Prayers, Hopes and Wishes!

Prayers, Hopes and Wishes! St. Mary's Church, Oxford

Old and New

Old and New- High Street, Oxford, UK

Friday Flowers- Pink Flowers

Pink Blossoms

Clicked at Oxford in May 2009 but no idea what they are.

Sticking Out the Neck!

Sticking Out the Neck- A Canada Greylag Goose at Oxford, UK

Correct name of the bird courtesy Stayendra.

Friday is for Flowers- Tulips and Pansy

Tulips and Pansy at Oxford (Clicked in May 2009)

This one is for Doli who left the following comment on the previous post-

oh no! I saw it today My Friday wont be good :( please post another one! or send me some luck

Friday is for Flowers-Beautiful White Flowers

White Flowers, Oxford, UK

Unfortunately I do not know the name of these beautiful white flowers.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Iffley Meadows, Thames Walk

A Horse at the Iffley Meadows, Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Friday is for Flowers- Wisteria Vine with Purple Flowers

Wisteria Vine with Purple Flowers

Clicked this one in Oxford near the Christ Church College. Wish I had the zoom lens then, this has been taken with a wide angle lens and then cropped, cropped and then cropped some more!

Purple Berries

Purple Berries at Oxford, UK

I was looking at my 2007 pictures from the UK trip and found this one of the Purple Berries. By looking at the other pictures in the proximity this has to be from the Oxford Brookes University campus. And I don't even remember taking this and it has been just two years!

And this is another of those pictures which I thought was not good enough but with time I am liking it better.

I managed to click red and yellow berries on the same trip.

Oxford at Night

Oxford at Night

I usually put my camera inside my shoulder bag at night. After looking at the picture above I think I should use it more. What do you say? Let it remain inside the bag?

More Friday Flowers- Pink Rhododendrons

Pink Rhododendrons (clicked at Oxford, UK)

I had clicked purple rhododendrons at Leeds, UK

Lazy Sunday Photo- Paintings on St. Mary's Church, Oxford, UK

The Walls of the St Mary's Church, Oxford

Friday is for Flowers- Garden at the Christ Church Cathedral Premises, Oxford, UK

Garden on the Christ Church Cathedral Premises, Oxford, UK

Different Shades!

So Many Colors!

Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford UK (May, 2009)

Feeling Hungry!

Thai Rice and Vegatables at Chiang Mai, Oxford, UK

I wonder why do I have to look at food that I have enjoyed in the past when i am feling hungry!

Mustard Fields on the Oxford-London Highway

Mustard Fields on the Oxford London Highway

I took this picture of the mustard fields from a moving bus while going back to London from Oxford. And what the eyes saw was much better than what I could capture with the camera. I have also discovered that however much I try to stay awake and take in the scenes I sometimes fall asleep on the way, like on this bus ride. And then I wonder what did I miss!

Hummer Limousine at Oxford!

Hummer Limousine at the Oxford Streets, UK

I saw beautiful car pictures from Houston Art Car Parade by Steve. Then Max talked about Hummers and Yukons in his post, so I thought why not me.

I was walking down the Oxford streets in May 2009 when I saw this car. First time around, I could not take a picture, the car just vanished. But soon enough it came back again and stood at the red light. And I gladly clicked away, all the time worried that the light would turn green before I could get out the camera and click.

If you get a Hummer Limousine in Delhi, I think the only suitable place to drive it would be the runway of the IGI/Palam Airport.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Taking a Closer Look

Taking a Closer Look- Geese at Thames, Oxford UK

Friday is for Flowers- Tulips at Harcourt Hill, Oxford, UK

Tulips at the Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford Brookes University, UK

PS. Feeling too tired for words!

Carfax Tower, Oxford

Carfax Tower, Oxford, UK

I have never been to the top of this tower, in fact didn't even know one could go to the top of the Carfax Tower inspite of being around it thrice!

Canada Geese at Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Canada Geese at Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

The geese along the Thames Walk are so used to tourists that they can chase you for bread crumbs. They also let you come quite close to them. This picture was taken with my wide angle lens but with cropping the image and using the sharpen feature in Picasa I could get this result.

And this flurry of birds is due to the interest that Alger (the naturalist at Taj Safari Lodge, Banjaar Tola) managed to create for wild life.

