These photos sum up Saturday! It was culture day :) We had an organized trip to Bath, and in the evening some of us went to watch a play. I did not go to Bath as I have visited before, and also wanted to spend more time in Oxford. Based on my classmates’ reviews, they really enjoyed Bath (it was a beautiful day to be out!). My classmate Sophie has been kind enough to share her day at Bath:

“We went to Bath on a beautiful sunny day, and it felt like being on a summer holiday. There were people everywhere, a beautiful sight every way you turned, and long lines at every ice cream store! 

Two things which sum up the main elements of Bath are architecture and tourism. Firstly, the architecture: of course this begins with the Roman baths, and it continues on with the beautiful Abbey, the squares and public places, and the large-scale housing. There are rows of terrace houses designed in the 1700s with a facade giving the appearance of a huge palace. Oxford has beautiful buildings as well, but the Palladian style in Bath really made it a different experience. 

Secondly, the tourism. It seemed like every man and his dog (literally – there were lots of dogs being taken for walks!) were in Bath that Saturday soaking up the sun and the atmosphere. But beyond that you could feel the hundreds of years of tourism which had helped to shape the place. It was quite common in the past few centuries for the English upper class to spend seasons elsewhere, and Bath was a very popular location for doing just that. It was said that “taking the waters” in Bath could cure just about anything, and so naturally it was a very popular pastime. Our tour guide pointed out – in between rousing renditions of the score of Les Miserables – different buildings where the genteel holidaymakers would stay, bathe, and meet for concerts or to share the latest gossip.

All in all it was a lovely and relaxed day in Bath, and it’s easy to see why it has been popular since the Roman times.”

Thanks Sophie!

I spent the Saturday exploring 4 of the colleges – Christ Church, Worcester, St Johns and Magdalen.I dare say I have finally identified my favourite college in Oxford having now visited quite a few ;)

The evening was all about theatre – Abigail’s Party @ the Oxford Playhouse. I was really looking forward to this having watched Amand Abbington play Mary in Sherlock, the TV series. The play was great fun – very entertaining, and the perfect end to the day!

Food recommendations from the day: amazing milkshakes at Moo-Moo’s at the Covered Market and the best cream tea ever (tea and scones) at Valerie Patisserie.