Sunday 11 July 2010

Alice's Day


Saturday was "Alice Day" here at Oxford, which means the English embraced their eccentricity, donned their fancy dress, (Brit-speak for costumes), and celebrated Lewis Carroll's flight of fancy with performances, exhibits, live music, and, naturally, snark-hunting. For my part, I grabbed a blanket and my used copy of Alice in Wonderland and headed over to Christ Church College, the largest and arguably most prestigious of Oxford's colleges, where Charles Dodgson, a.k.a. Lewis Carroll, taught math for thirty years, to catch what I could of the festivities. I reclined on the grass and tumbled down after the white rabbit, amid the surreal sea of little Alices, flamingos, and Mad Hatters frolicking around in the meadow. And of course, this isn't just any meadow, but is, in fact, 'The Meadow' where Charles whiled away his own sunny Oxford afternoons playing croquet on the lawn with young Alice Liddell, daughter of the dean of Christ Church.

At six o'clock, I strolled over to the 12th century cathedral for 'Evensong', which takes place nightly, is free, and features the renowned Christ Church Cathedral Choir, who, allowing for some obvious changes to the line-up, have been singing by candlelight there for 500 years. Following their performance, I attempted to gain entry (pried, scraped, clawed, what have you...), into the adjacent dining hall- the very same dining hall used in the Harry Potter films! Christ Church was a step ahead of me though, as the entrance was locked and the side staircase cordoned off. Well, they have to eat sometime, so vowing my return, I retreated across the street for a blackberry ice cream and, in case you think I am neglecting my studies, spent the rest of the evening examining the reproductive structures of an aquatic plant, with a nightcap of Henry IV, part one. Yes, Shakespeare and I stayed in on Saturday night, which, considering that my windows open out into the bustling High Street, the equivalent of a busy Main Street in the States, was no small feat. This place may have produced some kings, a dozen or so prime ministers, and assorted Nobel laureates, but let's not forget the distinguished alumni also include, (my personal favorites), Hugh Grant and Bill Clinton, so I guess what I'm getting at is, Oxford? At the end of a long day? Likes to have a good time. Inhaling optional.

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