Views of Oxford

Saint John's College.

Punts on the Thames
Less Barques sur la Thames

Christchurch College

The Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Christopher Wren, 1664-8

 Gargoyles from Magdalen College, Oxford

The Ashmolean Museum, 1908 having combined the University art collection held in the Bodleian Museum since 1620s and the original Ashmolean of 1683. Needs at least a month to view!

City Streets

and city buses!

Oxford

 Well now, we have made it to Oxford eventually ,and just as we were about to cruise a little further, discovered the next lock was still on a red board! So we were forced to moor just opposite this lovely pub!

Eh bien, nous sommes arrives a Oxford, finalement! Mais, nous ne pouvons pas continuer car la derniere ecluse etait toujours rouge. Impossible de bouger. On etait obliger d'amarre la peniche en face de ce tres jolie "pub"!Dommage....

 A short walk took us into the centre of Oxford. This is Old Tom's Tower which stands at the entrance of Christchurch College. It is Oxford's oldest and loudest bell and at 9.05pm every evening, it rings 101 times.It has done this forever, well , at least since they had their first 101 students and a 9pm. curfew.

Pas loin on a trouver la centre ville. Ici c'est La Vieille Tour de Tom, qui se trouve a l'entree de Christchurch College. C'est la plus vieille et la plus forte cloche a Oxford et tous les soirs elle sonne a 21.05h ,101 fois. Elle a fait ca pour toujours, au moins depuis il y avait les premiers etudients (101) et un couvre-feu a partir de 21h..

Next stop, the Castle, this part of which was a prison from Norman times, 1066 and all that, up to 1996. It's a great place to visit and get good views of Oxford from the top of St. George's Tower. You do  have to climb a lot of steps up a spiral staircase, but it's worth it!
Le prochaine arret, le Chateau, dont cette partie etait un prison depuis les Normands, 1066 etc. jusqu'au 1996. Il vaut mieux de faire une visite,si vous montez l'escalier en colimacon il y a un vue magnifique d'Oxford.

Voila, J'ai dit que c'est un prison. John , where he belongs!

And now for his punishment! The Crank, which could be adjusted so that it was harder to turn for more serious misdemeanors!

Et maintenant, sa punition! The Crank, on tourne, facilement  mais si les delits etaitent graves, il tourne avec  plus de difficulte!

The two criminals, The Pughs!

View of Oxford from the top.

To Wallingford and Beyond!!!!!

Eventually, the Thames calmed down  and off we went...

So, nine days since the last post, where have we been? NOWHERE! Well, we made it to Reading, but only just as the Thames was in full, fast and furious flow. Red boards went up at all the locks so no choice but to stay moored on the Forbury Loop between Reading jail and HomeBase.  A bit of a worry in the event of a mass breakout in case we were hijacked for a quick getaway...In the end, it was HomeBase to the rescue and we spent the time replacing the kitchen tiles.

Yeah, this is it calmer...

 The birds were entertaining too!

We had wanted to stop here overnight but there was the not-so-small matter of a mooring fee...
Moving on , we moored at Clifton Lock. Should be in Oxford tomorrow. Wonder what the mooring fees will be there...

Return to Reading/ La Retour a Reading

 This is the River Avon, in flood, at Bradford on Avon. It was moving quite quickly! And this is slower than it was in Bath. It is why we have had to retrace our steps along the Kennet and Avon ( all those locks!!!) and return to Reading.A journey of 10 very wet and cold days!

 Voici la Riviere Avon en crue a Bradford sur Avon. Elle s'ecoules tres vite! Et ici c'etait moins vite qu'a Bath. C'est pourquoi nous etions obliges de retourner sur  nos pas sur le canal Kennet et Avon ( avec tous ses ecluses!!) et revenir a Reading. Un trajet qui a duree 10 jours tres humide !

However, it was not without its highlights. The nesting swans on the way down to Bath had managed to hatch six of their nine eggs.
And the sun DID shine, once, at sunset.

Pourtant, la retour as donne des belles choses. Les cygne ont six petits! Et le soleil a brille, une fois,au coucher du soleil. 

 So now we are back where we started. And , guess what? The River Thames is in flood. Canal craft are banned. We cannot get to Oxford...  Yet....                                                                                              

Eh bien, nous sommes revenues a notre point de depart.Et devinez vous qu'est ce que ce passe? La Riviere Thames est en crue. C'est interdits aux peniches. Nous ne pouvons pas continuer a Oxford. Pour l'instant.....

But we keep smiling!
Il faut sourire!!

May 6th Somebody's 61st Birthday!!! Quelqu'un as 61 ans aujourd'hui!

 

Birthday Boy on Board!
      Time for pressies,
          wine and cake!!




  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN! xxx

 L'anniversaire du Capitain!
    C'est le moment pour
       des cadeaux,du vin et 
          du gateau!!!


  BON ANNIVERSAIRE JOHN! xxx

                                       And thank you for all the e mailed best wishes and e cards,

                                                                   much appreciated!!

Bath Part 2/ Bath, deuxieme partie

The oldest house in Bath c.1482; Sally Lunn's Bun Shop c.1680,now a tea shop and museum.

Sally Lunn was a French refugee and taught the local baker how to make a type of brioche.The secret recipe was rediscovered in the 1930s and the buns are baked on the premises, though not, I hope, in the kitchen pictured below..

La plus vieille maison a Bath,c.1482;Sally Lunn's Bun Shopc.1680, maintenant un salon du the et un musee.Sally Lunn etait une francaise qui a montre au boulanger comment cuire la brioche.La recette secret etait retrouve pendant des annees 1930 et les "buns"   sont fait dans la maison, mais , heureusement , pas dans la cuisine dans le photo suivant!

And being a tea shop, we had coffee and buns which were yummy!

Les brioches avec du beurreet canelle, yummy!

And so, back to the rainy streets. Small, narrow and interesting...

Eh bien, on retour aux rues dans la pluie. Petits, etroits et interessantes....
















Or wide, curved and grandiose. The Royal Crescent.

Ou large, courbe et grandiose. The Royal Crescent.

For Jane Austen fans, The Assembly Rooms.

Bath Abbey.

And for my two brothers, Peter and Martin , who spend a dispropportionate amount of time trying to photograph seagulls. These two were NOT camera shy! It was too wet to fly...

Bath, at last!

Bath!  After rain , rain and storms and more locks than can surely be necessary, we moored  at the top of the final six locks and got our first view of this beautiful city. Even in the rain Bath is beautiful, stylish and elegant. Thank goodness for the 18th Century

Bath! Apres la pluie, la pluie, le tempete et une surabondance d'ecluses ( qui n'etaient pas tout a fait necessaire a mon avis! ) nous avons amarre avant les six derniers ecluses et, voila, notre premier vue de cette ville si elegant et si chic. Merci au dix-huitieme siecle!

The Roman Baths built between the first and fifth centuries A.D.
This is the main event but there are many more, including England's only natural hot spring around which the Baths were built.

Les Bains Romanes,construit entre le premier et le cinquieme siecles. Ici c'est le plus important mais il y a plusieurs d'autres,dont le seul d'eau source chaud en angleterre.

And now for afternoon tea in The Pump Rooms!





Et, maintenant, c'est l'heure de gouter au "Pump Rooms"!