back to oxford.

thankfully our first day back was one of rest and relaxation. it started with a brunch for dr. collins at bella italia. we wanted to thank him for what he has done, so we got together and paid for his meal. because of this, we didn't have class and got to sleep until eleven o'clock. it was much appreciated sleep after the busy days of paris. for brunch i ordered calamari for cleo, dr. collins, and i to split, and i had a pasta for my main course. because it was a special, i do not remember it's name. it was basically baked penne with a bolognese and wine sauce. it was the comfort food i needed after a few really long days. after brunch, we split ways temporarily, i went and picked up a music guide from blackwell's, and we met back up to see william shakespeare's the tempest.

the play was incredible. it has always been one of my favorites, and i was thrilled to actually see it performed. my earliest memory of the drama is one the old television show wishbone, a program with a jack russell as the main character acting out stories from throughout history. i was completely surprised in myself, for without having to pay too close attention, i was able to decipher much of the old english being used. this particular production incorporated music by the composer nick lloyd weber, so it provided much comic relief. the actors were brilliant, only six men and one woman played all of the parts. it was the perfect event for a relaxing afternoon.

after the play ended, steven and i went on an adventure of our own. first, we went to shake away, a milkshake place in king's cross. it has hundreds of combinations to try, and steven an i decided to venture into the world of exploration. he got what was called a janet. it was comprised of chunks of strawberry cheesecake, oreos, and it was topped with marshmellows. i was very proud of my decision. i got turkish delight. it was literally ice cream and turkish delight candy. i had only heard of turkish delight in c. s. lewis' the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe because they are edmund's favorite thing. i decided to be brave, and while in the country of c. .s. lewis, try turkish delight. it was wonderful. a turkish delight is a square of rose jelly encased in chocolate. it is sweet, but not overly sweet, and the flavor was to die for. i was thrilled with my choice. from shake away we went to primemart. primemart is a department store with, as steven describes it, h&m clothing at forever 21 prices. i bought a pair of pajama paints, a seersucker cami and boyshorts sleeping set, and some cheetah socks for my future little for only seven pounds fifty pence! i was so excited. from primemart, steven and i finally went to our final destination. evensong.

being two of four catholics in our group, going to evensong was very important to steven and i. unfortunately, christ church's chapel was not ready when we got there, so we befriended the elderly englishman who was in charge of letting people in, and we made a new friend. when we did get into the chapel, i was amazed with it's beauty. you were able to identify properties that were characteristic of the catholic faith that existed before the conversion of the cathedral under king henry the eighth, so although it was a different denomination, i still felt at home. the service was beautiful. the only spoken portions of the service were the readings and two of the prayers. apparently, it is special to have the cathedral choir sing, and they only participate in 160 services a year. we were very lucky to have seen them. going to the church also gave me a new appreciation for catholic kneelers. the kneelers in the chapel were simply cushions placed on the marble floor. they were quite uncomfortable, and my legs were grateful when i got up. i am happy to have been able to experience evensong, but i was even happier to come back to the flat and relax.

here are some pictures from christ church cathedral.

the apollo fountain in the central courtyard.


a lotus from the fountain. though the image is blurred, focus on the spectacular colors produced by the bloom.