The Return

First off I have to apologise for my absence. It has been a rather manic few weeks, but now I'm back and here to fill you in on just some of things that kept me away!

Last week I finally returned to Oxford. I got the keys to my house for next year which has, unfortunately, turned out to be an absolute disaster! The house isn't really fit for habitation at the moment so I spent my sunny Sunday afternoon scrubbing and hoovering a 7 bedroom house. Not quite how I had planned to start my trip!

However, I was not going to let that ruin my time in Oxford. Sunday night, my friend Anna joined me and I took her exploring. The weather we are experiencing at the moment is crazy! Our little British bodies don't quite know what to do with themselves, I don't think I've ever seen sun like this for so many days in a row. Anna and I spent Sunday night sat outside a pub in St Clements watching the world go by. It felt like we were in another country so intense was the heat, even at that time of day!


An interesting view for drinks, the infamous Clems...
 

Although the nightmare of the house had rather dampened my spirits, Monday firmly raised them again. Just being able to be back in my city and show Anna some of my favourite haunts was such a pleasure.



I am ashamed to admit how easy it is to become immune to the beauty of Oxford. When you walk past these building so frequently you forget to look. Having Anna with me really allowed my to come at it with fresh eyes and the architecture really is breath taking. Just imagine how long it would have taken to build these incredible structures.

                                                

After a morning of shopping where I once again showcased an astounding ability at spending money that I don't really have, we grabbed a picnic lunch from Pret and headed down to Christ Church. (if you want to get into Christ Church, prepare to wait for hordes of tourists to pour through the gate before you can even attempt to pass through). My future house mate Maddie joined us, fresh from the 'joys' of our new home.  



 Forgive the lack of photo continuity, this photo was taken in May!

 

Running away from the college and down towards the river is a wide, tree lined path. Alongside it are grassy banks, just asking to be picnicked upon. We certainly weren't the only people to have that idea!

 

If you continue down this path you will come out along the banks of the river. Turn right and walk for a little while along the path and you will reach my favourite summer watering hole, The Head of the River.

 

This photo doesn't quite do it justice, but may give you a clue as to why I love it so much.

 

You are seated on the waters edge and get to watch the world on the river go by. Rowing teams jostle for space with boats and novice punters. It is always hilarious to watch people shakily head out on their punts, determined not to embarrass themselves in front of us vultures sipping drinks in the sun just waiting for someone to fall! I am yet to witness splash down but I live in hope. Notoriously difficult to get a table, I was chuffed when we managed to get sat right on the waters edge.

I appear to have made it my mission to consume as much Pimm's as is humanly possible this summer.

 

 

I finally got to try one of the Head of the River burgers and it did not disappoint. Succulent and with enough flavour to not be overwhelmed by the big wodge of blue cheese I had on it, my weeks of staring jealously at everyone else's food were not in vain. The chips that came with it are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best I have ever eaten. Ever. And I like chips! So fluffy on the inside but with the crispiest outer. Anna had crispy whitebait (you can see her digging into her pot in the back of the shot) and a walnut salad, and Maddie had the potted ham hock, all of which were delicious. For a warm day I cannot recommend this place enough.

 

Feeling full and rather hot from a day in the blazing sun we headed back to Cowley (the location of my new house) to shower off the day and get ready to head out for drinks. We decided it was time to explore Cowley more as it was an area I tried to avoid in my first year. Coming from a relatively small village in the countryside Cowley seemed more than a little scary to me on my first few visits. On this trip though I was so pleasantly surprised with it! Luckily our house is located at the nicer end of the Cowley road and it is really vibrant and is home to some great bars and restaurants.

Perhaps one of the most common sights in Oxford: A bike chained to something it shouldn't be!

 

We hit Kazbar on the rather aptly named Dawson Street for cocktails and it is officially my new favourite place! Unfortunately I don't have any photos and it is so wonderful inside! But the dark surroundings and the rather aggressive flash on my camera made photography rather tricky. Its interior could very easily trick you into thinking you were drinking in a Moroccan city, and looking out of the window onto the Cowley road is rather confusing. The lanterns, tapestries and stonework belong to a different world and create a very romantic setting. Definitely a future date spot! Cocktails are £4 after 10pm and are delicious. Maddie is being good so opted for water so missed out not only on the cocktails but also on the wonderful bar man. A serious character, you should stop by just to see him in action!

 

After a seriously full day we headed to bed exhausted but content. On Tuesday morning we rose early, packed up our things and headed home.

Despite the nightmare of the house, Oxford had once again excelled itself in providing me with a wonderful time and I can't wait to get back to it come September.