Very Happy with a Zoom Lens

Kingfisher at Kanha National Park

I have clicked photographs for 2 years without a zoom lens. And I would often wonder why can't I take good pictures when it comes to taking close ups! I mean this Kingfisher was sitting really far away and yet I managed a decent picture.

Squirrel at Christ Church College, Oxford, UK

And even though I was quite close to this squirrel, this is the kind of picture I could manage with my wide angle lens. Maybe one day I will be able to click the same scene with my zoom lens too.

And even for the new zoom lens (Sigma 70-300mm) I could not find time to go to Chandni Chowk but Brat 1 managed to do it for me and I am so happy that he bailed me out. I will surely try to head to Bharatpur in season.

But then I am already yearning for a telephoto lens.

Lazy Sunday Photo- St. Mary's Church, Oxford

St. Mary's Church, Oxford

This is a picture I clicked in 2009. I have posted a picture of St. Mary's Church before. Now that I have changed my job, wonder if I will ever go to Oxford again. The place I was working at was associated with Oxford Brookes University hence so many visits. I went there for three years in a row and I have to say I consider it my favorite city abroad.

UK 2009 Pictures

Piccadilly Circus, London

While I am posting some pictures from UK, I am off to trek in Himachal Pradesh tomorrow. Rarely do I get to travel like this!

Unfortunately things have been so hectic that I am not able to schedule any posts. So more when I come back.

Punting at Oxford

I finally managed to go punting at Oxford on my third trip! I had read about it a lot, I had seen people do it but I never dared to try it myself. You are supposed to do it on your own and I did not feel brave enough. When I went through websites this is what I would find-

'Chauffeur' punters are available on request, with a minimum 2 weeks notice.

Punt Boats at Cherwell Boat House, Oxford

So what do you do when you go punting? You take one of these boats and try to steer it with a very long pole. It is possible because the river bed is quite shallow and the pole hits the ground quite easily. There were six of us in the boat. I was the only woman. So while all the men went to fetch the equipment I was assigned to look for boat number 69. It was not too difficult to spot it.

Coming Back after a Punting Session

While we were on the river we could spot a lot of people having a good time. There were four girls who looked to be out there for the first time and they always managed to get stuck on the bank of the river and then were rowing themselves out! They also give you a paddle to row out if you get stuck on the side of the river

The Pro- You Never Know what your Professors are Good at!

We were in safe hands as the professor was a pro at punting. I asked him, "How long have you been doing this?" And he replied with a smile, "Far too long!" When one of our conference college tried to punt, he got us stuck on a bank within no time and then managed to turn the boat the other way round! The pro professor had told us at the beginning, "Oxford and Cambridge row from the opposite ends." So when the boat turned around, we were told by our friend, "Now I am doing the Cambridge style!" We also had to duck many times to avoid the branches as we drifted to a side when one of us was rowing.

The Pro, The Rookie and the Cambridge and Oxford Style Punter (sitting)

I was the last person to try my hand. And one of us refused to try. He was a young academician from Thailand. I was very scared that I would let the pole drop into the river! But I managed to do quite OK. Did not turn the boat around, or stuck it at the bank. But that was more because the professor actively helped me out. And you can see from the picture that I really had a lot of fun trying my hand at punting. I sat down to some clapping from my fellow friends, they must have been really scared when I insisted that I want to try out for sure!

And if I keep academics aside, that is one huge advantage of conference, you get on an organized tour of things that seem to be too difficult to carry out on our own. We did this trip on the Cherwell River which is far away from the center of the city. I was told that most of the tourists do it on the Magdalen River Boathouse.

In the beginning I was asking the professor, "So how do people learn punting?" And pat came the reply, "By falling down in the river!"

Lazy Sunday Photo- Where did the Time Go?

Clock at Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

I had anything but a lazy Sunday. Too caught up with some deadlines that got messed up because of running around for the passport. 

I don't think I will be able to put a few auto posts this time but I will try. 

Looking at Pictures from the Past!

Oxford, UK, On a Cold and Grey Day in 2007

Leeds, London and Oxford in Pictures

Leeds, London and Oxford in Pictures

Hi from Bangalore- Merry Christmas

Wish you a Merry Christmas

Colorful Berries- Red and Yellow

Those Long Walks!

Stranded Ship Boat on Thames Walk, Oxford

I am quite fond of walking and it has landed me in all kind of interesting situations.

