My views do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
April 2025
It turned out that William, the French guy I met on the ship, was on a road trip around England, so we decided to meet up since we happened to be in the same country. Where could we meet between Cardiff and Liverpool? Rose recommended Oxford.
In 2005, Emily joined me on my first trip to England so I could audition for theatre schools (which I didn’t get into). While we were there, my Uncle Michael, Aunt Marta, cousin Nick, his twin brother Andy’s girlfriend (now wife) were there visiting Andy who was studying at Oxford. We met all of them in Oxford for the day. It was the best – we went punting (Andy did most of the punting- I tried and failed to move the boat), and we had a tour of the school grounds with commentary by Uncle Michael (who had also gone to Oxford) sharing all the stories from when he was a student, along with Andy telling us how things were now. I hadn’t been back since (besides a brief stop for brunch and a COVID test back when those were required to fly internationally).
Last fall, while I was on the other side of the world, Rose sneakily got married in Oxford. I visited her venues so we could pretend I had been there.
William met me at the covered markets around the corner and we wandered the streets of Oxford until he had to leave for the four-hour drive to Liverpool. Unfortunately there is no photo evidence that this happened. I did, however, manage to take a picture of this graveyard:
It had been a beautiful day full of great conversation, but when William went on his way, I wasn’t finished with Oxford yet, so I stayed the night. Now, back on my own, I remembered to document my experience.
Rose had given me a list of fun things to do in Oxford and I wanted to try them all. The next (late) morning, I set off toward the botanical gardens when I realized that the Cellar Door was on the way. It seemed like a great idea to check that out on the way to the garden. Rose said there was a delightful local white wine. The Cellar Master helped me narrow down which one she was talking about from the many he had that fit that description.
I love a cozy nook to sit and people watch.
Then I was off to the gardens!
Spring had sprung!
There were even some fairies and elves walking around (I also saw them wandering the streets later that day):
After the gardens, I needed a toilet, so I sought out a pub. At the bar the choice of what to order was obvious:
I was delighted to find an awesome garden in the back that matched my drink!
On the way back I checked out the punting options. Based on experience, I knew that I would need a guided punt. The sign said it was £50. I decided to pass and just treasure the memory I had from 20 years ago.
Back at the covered markets, I returned to the Cellar Door, and this time ordered a taste of their reds, along with a pizza from the stall next door.
This pizza was incredible – a tangy sourdough crust with a garlic dipping sauce that elevated the whole experience. The service from both places was fantastic.
After rounding out the perfect meal with some gelato I headed back toward the Head of the River where they offered more boat rides.
On the way I found this pub which made me think of my friend David Aiken, The Checkerboard Guy!
If you recall, I met David on Diamond Princess where he was juggling as a guest entertainer. I had such a great time chatting to him and learned that he lives in Canada just across the water from my mom. I had planned to visit his Air BnB and soon-to-be open-brewery with my mom and Ron Voyage, but I had to cancel at the last moment to join MSC.
I visited the pub in David’s honor and let him know that he already had a spot waiting for him in Oxford.
Back at the other end of town, I arrived just in time to catch the next boat down the Thames.
I love a boat ride. And here I was, on a boat, looking at other boats- and oddly drawn to sinking boats.
We passed the boat houses I’d visited with my family 20 years ago:
I think someone gets to live in that little hut and be responsible for the traffic in this waterway.
And then I was back where I started. Oxford is spectacular. The architecture is dazzling. I especially enjoyed having my experience infused with my memories of visiting this city in a different lifetime.