Happy weekend all! Hope you’re all having a nice chilled weekend 
So far this weekend has been brilliant. Yesterday I caught the train to Oxford to meet up with my friends from university. Usually we go to London or Reading as it’s a nice half-way point for us all as we’re all scattered over the country, but we decided to meet up in Oxford this time for a change. I’m so relieved we didn’t decide to go to Reading because that’s where I’ve been working for the past three weeks and if I’m quite honest I’m sick of it.
I think I’ve been to Oxford once before when I was looking around at universities (in the end the whole interview process and academic snobbery put me off – no offence to anyone who went there but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Plus I’m not sure I would have gotten in! It’s a whole different league of smartness).
Anyway, so I got the train (oh how I loathe trains) and met up with my four lovely girlfriends. Obviously the first thing we did was go to Starbucks for a coffee. Well of course, right?
Americano with a splash of hazelnut syrup thank you very much.
And we nattered on for a good hour I’d say. You know what girls are like…
Then we moseyed about for a while looking around the shops. We went into the Covered Market where there were all these little boutquey-style shops.
And we found a cake making shop where I bought some decorations for our Christmas cake (which is still to be made…).
Check out this amazing cake that was in the window:
Wow, right??
After the market, we meandered around the streets and admired all the colleges and old buildings, which were just beautiful.
It was such a perfect day to wander around. It thankfully didn’t rain! We decided to look around the Deer Park. But when we arrived at the entrance the man told us it would cost us a £5 each. I mean seriously?? To walk around a park! We obviously looked a bit devastated so he said we could have a quick look. So we had a quick look and then moved to leave. The man then said “Oh alright, you don’t have to pay, just go in”. How nice is that? Thank you Mr Deer Park Man!
So we had a lovely walk in the park and saw some deer (albeit from a distance).
And then we started to get hungry and went to find some lunch. One of my friends suggested a pub, The White Horse, that she’d been to before which was 50% vegetarian. I’m not a vegetarian but one of my friends is and none of us are really your steak and kidney pie kinda girls so it made sense.
It was quite small and busy but it was just nice to be in the warm as the day was starting to get very nippy. I decided to go for the hummus and olive salad.
Very yummy. Can’t go wrong with hummus in my books! After we’d finished eating and we’re digesting we noticed the pub suddenly became even more packed. Ah ha, the rugby was starting. So we scampered quickly.
So we looked round more of Oxford.
It was just lovely. It felt like Harry Potter (yes, go ahead and laugh at me) with all the cloisters and old buildings. I took so many photos! (Hence my collage explosion in this post, apologies).
And finally we visited the Oxford Castle, which is basically just a mound of earth now. The Oxford Castle is also the site of the old prison as well so we had a bit of fun with the props at hand…
And then after another coffee we parted ways. It was such a lovely day-trip. I love our meet-ups. We just slot back into place like we’ve never left uni. I wish I could see them more often but it’s so tricky with us living so far apart. But it was a great day regardless!
Then Ben picked me up from the station and he dashed off for the evening to see his friend. So obviously I watched Pretty Woman on my own with a couple of my other friends.
Perfect day!
What have you been getting up?
Have you been to Oxford before?
Looks wonderful- I love going to Oxford- lots of lovely buildings and shops, and you can walk along the river too. I have never been to the deer park though- looks lovely.
That cake shop is so impressive- I think when I have been there have always been a few people looking in amazement at the window display.
It was just so pituresque. I imagine actually during Christmas it gets very Christmassy with lights and decorations.
Yeah that shop was great – you can watch the people at work which was really interesting. I could have bought somuh but had to remember I was getting the train back so had to be selective.
That looks like such a fun trip!
It was so much fun, I love doing little day-trips 🙂
Oxford looks beautiful – but I can’t believe they wanted to charge a fiver to go in the park, that’s outrageous! Glad you didn’t have to pay and it looks like you had a lovely day.
That cake’s immense, although I’m not sure I could eat it, it’s that realistically turkey-like 🙂
I know, we were shocked. But they were quite nice in the end though. Hehe yeah the cake it a bit of a weird one for vegetarians haha. My friend who was with us is a veggie and she said she didn’t think she could stomach it. Maybe just a carrot! 🙂
Ahh, I absolutely LOVE Oxford! I’ve visited several times; the first being when I was 11, and I found it to be so enchanting. When I studied abroad in London during college, I took several day trips, and remember telling my friend that I planned to find a British man so that I’d have an excuse to move there. The town reminds me of Harry Potter as well! I mean, what could be better than that?
I’m so glad you had such a wonderful day—girl time is the best! And so is that Lindt sea salt chocolate bar! xoxo <3
Hehe that’s so cute that you wanted to find British man. We all thought it’d be lovely to live there but then there was definitely a consensus that we’d perpetually feel stupid because it just had that air of academia and knowledge. Students sat on steps reading books and looking intelligent and professors walking around. A very elite-college feel!
If you like Lindt chocolate, you absolutely have to try Hachez! 🙂
I’ll have to look that up, I’ve never heard of it!