Another View on Thames Walk, Oxford

Took my niece to a park which was sufficiently big, and I felt like running after a long time! Did not do it, as I had just stuffed two Paranthans and my niece was of course on the swing trying all kind of stunts. Otherwise, since I left athletics never felt like running again. However, ask me to walk and I am always game for it.

More Flowers- Lazy Sunday Photo

Red Roses in a Bunch, What Lovely Flowers!

I know some people who like flowers more on the plants rather than in a bunch but when I find them already in a bunch I love clicking them. About myself, I do not mind occasionally holding them in my hands too, but yes they look much better on the plants.

Flowers at Covered Market, Oxford

And once again I do not know the name of the flower above. I had clicked both the pictures at Oxford in June. In fact two of my colleagues are heading to UK today and I wonder what pictures they would capture of the winter there. In fact, I took so much time clicking pictures of the flowers kept outside the flower shop that I was afraid that someone would come out and ask me to go away! It has never happened though till now though.

Card and Souvenir Shop, Oxford, UK

Card and Souvenir Shop, Oxford, UK

I was playing with Picasa 3 and trying to add water mark to a picture. While doing that I realized this picture in Oxford is something I would like to post on my blog too, the colors are so nice.

What do you say? Is the watermark taking out too much from the picture? I feel I will like to add such a mark to all my pictures.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Iffley Meadow at the Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Lazy Sunday Photo- Christ Church College, Oxford, UK

The Christ Church College, Oxford, UK

I took this photograph at the sunset. There is actually an entrance fee to visit the Christ Church College (but not the Christ Church Meadows) premises in Oxford. But there is a roped off area just in front of the entry gate up to where you can walk and take a peak at this magnificent building. This picture was taken from the roped off area. I immediately looked at the picture on the display of the camera and went wide eyed as the reddish glow was all the more prominent on the smaller camera display screen. The guard in front of the building gave me a smile looking at my wide eyed expression. I am sure he must be watching countless wide eyed tourists like me in the course of the day!

Big Ben and the Parliament House at Night, UK

Big Ben and the Parliament House at Night, UK

I have seen a lot of pictures of the UK Parliament House and the Big Ben on the net and in many of those I would find the bridge featured on the right in this picture. I had completely forgotten its existence and would wonder how did I miss it. I re-looked at my pictures and sure enough, I too had photographed it. Well, it was so wide that I quite forgot that it was here I spent quite some time standing and freezing in the cold weather yet enjoying every minute of it.

Sheldonian Theater, Oxford, UK

In fact, the last year same day I was in Oxford, roaming around the town on a Halloween night. And enjoyed every minute of that too.

Thames Walk, Oxford, UK

Thames Walk (Oxford, UK) Video, It was So Serene

This is a less than a minute duration video but I really like it. It was such a peaceful day and unlike India most of the time I could feel I was alone on this walk and yet always felt safe. The only botheration was because of my own fears. Long stretch of road, river on one side and wild open fields, what more could I ask for? Well, if I be honest I would ask for the Himalayas in the background.

A Small Video of the Covered Market in Oxford, UK

A Small Video of the Covered Market (Established 1754) Oxford UK

The videos that I made with my point and shoot Nikon camera have a .mov extension. Windows media player would not open it and for last 3 years I never downloaded any other player that would play it! So the few videos that I uploaded on this blog, I would guess which one it would be, then upload on Youtube and then I would watch them and if I had guessed correctly then I would embedd them on my blog! No wonder there are so few videos on this blog!

Not anymore, I downloaded quicktime and it plays the .mov extension without any sweat and now for some days you are going to see a lot of videos uploaded here.

The video quality is not really good, it is a combination of my skills and th capabilities of my point and shoot camera but then ...

So here is what I was doing one day in June 2008 in Oxford. There were so many flowers that caught my attention!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Sunset on Thames, Oxford, UK

Sunset on Thames, Oxford, UK, June 2008

This was the day when I walked for 4 hours and covered 11km on the Thames River Walk. And that is all I have hiked this year till date. There are tentative plans to trek in Darjeeling along with my younger nephew through YHAI. I hope we are able to pull it off.

Sesha just came back today after trekking to Roopkund (and completed it too!) and has no leaves left. So it has to be just me and my nephew in December. But I am quite tempted.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Forbidden Berries and Fall Colors Oxford, UK

A Lovely Tree in Oxford

As my last trip has been to Oxford, UK I keep thinking about it. The tree in the picture was full of red berries and this is from my October-November stay. I loved the fall colors. And I was given strict instructions not to eat the berries!

