At Least Once...

Lets be honest, I love Europe. LOVE.
I think everyone needs to go to some place in Europe at least once in their life time.
For me, visiting Europe was life changing. My first time there was when my friend and I went on our 6 week long backpacking trip. I was 18 and lugged a 50 lb backpacked to 15 different countries. No, I didn't know how to pack lightly then, but thankfully learned my lesson and put it to use this time around.
There were many learning experiences along the way. Some good, others regretfully painful. Did I already mention packing lightly? Serving others can lighten any burden you are carrying. Giving your stuff to those less fortunate that you find, that you would otherwise have to literally carry everywhere with you can do the same. Or like having my digital camera stolen 4 weeks into my trip of a lifetime. A painful lesson indeed. The obvious result is that I have very few picture to document my first trip.
This time things were going to be different. I unloaded the memory card at least once a day. I was going to document things so I could remember them as they were for me and Tim on his very first time out of the US, to none other than, Oxford, England.
And now, the first of what I'm sure will be a small series of mostly picture posts from our Oxford trip.

At the airport

Flying into daylight over the Atlantic

1st picture in Oxford.

Tired but happy we made it!

The first day at Oxford the place was super crowded and we were exhausted. We dumped our stuff, walked around a bit ate a meal at a little pub then went to our room and slept.

Exetor College, Oxford University

Outside of Exetor College Chapel, Oxford University

Inside Exetor College Chapel, Oxford University

Exetor College Chapel, Oxford University

...a store not for the dyslexic...

At Oxford Castle

Tim playing aunt sally at Oxford Castle

Leave it to Tim to hit the Doll the first time he's playing the game!

Not quite what he had in mind for his first time at a real castle...

 

Nuffield College, Oxford University

Another chapel, at another college at Oxford.

Jesus College Dining hall

A delicious meal I didn't have to cook, sans kids, in the dining hall at Oxford with my husband? Yes, please.

If Tim had a cab, this would be it. What do you think, fitting?

Ah, cobble stone streets. How I love them!

Jesus College, Oxford

This is where we ate all our meals. Jesus College dining hall, Oxford University

The doorway to stair case leading up to our room at Jesus College

The view into the second quad of Jesus College from one of our room windows.

Aw to wake up in such a place with such a site. Quite nostalgic.

When they told us we would be staying at Jesus College, it didn't quite "click" that we would literally be staying AT the college. It was lovely! Also, we didn't know that we would arrive on the weekend of the Oxford Open Doors event, where most of the colleges, that are usually only open for a few set hours each day ad charge a fee upon entrance, would be open free of charge to the public. How's that for timing??