Last year we kept students within the confines of greater London during our Maymester study abroad program. This year, I wanted them to have a flavor of the countryside and other parts of England, so we ventured out into the Midlands on a bus tour to Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford.
So, what delight I enjoyed when we disembarked our transit in Oxford at The Randolph, a rather posh, historic hotel. Our first business was a late lunch at a pub across the street from the university. Because we had a number of Harry Potter fans on the tour, one of our mandatory visits was the Great Hall at Christ Church. The hall was used as the model for the Hogwarts Dining Hall in the movies.
As stunning as the architecture at Oxford is, pondering the university’s role in the development of thought over nearly a millennium is mind boggling. It was a wonderful finish to a long day of travel.