Remembering the Cold Weather in Oxford

Bus Stop, Harcourt Hill, Oxford

Last year at the end of October, I was waiting for a bus at a stop in Oxford. It was damn cold even during the day but the saving grace is that almost everything is heated and you really do not need heavy woolens indoors. I had gone to the University (not the Oxford) and was waiting for a bus along with a colleague outside. For some reason or the other the bus was taking some time to come and I don't know why I did not had my thick jacket (the one I am wearing in this blog's profile picture, it is a real old one, faded and all, but it is quite warm). Maybe I didn't carry it because I would always get the bus quickly and I did not wish to carry the extra jacket around. I remember I was literally jumping up and down to keep away the cold.

The Warm and Cozy Bus

Thankfully the bus came after a while and I really liked the hot air that would circulate on my feet if I would sit on the left hand side of the bus at the top. Also this time in June I remember one of my British colleague asking me if I found the bus uncomfortable! I asked him if he has ever been to India and been inside a bus? As he has visited India, he immediately got my point. I mean, a heated or air conditioned almost empty bus and uncomfortable??

Little Travel This Year

All Souls College in the Background, Radcliffe Square, Oxford UK

This year I have hardly traveled! June was last when I ventured out to the UK for a short trip and after that nothing! Partly my fault. And now once again Sesha is going to trek and I can't because of all stupid things I fell ill. OK, enough of cribbing. So, my dear readers you are stuck with my old travel accounts, there seems to be nothing on the horizon as of now, travel wise.

OK, why I picked up the picture above. This is from my October-November 2007 trip to UK. At that time I saw this young lady eating something in the beautiful Radcliffe Square and the image remained with me. This time of course I took two of my meals sitting exactly at the same spot! And enjoyed the experience.

The Oxford Story at Gonomad.com

Carfax Tower, Oxford, UK

My Oxford Story is now up at the main Gonomad site. Have a look and tell me how do you find it. Here is a small piece from the article-

Initially, due to my pathetic sense of direction I was quite scared to walk alone but I gradually realized that there are sufficient arrow marks and signposts on the street and whichever road I would take sooner or later an arrow would point me towards the city center and the Carfax Tower again.

I can assure you if I did not get lost in the city chances of anyone else getting lost are really really slim.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Cycles Will Be Removed, A Common Sign In Oxford

Oxford in Pictures

Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, UK

St. Mary's Church, Oxford UK.
The View of the City from the Top is Wonderful

I Just Love Clicking Flowers, Covered Market, Oxford, UK

Radcilffe Square, Oxford, UK

High Street, Oxford, UK

Punts at Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, UK

Christ Church College and Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK- In Pictures

A Goose Swan and its Reflection on a Canal Next to Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK

The Main Building of the Christ Church College, Oxford, UK. Currently Benazir Bhutto's son is a student here.

Tourists Like Me, Thought They Were Not Afraid of the Ducks/Geese, Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK

Geese Family on Walk, Thames River Near Oxford, UK

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford UK. The Dining Hall inside is used the Harry Potter Movies as the Hogwart's Dining Hall. I have not been inside yet (there is an admission fee) but if there is a next time this is on agenda.

The Christ Church Meadows, Oxford, UK. The Walk is Beautiful but now I am yearning for a proper trek.

Automobiles or Walking?

A Small Car Advertising City Sightseeing Tours in Oxford, UK

For me, when it comes to taking a bus tour or walking the choice is very clear. I love walking and I will any day pick up walking (reasonable distance and I consider 20km in one long day quite reasonable particularly on flat terrains) over taking a bus tour.

I have done both in Oxford. The City sightseeing red bus tour is good to get an orientation of the city. The charge is 11.50 pounds and on both my visits it was arranged by my official hosts. It is fun to sit on the top of the bus and take in the city passing by. It even makes for a few good photography angles too. On top of it you can hop off the bus at any point and board the bus later from the same spot. The tickets are valid for 24 hours after all! But when it rains (as it often does) the lower portion of the bus becomes suddenly quite attractive!

The Actual Red Bus, City Sightseeing Bus Tours in Oxford, UK,

But I guess I like walking so much because I am in total control. Oxford is anyway a small city and I can stop any where I wish and click endless pictures! Also all those heavy meals that I tend to eat, walking is the best way to burn them off!

