P.S. by Macaron Hoarder: Oxford, Day 24: Christ Church Meadow

The professor of the Shakespeare course took the class on a walking tour of Shakespeare's influences and give further context to the plays by visiting sites downtown. We went to the Ashmolean Museum to look at Gothic and Renaissance art then visited other buildings downtown to observe their architecture. St. Michael's chapel, right by the shiny commercial shopping centers, is estimated to be at least 1,000 years old.

The most interesting site was by the Covered Market. It is currently a Pizza Express restaurant, but it used to be an inn that rumoured to host Shakespeare during his travels from London to Stratford-upon-Avon. Fact: Shakespeare became the godfather to the son of the inn's landlord. Some of the original support beams and doorways are preserved, as well as the fireplaces and some original wall frescoes.

Christ Church Meadow was the main destination for Literature of Oxford. After stopping at Moo-Moo's milkshakes in the Covered Market, we walked to Christ Church and walked towards the Meadow. We continued walking along the river and held class by the university boathouses. After sitting in the sun, watching ducks, and listening to lecture and the water, I went back to dorm and cooked some stir fry ingredients from the store.

The back room of Pizza Express that preserves some of the building's old frescoes and fireplaces. Shakespeare supposedly stayed in this room.

Another old fireplace on the left

St. Michael's. The common parish Shakespeare may have attended while staying in Oxford.

Old building that serves as a retail space

St. Mary the Virgin Cathedral. It is actually a very beautiful structure, but it is undergoing some preservation construction.

Another view of the Sheldonian Theatre, classical Renaissance architecture

The Bodleian Library, Gothic architecture

Wadham College

The professor of Literature of Oxford professor read an excerpt from Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis about little Lucy walking towards a lamp post and meeting Mr. Tumnus, the faun. Above is a lamp post...