy Faculty where we enjoyed lunch and tea in the sunshine before Katie showed us around New College.

Up the tower, a rather harrowing flight of narrow stairs.

The view of the city – breathtaking!

New College, not actually so new.

Monday finally came and Ani and I reluctantly said goodbye to Katie to board our night bus to Edinburgh where we were scheduled to meet up with some more of my friends studying abroad. The first of these friends was Christine, one of the friends I made way back in eighth grade when I was spending a semester in Berlin. This was a particularly fun reunion as we hadn’t seen each other in seven years. Christine has been spending the year in Edinburgh and was well-versed in the best ways to tour the city so almost immediately upon arrival she set us up with a free walking tour of the city. Unlike Oxford, which is a city of light brick, Edinburgh has a very gothic feeling with many black spires spiking out of the city dramatically.

Gothic spike

The walking tour was conducted by a young (and might I say quite attractive) Scotsman named Andy who enthusiastically regaled us with tales of the city. It was be a bit beyond the scope of this blogs to share all of these stories but some highlights are included.

This heart, being formerly next to the tax collector, was spat upon by locals to indicate their displeasure at taxation. It is also the symbol for one of Edinburgh’s two football teams who spit on it for good luck, while their rivals spit on it out of scorn.

Edinburgh’s castle

Grayfriar’s cemetery where Bobby the Dog is buried. Bobby is famous for having stayed by his master’s grave for something like a decade out of loyalty.

Bobby, in metal.

The next day (Wednesday), Ani and I met up with Lydia briefly before both she and Christine went to take some of their exams. While they were being studious, Ani and I wandered over to Arthur’s Seat—a hill that is quite a landmark in Edinburgh. Ani and I hiked the hill separately and along the way managed to lose each other. This is one of those instances where the importance of cell phones becomes very apparent. Ani wisely chose to go back into the city where she knew we were meeting Lydia and Christine later. I, however, reclimbed the hill several times in search of her, so I am now thoroughly well-versed in that particularly section of Scotland!

Thankfully, both the hike and the view are beautiful

At the top of Arthur’s Seat

We all had dinner at a pub called the Last Drop (so named because it was where people used to be taken for their last sip of whiskey before they were hanged). Here I sampled vegetarian haggis, an item I have been assured is much better than its traditional counterpart. While I can’t speak of real haggis, the vegetarian one is quite good.

A “real” (well as real as a vegetarian can get) Scottish meal

We then went to a folk concert featuring a man named Archie Fisher, which was a relaxing way to wind down the day.

No trip to Edinburgh would be complete without a little Harry Potter appreciation. After all, it’s where JKR first began writing the books, where she finished them, and where she currently resides. In honor of these facts, I finally completed my set of the British editions of the books and we went to breakfast at the Elephant House Café—the spot where JKR first began writing the books.

Such joy

Outside the Elephant House

The place itself isn’t that tourist-y. Indeed, it remains more devoted to the elephants for which it is named rather than Harry Potter, which is wonderful because it allows you to get a sense for what the place may have felt like when JKR was actually there.

Lydia and I enjoying breakfast – perhaps where JKR sat!

Looking out at the view, it’s nice to imagine that with such inspiration I too could have written a world-famous fantasy novel!

Thursday evening marked the end of our time in Scotland and thus Ani and I (along with Christine, who decided to join us on a whim!) once more boarded the night bus to return to London. Nine plus hours later, we unloaded to meet the final friend in the UK, a girl named Maddy who I also know from my semester in Berlin. Maddy has been going to school full-time in London and together the four of us wandered through Trafalgar Square and James’ Park.

I finally got my picture with the lions in Trafalgar Square, something that an over-abundance of tourists had prevented the last time Ani and I were here (in January!)

Three friends, reunited briefly

Maddy ran to class and Ani, Christine and I went to Portobello Road where, apart from having the urge to perform an act from the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, we enjoyed the bustling street market. We then set about attempting to secure Christine a ticket to attend A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Glob e Theater, where Ani and I already had tickets for the evening performance. This was one of the highlights for me personally in the UK, standing in the peasant’s area, watching Shakespeare performed in the venue in which he had envisioned it. It was magical.

The Globe

So great.

Thus, this blog ends where it began: on an airplane across the Atlantic. This semester has been a most memorable one, and I want to thank everyone who helped make it so great. From the people in Botswana: CIEE students, Batsi, Batswana, to the friends in the UK who housed Ani and myself for the week: Katie, Christine, and Lydia, it has been fantastic. Thanks also to everyone who has kept up with the blog! It’s been so much fun to write and it’s nice to know that people have enjoyed reading it! Cheers.