But there is a bigger reason as well. I guess my brain functions only when I am walking and I tend to think earth shattering things only after I have walked at least 10 kilometers and find a flat stone (if unavailable then even a pavement will do) to sit. Sounds strange? But that is how it is with me. Put me on a bus and I will fall asleep, sometimes on the shoulders of the next person too, much to my embarrassment later when I wake up.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Staying with Colors

I took these pictures in the covered market in Oxford. It is a old (established 1774!) place that is quite charming. I was drawn to this fish stall because the colors were eye catching, otherwise I do not eat fish and I have no interest in looking at it in a market. I was taking these with the point and shoot camera so you can see the flash getting reflected in these pictures.

Colorful Fish in the Covered Market, Oxford, UK

I was also going through a lot of pictures on Picasa that belonged to someone I know. I was quite amazed to see the way people approach places and photograph them. I mean in an entire trip I may take 500 to 600 pictures (I delete many later) but you would not find me in more than 5 to 6. The camera does not love me when I am in front of it, it is kinder when I am behind it, or so I think. I also almost completely ignore the modern stores even though they are very colorful at times. I am sure I am not going to get in the front of the camera too often but for variety I can try to capture some of the modern stuff too.

Radcliffe Square- The Most Beautiful Place in Oxford

If you ask me, I consider the Radcliffe Square the most beautiful area in the entire Oxford (OK, whatever I have seen of it). It is right in the center of the town. Walk on the High street towards Magdalen Bridge and take a turn on your left near the St. Mary's Church and there you are!

Radcliffe Camera and the Colleges Surrounding it

It is a small square but walking around it is such a pleasure or just sit on the sidewalks and see others hurrying past!

St. Mary's Church

At one front of the square is the St. Mary's Church. The building is beautiful to watch from the outside but if you want a lot of peace and quiet all you have to do is to get inside (the entrance is free, they charge 3 pounds if you wish climb to the top of St. Mary's Church, which I did this time) climb the stairs and sit in the pew in a corner. Suddenly there is a lot of peace around you disturbed only occasionally by other tourists. I sat inside the church at least twice and it was cool and beautiful.

Gate to All Soul's College

Another very beautiful building in this square is the All Soul's College. Of course, the Christ Church is the most famous college in Oxford and it is very beautiful no doubt but All Soul's is equally stunning to look at!

View of Radcliffe Square from the top of St. Mary's Church

Then of course you can go to the top of St. Mary's Church and admire the uninterrupted view of the city. And then there is Brasenose College also but then I somehow have not clicked a decent picture of it.

Them Doggies on Countryside Walks in UK

The Kings Arms, Sandford Lock

I stumbled upon two very pleasant countryside walks in Oxford. I love walking and these were the kind of walks that just keep going straight, there is very little chance of getting lost, my kind of walks. I will talk about them in detail soon. What I wish to write about today is them doggies. I know Sidhu is a huge fan of dogs and he will view this post very differently.

Imagine walking serenely on a path with the Thames on one side and open fields on the other. You will meet people strolling, cycling or running from time to time. There are flowers to be clicked and admired, in that order. The weather is mild (gave me a mild sunburn later as I was not using any lotion) and all is at peace in the world! Right? Wrong.

It is them doggies. In the countryside, people let their dogs off the leash. And that is a source of unmitigated terror to me! I am really truly afraid of dogs, even the tiny miny ones. So, on this walk when I faltered for the first time, predictably it was when I saw a huge dog let of the leash (Labrador, I deep down know they are harmless). I looked to my right and asked a young lad if it would be alright to walk ahead and if the path leads somewhere? He gave his go ahead. Then he asked me something from afar and cycled around for a while but finally vanished. The dog owner could probably sense my tension and told me they were going for a dip in the river. The dog of course was running towards water without even sparing me a glance and that is the best thing he could do.

Then there was another man throwing a Frisbee to his dog, thankfully in the opposite direction. And of course the dog was quite interested in the game. Again I hurried past. This was the last of the doggies on the Oxford-Sandford walk. Lucky me? Not so soon.

Kennington Bridge, Oxford to Sandford Walk

The day after I did the Oxford Sandford walk, my original plan was to do nothing. That means walking around aimlessly around the accommodation in my lexicon. After wandering for a while I remembered a wooden gate that I gave a miss during my previous visit to Oxford. Not to make the same mistake twice (maybe not really a mistake as in October 2007 the sunset was really early around 4.00 pm and in June really late around 9.00 pm) I walked through the gate. The walk seemed promising till I encountered my nemesis.

