Weekend in Oxford

On Saturday morning we took the train to Oxford, which is only about 1 hour away from London.  We stayed in a charming Bed & Breakfast (Burlington B&B), which was about a 10-minute walk to the city center.  It was nice to get a break from the crowds in London and we both liked how pedestrian friendly the streets were as lots of streets, were blocked to traffic.  The town is centered around the University of Oxford and filled with younger college students.

Oxford University, which started in 1096, is the oldest English-speaking university in the World.  There are 38 separate colleges in Oxford that together form what is known as the University of Oxford.  As you walk down the street you can tell which buildings and houses are part of the university by the doors, which are all painted bright blue.

We spent most of our time wondering around the town.  First we went to Christ Church, which is part of the university. The famous Alice books were written by a Christ Church math lecturer, Charles Dodgson, who’s pen name was Lewis Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass were originally tales told by Alice Liddell, daughter of the Dean of Christ Church. Many locations in Alice’s adventures are based on parts of the College. Also many of the scenes in the Harry Potter feature films are shot in various locations of the College. The Great Hall was replicated in the film to create Hogwart's Hall.

We also found time to make it to some of the local pubs (The Bear and The Eagle & Child). The Bear is the oldest pub in Oxford and is most famous for its collection of school ties dating back to the early 1900s. This pub was a really small cozy bar with low ceilings, dark atmosphere and traditional Ales. Being off the main road made this pub feel old and filled with tradition without the overwhelming rush of tourists. Before catching the train home, we stopped in at The Eagle & Child for lunch. This pub is famous for its hosting of “The Inklings”, a small group of friends that met to discuss literature, writing and life. Members of this group included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. There is a plaque in the back of the pub, along with a couple of pictures signed by both Lewis and Tolkien signed portraits 

Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland

My mom was supposed to arrive today and stay for two weeks but due to all the snow that fell on Saturday, Heathrow closed and her flight was cancelled.   We had planned to take her to Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland but Brody and I decided to go without her.

Hyde Park is a mile from our place and has been a favorite running destination since we moved in. At the Winter Wonderland we tried the Christmas favorites including mulled wine, pretzels and German sausage. The Wonderland plays host to lots of rides and even a haunted Christmas house, which we decided was too scary for us. 

Snowfall

They say its been the coldest December since records began in 1910.  Its already snowed 3 times since we’ve been here but today, the Saturday before Christmas and busiest travel day before Christmas has been the biggest snow fall so far.  I thought it was beautiful but I didn’t have anywhere I needed to be.  I went for a long run in the morning and by the time I got home it was snowing so hard I could barely keep the snow out of my eyelashes so I could see.   We spent the rest of the day walking around the neighborhood and stopping for groceries.  

I took this picture on the main road we live on, Holland Park Avenue.
I love the red double decker buses with the white snow.

view of the snow from our window

Getting settled

After two weeks in temporary housing we are in our new flat.  So far the hardest part of getting settled here has been finding a place to live.   We found out the hard way that the market here moves very quickly and you have to act fast when you find something you want.  We had a one-day home search with an agent who took us to look at 12 properties and we ended up putting offers in on 4 of our top choices, all of which had already been taken earlier that day.  Whilst the search day did not result in a treasured flat, after a couple more nights of looking after work, we found our new flat in Holland Park.  Flat 6, a 500 square foot gem, located just minutes from the tube with a view of the local private tennis club and green space out back. 

The big window lets in a lot of light which brightens up the whole room.

Kitchen includes a dorm sized refrigerator and a washer/dryer combo
but no dishwasher :(

Look at all that storage... I was sold on this place when I saw the closet.

London Calling.......

After several years of tossing around the idea of taking a secondement we finally made up our minds and 6 months later here we are on our way to London for 2 years.  With the majority of our belongings in storage, our house rented, cars sold, Lou on his way to being adopted and 4 suitcases in our hands we headed to the airport (don’t worry we had a few boxes shipped as well). It wasn’t easy and we have had a few ups and downs but glad that we are here.   Leaving behind family, amazing friends, co-workers and all of the comforts and familiarities of home has been the hardest adjustment. We hope that this experience will help us grow both personally and as a couple....oh and professionally since we are here to work.  

I hope that this blog provides a way for us to keep a record our experiences for us to look back on as well as a way for our family and friends to see what we’ve been up to.