LIM College

April is really turning out to be a beautiful month. We have barely had rain and the temperature has not dropped below 60 degrees.  From what I hear, it is very different from the weather you are all having at home!

Anyway, I know we’re all familiar with the boost of optimism and happiness that accompanies the first few days of spring weather.  After two and a half months of gray London weather, this warmth and sunshine is welcomed with open arms (I’m even writing this while lying in the sun in Hyde Park). 

This great weather has also inspired me to take day trips to the great places England has to offer outside of London. My first trip was to Brighton. It is in southern England, a coastal city, along the English Channel. It is city with a young population; there are two universities and a lot of attractions. It is also the “holiday” destination for city dwellers to escape to their version of the beach: no sand, just rocks, similar to some beaches in Rhode Island. The city is unique with a wide range of shopping. “The Lanes” has cute English boutiques and art galleries then the more bohemian side “The North Lanes,” has vintage shops, record stores, vegan restaurants and street performers galore.

My next trip was to Oxford. I may have had the subconscious desire to go there in hopes of finding a husband or Chuck Bass look-a-like (kidding…) but while I was there, my ambitions to find one were distracted by the beautiful architecture of the different colleges of Oxford University and of the town itself. This is what I had imagined England to look like. The main college we went to was Christ’s Church, which is where a great deal of Harry Potter is filmed.  Most notably we walked thorough the dining hall with the long wooden tables which was the inspiration for the larger set created for the film.

After exploring the University we engaged in an activity that apparently originated in Oxford, punting. It is pretty much England’s version of a gondola ride. We sat in a long boat that looks similar to a canoe while a boy stood at the stern and pushed us along the Thames. It was a really relaxing experience to row along the Thames and see Oxford in a different light after walking around all day.