An Oxford Weekend -- and The Open

Our seminar schedule has been juggled a bit by Tisha b'Av falling on Tuesday this week, so Friday we had a "full" day that ran until 3 pm. Then out to dinner at the local Turnpike Inn, where our server was the same young woman who had helped Dad get his bearings the previous evening as he searched for Yarnton Manor. Great food -- very pleasant, warm surroundings -- and a most congenial staff. We should go back.

Saturday we headed into Oxford city center with Dad, got him the basic bearings on where things are, had lunch in The Kings Arms -- Oxford's oldest pub at 403 years and counting -- and then took in the Oxford Theatre Company's community theatre production of Antony and Cleopatra. Pretty impressive "amateur" theatre -- staged outdoors in the Trinity College Gardens. The tech booth was particularly cute....

Today we worshipped at Christ Church College chapel, which is also the Anglican cathedral in Oxford. Beautiful setting with terrific acoustics, and even though the cathedral choir is on tour, the volunteer choir did a very fine job with a sung Eucharist. Then found The Duke's Cut near the RR station, where they kindly tuned the bar/lounge big-screen to BBC-Two and we watched most of Louis Oosthuiven's front nine in the final round of his victory at The Open Championship in St. Andrew's. Drool, drool....

We find that the days turn quite lovely in the mid-afternoon, almost regardless of the weather predominating through the day. The only way I can describe it is to say that the weather softens at that time of day, as the light also takes on a softer, warmer glow into the evening, and the wind stills a bit. This evening as we walked over to Dad's cottage after supper we caught a glimpse of two horse riders, with a couple of scraggly dogs scampering along as companions, on Church Lane as they passed right in front of the Manor. In that time of day the image was nearly perfect. We've discovered some "footpaths" that cross Church Lane and have decided we need to take the trekking shoes and go explore them more fully one afternoon soon.

Back into it tomorrow with the seminar, as Sara Lipton finishes up her fascinating study of Jewish representations in art from 1000-1500 -- upending quite a few "settled results of scholarship" and introducing us to some wonderful images and ideas. Lynn will be off to Swindon, which sounds quite charming, and Dad will be taking the walking tour of Oxford -- or the red, open-top Sightseeing bus. And then we'll see what comes after that....