On the narrow path there were two ladies on two tall horses with their dog running ahead. Of course he was interested in me and I for sure was not. Not willing to offend anyone, I politely put my small shoulder bag in front of my legs and the intelligent dog understood my gesture. He went his way and I thanked my stars. Too soon, it turned out.

Countryside near Harcourt Hill, Oxford

Can you see the serenity above? I was walking without a care a few minutes later and then heard some footsteps running furiously. I turned back and my heart stopped. There was a dog taller than me (or so I thought) being chased by the dog who had gone away a while ago. I was silently telling my self, "You had it, who the hell asked you to walk alone?" A moment later I realized the tall thing was a deer outracing the dog with an effort that clearly bored him to no end. Did I turn back? No, because as one of my professors aptly remarked that I like to "walk with a vengeance."

Next were two really tiny miny dogs and as they bounded with glee towards me, I said in a croaking voice to their oblivious owners, "Please call them back, I am quite afraid of dogs." There faces contorted with surprise but they did call the dogs back. Was this the end? Did I turn back? Not quite.

I walked ahead for quite sometime and met no dogs. That gave me courage on my way back to venture into a forest like area to my left. I was desperately trying to remember the way full of mild turns. After a few turns I decided if I got lost my colleagues would have no sympathy for me. I turned back and there he was. It had a crooked front leg and a dirty color. The collar round the neck gave me some confidence, I resorted back to my shoulder bag trick but this one took offense and while running away started howling furiously from a safe distance. Heart thudding in mouth, I negotiated my way. He kept barking after my shadow and finally decided I am way too far away to do any more bag tricks.

The end of the country road was almost in sight. There were two ladies on their high horses (literally, no pun intended) again. But these lovely ones had no doggies with them. What sweet ladies. I considered this a good omen and made a dash to safety of my room.

Them doggies!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

The Path, Thames Walk, Oxford to Sandford

In Quest of Pictures at Oxford

Christ Church Meadows on A Rainy June (2008) Afternoon

On this trip to Oxford I would often venture out to walk around the city, Christ Church Meadows and the Thames Path with two cameras in my hand. Three days later I realized that all I was doing was looking at the places through the lens and constantly worrying about the quality of the pictures. After three days my frenzy to take pictures became a bit too much for myself to bear.

Later when I came back from Leeds, and started walking again in Oxford, I would keep the SLR in the small backpack that I carried around. With the point and shoot it was easy taking pictures and less distracting. And it was a pain to take out the SLR, I would make the effort only if something really caught up my fancy. This way I managed to see more.

Thinking that on my next trip, I would try to declare one day camera free! I know easier said than done, but I can hand over the camera to others and just enjoy the views.

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

View of Oxford City from St. Mary's Chruch- A Video

Last time when I was in Oxford, I could not go up the St. Mary's Church. So, this time it was high on my agenda. The church is located right in the city center and the charge this summer for going up was 3 pounds. The timings were 9.00 to 5.00.

As I was traveling to Leeds later in the day, I had a small bag with me. The young lady at the ticket counter kindly offered to keep it for me till I came back. I asked, "But you might be gone when I come back?" She said she would be going by 11.00 and I had plenty of time. It was 10.35 at that time and I told her, "I plan to spend more time up there." She smile, "No worries, my colleague would be here and they would give the bag to you."

So I went up to the top to get those picture postcard snaps that I had seen all around in Oxford shops. No such luck, there was too much light and my wide angle lens was not good enough to capture Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College in one shot. I met another person with an SLR and asked him if he could get both properly in one shot, he also replied in negative. At least I was not alone.

Picture postcards or not, I still had a very good time at the top with wonderful views of the city. And of course I came down around 12.00 in the noon, but the other young lady at the counter gave me my bag and I proceeded to spend more time around Christ Church College and beyond to head later to Leeds.

Note to Self: Next time when you have the urge to tilt the camera remember the vertigo you got by watching this video!

I am Back from UK!

View of Oxford City from Saint Mary's Church

I came back yesterday and was dead tired even though I had all the three seats to myself on the Jet flight and lied down listening to Hindi old songs for a long time, even managed to sleep for a few hours. Today, I managed to upload some of the pictures of Oxford and Leeds.

