Christ Church, Oxford, England, UK

Christ Church, Oxford – home of Alice’s Wonderland and the set of Harry Potter films. Actually, there is a lot more to Christ Church, a lot more.

I’m here. The travel was straightforward enough. No glitches to speak of.

It’s raining. Evidently, it does this a great deal. No one seems to mind. I have the necessary gear.

My room is on the fourth floor of the Meadow Quad, so named for its view of the Christ Church Meadow. It’s directly off of the Tom Quad with Sir Christopher Wren’s commanding tower, which gives Christ Church its presence on St. Aldgates Road in Oxford City Centre. From here, I have an easy walk to the Great Hall on Tom Quad for meals and Peckwater Quad where my classes will be held. Peckwater Quad is between Christ Church and Oriel College.

Since I am a nut about trivial historical information, here are some facts and figures about Oxford University.

The student population of Oxford, which is 39 colleges, is 18,000. Rather small when compared to any number of land grant universities in the US.

Oxford has more published authors per square mile than anywhere else in the world. I wonder if they had them all stand in one quad to make it true. Don’t know.

For garden fans, Oxford’s Botanic Garden is the oldest in the world. It was founded as a physics garden in 1621, fourteen years after Jamestown and one year after Plymouth. A stroll through the garden is on my to-do list.

Oxford is the oldest English speaking university in the world. It was founded in 1249, roughly in the generation following the inking of the Magna Carta. The oldest college in the university is St. Edmund Hall. One of its notable graduates is Terry Jones of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. The youngest college is St. Catherine’s, founded in 1964. The first college to admit women, and the only college founded by Queen Elizabeth I, was Jesus College, founded 1571.

Oxford, from my thus far short stay, is big on tradition. One of the traditions is honoring and keeping the full names of each of the 29 colleges. Oriel College has the longest name: The Provost and Scholars of the House of the Blessed Mary, the Virgin of Oxford, commonly called Oriel College, the foundation of Edward the Second of famous memory, sometime King of England.

There are porters at each gated entrance to Oxford. I am told that they can answer any and every question about either the university or the city. If they can’t, they know someone who can. Very trusted and admired, the porters. Tourists are allowed access to some places in the university, but are not allowed access to many others. The neat thing about the summer program I am participating in is that I can roam wherever I wish. The porters are dressed formally – dark suit with tie -- including the traditional black bowler hat. I love those hats. Would it be possible to get away with wearing one in Winchester? I wonder.

The university’s Bodleian Library is nearly seven centuries old at the last counting. It houses more than 9,000,000 documents in ten buildings on 105 miles of shelves. Yes, you read it right. Six zeroes is correct. I’m taking the grand tour of Bodleian in the middle of the week. I understand it takes the better part of an afternoon.

One final note: On Monday evening I am dining at High Table with Christchurch’s scholars. The evening, which is formal, begins with sherry wine in the reception area of the Great Hall. This is one of the treats afforded the summer program participants.

That’s it for the moment. Peace.