Oxford: The City That Looks Like It's Straight Out of a Novel

so i landed in oxford with no plan and a half-charged phone. the weather was doing that thing where it can't decide if it wants to rain or just be dramatic, and the temp was hovering around 8°c with humidity so high i felt like i was breathing through a wet sponge. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

anyway, i started walking toward the city center and immediately got distracted by a guy in a tweed jacket arguing with a pigeon about whether the bodleian library was open late. (it's not, btw. i heard that from a barista later.)

Oxford's got this weird mix of ancient stone buildings and students zooming past on bicycles like they're late for a quantum physics exam. i ducked into a random cafe called the missing bean (highly recommend, their flat white was better than my ex's apology) and overheard two girls debating whether jrr tolkien actually haunts the eagle and child pub. someone told me that locals swear they've seen a figure in a cloak near the door at closing time. spooky or just drunk? you decide.

walking around, i kept thinking how every corner looks like it belongs in a bbc period drama. the university buildings are ridiculously photogenic, especially radcliffe camera, which looks like it was designed by someone who really loved circles. i tried to take a selfie there but a group of japanese tourists photobombed me so perfectly i'm keeping it.

if you get bored, *bath and london are just a short drive away, but honestly oxford deserves more than a day trip. there's a strange energy here, like the city itself is constantly daydreaming.

random tip: don't try to visit all the colleges in one day unless you enjoy being broke. most charge entry fees and some are closed to tourists during term. i learned that the hard way after getting turned away from christ church like i was some kind of tourist or something.

i ended up at a pub called the head of the river, which sits right by the thames (or the thames-like thing they call it here). had a pint of local ale and watched people attempt punting, which looks easy until you see someone faceplant into the water. classic oxford.

would i go back? absolutely. but next time i'm bringing a better umbrella and maybe a book so i can pretend to be a don. also, if you're into ghost stories, check out the taverns* link on tripadvisor for allegedly haunted pubs. or just wander and let oxford surprise you. that's what i did, and i ended up with a pocketful of stories and slightly damp shoes.

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