And I decided to start with 10 dos and don'ts on the next trip to Oxford (if ever!). And to put the record straight my visits have got nothing to do with the University of Oxford-

10. If I ever go in summer again I would try my hand at punting.

09. One day I took a 9.27 bus back to accommodations when there was a bus later at 10.27. Never again, that is a crime. Taking the last bus or almost last bus back should be the motto!

08. Never fall asleep on a train or the bus. I managed to do so while going to Leeds and going back to Heathrow from Oxford and missed all the views. And there were so many flowers to see!

07. Fell asleep on the shoulders of the fellow passenger on the Oxford-Leeds journey. What an embarrassment when you wake up! So never fall asleep on the way.

06. Have colleagues who are expert at shopping. They found a store called Primark where I could afford to shop. Or else 80 rupees to a pound kills any desire to shop.

05. Do not eat pizza at Pizza Hut. A Pizza Hut is a Pizza Hut is a Pizza Hut in any country.

04. Don't gain all the weight (2 Kg) by eating the chocolates. I managed to loose 2 Kg by taking those long walks.

03. Learn to deal with dogs that are let off the leash in the countryside. Or better still get a colleague to accompany you who can deal with dogs effectively and also likes to walk. Tough combination!

02. Meet people when possible. I met Kullukid (from Indiamike) and his wife in Leeds and they showed me around the town. Many thanks to them. And host them when they are in India.

01. Walk more! Travel more. Seriously required.

Hi from Oxford

Right now I am in Oxford and the second time around the places are a bit more easy to find. It is raining cats and dgos and the days go in meetings but I managed to walk around a lot on day 2 and plan to do the same in the remaining of the stay. Will have a lot of pictures to share later. Hope it stops raining soon.

Monet Talk or Not!

Monet Picture at Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

I am very poor at appreciating art. I know of only a few big names like Monet, Van Gogh and umm, OK, Michaelangelo.

So why am I talking (or not) about Monet now? Well, it all started with this post that I linked at Blogbharti-

Kusum visits the Poppy fields in Antelope Vally in the US and her pictures are a feast for the eyes.

No no, wait, I am coming to Monet. Then came Sunil who left this comment.

Thanks, great snaps.

I suppose the only excuse for not associating with Monet would have to be death.

Now I am curious and ask him (at Blogbharti), "So is Monet associated with death?" I am curious because his comment jogs my memory that I actually have seen a Monet painting at Oxford (the one posted above) and I thought maybe that at home turf (i.e. Blogbharti) I can take the risk of asking dumb questions. Hmm the answer I got convinced me that I should leave art well alone.

Er no. My fault, the way in which i said it. I just wanted to say it reminds me of Monet’s well known poppies. And almost instantaneously one would associate the snaps with the paintings. The only reason not to is if you have died. especially for me coz one monet hangs in my bed room. ;)
Cheers

OK, now that I read it again it makes some sense because Kusum uploaded pictures of poppies and Monet painted poppies ... But then I will not go anywhere near art for quite sometime now. Scares me stiff.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Oxford City Again

Oxford City, UK

There is a high chance that I will visit the city of Oxford for a week again in June. If it happens, it would be the first time I manage to visit a foreign place twice. Of course the trip would be related to work. But I hope the summer would be a better time to take pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Oxford City Center

Oxford City Center, UK

For the week that I stayed in Oxford, dinner was mostly taken around the city center on all occassions. Never visited the Burger King or any such chain while there, but it is interesting to see these fast food joints jostling for space with really really old structures, like the structure on the left to the Burger King and the tower further left to the old building.

Lazy Sunday Photo- The Chang Story

Chang- The Local Home Brewed Beer from Spiti

Once again, I decided to write about food or rather drinks, this time. I generally do not like alcoholic drinks and stay away from them. Given a choice I like soup over alcohol any day. And both tend to cost a ton in restaurants! I know it is strange comparison but that is how it is.

This changed a little when I discovered chang in Spiti. The locally brewed beer tastes nothing like a Foster brewed in Aurangabad or some such place. I mean I can't stand Foster or Kingfisher. They have such a nasty stink (or so I feel and I know I am alone in this) that after one sip I do not try another. Chang has no nasty sting about it and I liked both the barley and the rice versions.

