In this place: Oxford, a bit to the left of this building, the Radcliffe Camera, part of the Bodleian. All Souls to the right, Oxford's only all-fellows college. My dear friend Alderik Blom, of Endlicher Glossary fame, also tells me that its fellows enjoy their own personal butlers, are far too self-satisfied (the butlers too!), and constitute a kind of ivory-tower-within-an-ivory-tower. Other observations: Englishmen don't know whether to pass you on the right or the left, which means you tend to walk into them. On the positive side: There's a nightlife! Restaurants! Gorgeous streets which still don't feel like the aisle of a museum! Some cafes have free internet connection! In other words, it's Cambridge, but with amenities. Inspector Morse -- is there a free room in your house?
3 comments:
CJ, this is a sad state of affairs: a Cantabrigian applauding the "amenities" of the Oxonians. We Novanglians would simply say it's enough to make do with the simplicities of clean water, a bed, a desk, and the pleasant company of the world's greatest thinkers on the page.
Kevin,
Nice to hear from you. All right. Let's add this, for balance: No Cam running through city centre! Poor punting technique! (They do it differently here...) No King's College Cows! And, most importantly, worse evensong!
Now that is the Carl we were missing. Agreed - punting is better on the Cam and the evensong at St John's, King's, Clare, or any of them is head-and-shoulders above anything at the other place.
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