July 11, 2015
We were at Starbucks by 07:00. There are actually breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks that I can eat. I had salmon cheese on a bagel. It was pretty good.
We got on the train for Oxford. We sat separately. My daughter has a large personal space, but it did make it easier to deal with my pack as I didn’t have to lift it overhead or take up foot room with it. The train was not crowded.
What was the first thing we did when we got to Oxford? Go to Waterstones, of course. Then, we went to the Bodleian and bought tickets for the tour. Unfortunately, we could only get the 30 minute tour because it was Degree Day (Graduation Day). Because of graduation ceremonies, they only gave one long tour and that had been earlier in the day. The thirty minute tour guide gave out lots of information but we didn’t get to see much.
The Bodleian is a read only in library. No books are checked out. They also get one copy of 
every book printed (in the UK I think.) It merged with the Radcliff Library which is really just next door but they were two different libraries for a long time but now it is just the Radcliff branch of the Bodleian. I didn’t take notes so now I don’t remember who actually donated the money for the first hall of the library but not too long later, Bodley bequeathed his entire fortune to add to and expand.
Interestingly, the guide pointed out that the coat of arms for the library is an open book with the words, God enlightens me written in Latin on the pages. It symbolizes that education is for everyone. In contrast, he said, to Cambridge whose coat of arms is a closed book.
The dining hall at Oxford was what was used for the dining hall at Hogwarts. Harry Potter also took the coat of arms for the University and changed the motto to Never tickle dragons (in Latin).
We had lunch at the Eagle and Child, known to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Inklings, as the Bird and Baby. They evidently spent a lot of time there. There are quotes from them all over. We spent some time at the Oxford Waterstones. How could I not buy a book about C.S. Lewis in Oxford?
