2. Express: Feeding the mind, Oxford University and the Ashmolean:
Oxford University’s Centre for Continuing Education offers a variety of one-day, weekend, or longer courses in the creative arts so one can express oneself. Screenplay writing, music lessons, writing short stories, basic archaeology are just some of the offerings.Instructors are generally excellent, and the facilities are top-notch.
http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/
3. Exorcise: Oxford University’s Botanic Garden: To clear the mind,
exorcise the emotional demons, and exercise the body, there is no better place to visit than Oxford University’s Botanic Garden, the oldest in England. The Glasshouses are a welcome respite from chilly days, with extravagant water lilies, tropical palms, and banana trees.bThe Walled Gardens house the national collection of Euphorbias (in case you ever wanted to know), and the arch leading into the garden is from the seventeenth-century, with a funky statue of King Charles II welcoming you inside. The Gardens are a short stroll from Magdalene Bridge
The University of Oxford Botanic Garden
Rose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZ
http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/
4. Explore: Browsing in a bookshop, old and new.
The Old: A tour of the Duke Humfry, named after Duke Humfry of Gloucester who left a bequest, is a fifteenth-century library at Oxford University that is a wonder to explore. It is a must-see to get a sense of the antiquity and atmosphere of the place. The Duke Humfry, in the Old Bodleian Library, served as the library for the Harry Potter films,and it is all old bookstalls, manuscripts, leather folios chained to the shelves, and medieval stained glass. The Bodleian Library store, down the stairs, is a splendid place to get stationary, postcards featuring medieval manuscripts, bookstands, and fabulous scarves. The Duke Humfry is only available for viewing via private tours, held daily. Details are on the Bodley Shop’s website.
Bodley Shop
www.shop.bodley.co.uk
Clarendon Building
Broad Street
Oxford