Then on the trip to Oxford last year we had a dinner hosted by the university (no and this is not the Oxford I am referring to) at a Thai restaurant called Chiang Mai. There were four of us, my colleague from India and two of my colleagues from UK. So when we started ordering soon the question came, "What would you like to drink?" I gave the default option, "Nothing." Then I browsed the beer list anyway and discovered Chang on the list. Not thinking too much, I changed my mind and decided to order Chang. It of course turned out to be a popular beer from Thailand but minus the stink. It was not the Chang I wanted but it was quite OK. The end result was that I ended up trying a lot of beers in UK and now I have to say, once in a blue moon I may pick them up over soup.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Two of the Most Beautiful College Buildings in Oxford

Christ Church College- Oxford

All Souls College, Oxford

The Noodle Bar- Oxford, Gloucester Green

The Noodle Bar, Oxford, Gloucester Green

Noodle Bar turned out to be my favorite eating joint in Oxford. One, the place was not too heavy on the pocket and two, if given a choice, I invariably end up eating Chinese. A few of the dinners and lunches were hosted by the university, so it felt quite strange when one day my colleague asked me what should we have for dinner? I have said this before, I am quite indifferent to food. So, I tried hard to make him decide but he would not budge. We were walking around the city and as I am vegetarian my options are just a little bit limited. I think I looked at every restaurant in the two hour walk as a potential eating place. We had ruled out the Indian fare, as we thought we anyway get a lot of it back home. And some places where ruled out because a single dish would cost more than 20 pounds (don't you think it is a neat idea to display the price list outside the restaurants? I wonder why we often don't do it in India).

After walking round and round I remembered the Noodle Bar near the Gloucester Green bus station. So, we decided to head there. I think almost the entire crowd (the waiting staff and the customers) consisted of students, only we and a few others were the odd people out (read older :).

The Dish with Thick Noodles, Noodle Bar, Oxford

I scanned the menu for vegetarian fare and found a dish with mushrooms (my absolute favorites) and decided to order it. But then the young guy who came to take the order had a bouncer. What kind of noodles would we like Ho Fun, Mai Fun, or Udon? Well, the names definitely sounded Chinese to me. Had to ask him to explain what did they mean! He told us one was really thin noodles, the other really thick noodles and the last something in between. But don't ask me which was which. So we decided to try two types. The portions were huge and I really struggled to finish my stuff. My colleague this day also ordered a veg dish.

Then the next day, we had the same question. Where to go for dinner? And you guessed it, we went to the noodle bar again. And this time we realized that out of the three vegetarian dishes we had already ordered two the previous day! Still, it was fun to have dinner at the Noodle Bar in a typical student environment but where none of the students knew me :)

Oxford City Center- If I Had to Pick One Picture!

Oxford City Center, Oxford, UK

Uber Mensch asked me to do a Meme (don't ask me what they are, I only know tags). From the blog-

Here is the new meme. It is simple, easy and gives no room for whining one usually associates with a meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

I picked up the above picture for many reasons. One, I went abroad after 4 long years and it felt nice (all my trips abroad have been for work, we do not holiday abroad). It felt nice to be in a 'foreign' country again. It was a nice feeling that I again have the opportunity to work on the things I like.

I visited Leeds, Oxford and London and I think I enjoyed my stay in Oxford the most. The reason is very simple. Oxford is a very walking friendly city and I love to walk. That is the reason why I picked up the picture above. Reminds me of all the long walks that I took.

Update- I wrote a mail to Uber Mensch saying I did the post and he said the meme is not compete as I have not passed it on. Well, here are five people I pass it on to.

Paul Shoul- Ace photographer from Gonomad, I simply love his pictures. If he does this meme, then it would be really interesting to see which one he picks up.

Arun- Another ace photographer, who doesn't blogs as much as I would like to read him. Let us see what he would come up with.

Dev- The 'pizza man' has worked in/with advertising, let us see if he has time to do this and what picture is dear to him this year.

Anil- Can I miss on one of my favorite travel blogger? He too blogs far less than what I would like to read.

Arun Nair- He was asking about SLRs, so let us see what he likes to capture.

Some Pictures from the Recent UK Trip

The Radcliffe Square, Oxford, UK

Finally, I managed to put a little bit of tiredness of the trip behind and upload the pictures from my recent UK trip.

I did had a wonderful time at all the three places that I visited, Leeds, Oxford and London. As this was for work, could not do much justice travel wise to any of them. Still, travel is always good and all my visits abroad has been for work till date. Among all the trips abroad, this one ranks really at the top.