brave new world of blogging: From Scotland To The Dreaming Spires of Oxford

After York, I had a few days in SW Scotland, visiting my cousins who have lived up there for 30 years - and this was the first time I have visited them there! Previous UK visits have had too many time restrictions to venture that far north. I was so pleased to finally see their lovely corner of the world. Even lovelier as the weather stayed fine for me. They have 20 acres of land, including a small loch with views to the distant ranges. Scotland is the last strong hold of the RED squirrels. The grey squirrels that have taken over England are kept out, as they carry a disease that they are immune to, but kills the reds. Valerie and Derek had red squirrels, otters, pheasants and a variety of birds visiting their garden. All very peaceful and far from the madding crowds.

Soon after Scotland I had my first experience of Oxford. Madding crowds galore there!! But still an amazing place to visit. Stunning architecture and stonework everywhere.

I stayed here at Magdalen College (pronounced Maudlin for some strange reason) in the very comfortable en-suite student accommodation. The college was previously frequented by CS Lewis and his friend JR Tolkien, as well as Oscar Wilde. What tales these walls could tell. The college grounds provided a tranquil sanctuary in heart of the city, with wonderful gardens and a deer park.

view of the deer park from my room

incredible stonework in the college chapel

unusual sepia-toned stained glass in the college chapel

The college dining room where they served breakfast

Deer in Magdalen College browsing just as high as they could reach on their tippy-toes

The cloisters that lead to the dining hall. All very atmospheric.

This modest looking white building is the oldest concert hall in Europe - the Holywell Music Room. Built in 1748. Handel himself performed here. Jo, our Rosalie circle dancing friend, has also performed here when she was with a local folk band. I met up with Jo one afternoon, as she happened to be in Oxford at the same time as me She sends her love to all her Aussie friends.

The venue only holds about 200 people, so is beautifully intimate. The seating is well-tiered so everyone gets a good view. The seats leave a little to be desired in the comfort department. Next time I will bring a cushion! I came here twice. One morning they had an hour long concert. A string quartet, made up of top professional players, performed Mozart String Quartet No.20. They were then joined by a pianist who played Mozart Piano Concerto No.12. It gave me some much needed time out, and was very relaxing.

I came back that evening for another concert by a pianist called Jack Gibbons. He now lives in New York, but returns to Oxford each summer for a series of concerts here. This is a man who has performed at Carnegie Hall and other great concert halls, so it was a privilege to see him play in such a small auditorium. This particular night he played Gershwin, and gave some insights into Gershwin's life. He has taught himself, from the composers early recordings, to play the music as Gershwin himself did, which is often very complicated. Just amazing! At times his hands were just a blur. After more than two hours of performing (all without any sheet music) he almost launched himself off the stool after his grand finale. I was so energised after the concert I didn't get to sleep for hours. And that is most unlike me! I can't imagine how he would have come down after such a passionate performance. And 2 days later he was going to be performing Chopin.

Another treat was to climb St Mary's Tower, up these stone stairs. It was well worth it for the breathtaking views from the top. Oxford certainly lives up to its name as the city of dreaming spires. I was also impressed with amount of parkland remaining in the city, and of course the rivers running through, although unfortunately much of the city is subject to flooding.