oxford

winter is not the time to plan a lengthy walking tour of oxford. i swear the temperature is at least 5 degrees colder than in london. many people underestimate the beauty of smog: it holds in heat. and so i shivered from the station to the random point in the street where i ran into marci, who had been late to the station, but had caught us with us midway into town.
we did attempt some strolls, but after 30 minutes the cold would get to much, with the result that much of the time was spent in pubs, chatting. oxford is a lovely town, even if i will always prefer cambridge. it also has some great pubs. we headed for the most convenient and central: the bear, tufts tavern (not the place for a cold day) and the kings arms. we had a nice subsidised lunch in one of the colleges, marci getting us in by flashing his magic student card. hans once described oxbridge as being academia's answer to disneyland, and i remember his words every time i go back, and shall probably continue to do so, even as i prepare to leave academia. the pampered, cosseted life seemed claustrophobic when i lived in cambridge, but it certainly has its own advantages...