Rowan's Excellent Adventure - Day 2

Hello all. This has been a better day than yesterday. My strategy of forcing myself into England time seems to have worked. I woke at 6am local feeling only slightly hung over.

After speaking via google talk with my partner and a friend, I made my way down to breakfast at the hotel. I must say that as unimpressive as my room is, that the dining room is quite nice.

Ah Breakfast
I went into the dining room thinking this would be a continental breakfast. There was juice, fruit, cheese, cereal, and some excellent hot pastries. I took some fruit, a pastry and some cheese and went to sit down. The woman who checked me in yesterday asked if I wanted a "poor mans" English breakfast. Feeling adventurous, I said "yes please."

A few minutes later, she brought me a huge plate of food (I wanted to take a picture of it but thought that would be seen as rude). It had a fried egg, two pieces of "bacon," a "sausage," some pork and beans and half a tomato. I "tucked into" breakfast, but what it looked like and what my taste buds were expecting did not agree. The bacon looked a bit like Canadian bacon, though cut long like U.S. bacon. It did not taste like either. The "sausage" looked like a small specialty sausage - not like a breakfast pork sausage, and it had virtually no seasonings - or seasonings I could not recognize. The pork and beans were similar to Van De Camps - but not particularly sweet. The tomato was a tomato, though the egg didn't taste like my eggs.

I was eating out of politeness and not particularly enjoying it. As I struggled with my taste buds, I thought that my brother-in-law Dennis would probably fall over for this breakfast. He is from England (Wales actually), and I imagine he deeply misses familiar tastes and meals as he lives in Portland now. Anyway, I felt quite guilty not liking a meal I thought he would love.

Right then, my hostess approached asking if I was in Room 25 and when I responded "yes" she handed me the phone. Guess who? Dennis of course. I told him what I was having for breakfast, and chatted, and then spoke with my sister in law Kathi. We chatted briefly as I ate my toast - which was excellent being homemade bread. I tried to make it look like I ate more of the breakfast than I had.

I went outside, and took the garden pictures posted earlier, and then decided to go for a walk. Actually, I wanted to rent a bike, but they wanted 15 pounds with a 100 pound deposit for the day, and that was too steep for my budget. Therefore I set out on foot.

I decided to take Marston Ferry Road as it looked like it ran into farming areas. Indeed, it did. Below is a cottage from the walking path that runs along Marston Ferry Road

The way the paths are laid out is interesting. There is the road for the cars. Then there is a hedge with a bike road, and a separated walking path/side walk. Then there are also paths leading off periodically into the fields which are sometimes labeled "footpaths." There is a distinct lack of signage everywhere. Many of the streets seem to have no signs. The paths almost never have signs. I guess you are supposed to know where you are and where you are going. I did not.

I thought I would take about an hour's walk. That turned into three and a half hours because I had no idea where I was. I will say, that I did not get too far off course, and only had to turn around a backtrack once.

Ducks on the River Cherwell from the Marston Ferry Road bridge.

One part of the foot path An Oxford neighborhood - I have no idea what street as there were no street signs

I decided that rather than turn around and walk back up Marston Ferry, I would make a loop. I checked my "trusty" map and it showed a connection over to a major thoroughfare which crossed Banbury (the street the hotel is on). The connection was named "Back Lane" - not called that, named that. So I headed down "Back Lane" which is apparently part of the foot path system.

Back Lane

Here is a field off Back Lane

I assume this type of gate is to keep the cows in, but I never saw one cow.

Unfortunately, Back Lane just becomes a track:

So I cross over one of these foot bridges to try and find a more well traveled route.

And if I were in Eugene, we would call this a slough. I have no idea what they call it here.

This is where I went from confused to lost. A passerby seeing me pouring over my map stopped to help, and with more vague directions, sent me back the other way.

There are these huge fields - some groomed and some obviously farm - in the middle of what appears to be city. Most are not labeled so it is hard to figure out what you are looking at (or where you are). I am wishing the dogs were with me to run in these fields.

Like this one which is clearly "something"

And this one which is a farm (with dogs)

And these - which I believe are some form of British pheasant eating in a field.

And this old cottage which I thought had character.

Anyway, the new directions placed me in the back side of University Parks - though the sign for that was a forty minute walk away. I crossed back over River Cherwell and captured these pics.

Swans, ducks, and I believe a Coot.

The same swans...

A pretty good picture of one of the swans.
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Hiking on, the most striking aspect of University Parks was the trees.

This one, and the close up following, was striking.

Some more nice trees ...

Finally I get to the University Parks map. Of course, there is no "X" saying "You are here."

I am at some entrance, but it is not clear which one. I figure I must cross the park to get back to Banbury Road, but I am somewhat intimidated by the following sign:

I have no idea what a "Bollard" is, but it sounds vaguely like the troll under the bridge.

I believe this may be a "Bollard," but I wouldn't bet lunch on it.

For my friends who drool over flowers, here are some pics of flower beds in University Parks.

And for those, who like me prefer trees ...

A huge oak - trunk about 6 feet.

Another grand tree.

And its neighbor


A brave bird - it came close enough and stayed still long enough for me to get a picture.

After asking directions three more times, I find my way out of University Parks to discover find I am actually at Oxford University. By this time I am too footsore to explore. However, there were some great architectural examples here.

Ultimately, I did find my way back to Banbury road. By then, I was about 2 miles above my hotel. I made it back without event, then slept for an hour.

After resting up, I went back out into the world to try to see the "backside" of the Oxford business district. I didn't really find it though I walked a ways. I did however find Portland Road and decided to check it out.

Here is an old church.

And a Rowan tree.

This is the typical architecture on Portland Road.

Returning to the hotel, I saw this sign which somehow I missed before. It is on a pole in front of the hotel.

Well enough of this for now. I am getting hungry and have decided to try the pub down the road. I get nervous eating out because I am clearly a foreigner. Those from England all eat left handed. They cut with their right hand and eat with the left (fork turned downwards). I have tried it several times, but my lack of comfort makes me look all that much sillier.

Posted by rowan at July 14, 2007 7:23 PM | [eMail this article!] |