Oxford

On Sunday, July 22^nd I went Oxford, which Cambridge students call “the other place.” 

After a short walk by the river, my friends and I went to the Eagle and Child, the pub where Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and their writers’ group the Inklings used to meet.  As a fan of both writers, I was thrilled!

The outside of the pub.

We also went to the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, an excellent museum containing mummies, Greek and Roman statues, and lots of paintings and other artifacts.

Like the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford is divided into colleges.  I visited Christ Church College, where parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed.  The College was founded in the early 16^th century and has many famous alumni, including Lewis Carroll.  

While I was there, I got to see the staircase where Professor McGonagall greeted Harry upon his arrival at Hogwarts, the room that inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall, and the College's impressive cathedral.

A view of Christ Church from the outside.

The staircase used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies.

The dining hall that inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall.

We had beautiful weather for the trip, and overall it was a magical day.  I'm still obligated to maintain that Cambridge is better, of course, but if you'd like to decide for yourself, here's a video debating the merits of the two universities: