Port Meadow

Today has perhaps been the most productive day since I've been back. It's just a shame that (at the time of writing, almost 9pm) none of it has involved work. 

Despite a late night going to the pub for David's birthday and then watching a movie on Netflix with Kitty, I was up at around 9am. I decided it wasn't worth wasting my morning lying in bed so just got up and showered, had some breakfast and went to see Caragh. We planned to go for a walk down to Christ Church meadow because I wanted to take some photos, and run errands at the same time. It turned into a shopping trip with Anna - we went to get her screen repaired that she cracked last night when she dropped it outside the bike shed, I bought a bike helmet and a hockey stick, and we tried to find her some new jeans. 

It was then time for brunch - perhaps the best part of a Sunday. And miraculously college have now added American-style pancakes to their offerings at brunch - lots of happiness today from the students over this decision. I had visited Brasenose for brunch last term and been very jealous of their pancakes...not anymore! 

I thought I would get a few hours of work done before Chloe came over to Jesus (she's at Brasenose). We had planned a bike ride to Port Meadow at around 3pm once she was free. I didn't get any work done. I did search for the books on my reading list and organised which libraries I needed to visit tomorrow. It turns out that I am going to be visiting four different libraries to get books this week - a bit odd, and quite a pain really. I haven't even heard of one library I need to go to. It's also a nuisance that some books are reference only so I will have to work at the library. 

Kitty joined us on our bike ride. I'll start by saying we didn't really know where we're going, and so had a few false turns. Chloe also isn't very confident cycling on the road with all the other traffic, she got off at one point and just stood on the pavement. But we got there, and it immediately feels like you're away from the city. It's just a huge expanse of meadow with a river running through it, but it seemed there was some flooding as well because I'm sure the water in this photo isn't meant to be there...

We then cycled back, Kitty and I went to Heroes for a drink before dropping our stuff in college and heading to the cinema. We went to see The Imitation Game. I must admit that I knew nothing of the story prior to the film but it was perhaps one of the best films I've seen in a long while. Benedict Cumberbatch is a truly brilliant actor and the story very touching (and shocking). 

I'm now hoping to get a little bit of reading done, hopefully tick two things off my reading list. This week's essay is on the Cold War and Eastern Europe, my tutor's speciality - bit intimidating! 

As a side note today, I must express great gratitude to Graham Colling for gifting me with a Lifetime membership to Blip. It is hugely appreciated and I am actually quite touched to have been given to it by him. It's an added incentive to continue with this journal and continually seek to improve my photography. It's also wonderful to think that my pictures and musings of my life are enjoyed by others. So thank you very much!