First Night in Oxford

The next morning, July 10th, we got up early to store our bags with the Accommodation Services office at the University of Bath before heading back to town.  Sidney wanted to try to find a shipping carton for a poster she liked at the Fashion Museum, and on our way, we stopped in for breakfast at the Pump Room.  I had some sort of bun thing with what tasted like rehydrated raisins.  It sounds gross, but it was really tasty.

After breakfast, there wasn't much else to take photos of.  Sidney did find a poster tube, so we went back to the Fashion Museum so she could pick it up.  Then it was time to navigate the trains!  We walked to the train station to print our tickets and then took the bus back to collect our belongings.  We were on a super tight schedule.  Unfortunately, the first bus driver who came was immediately going on break, so we had to catch the next bus, along with an Italian family of five who held up the process the entire way.

We made it to the city center and were just one stop from the trainstation with maybe three minutes to spare.  Since the doors don't close on the train until 30 seconds before departure (thank you, British pal Vikki for that tidbit!), there was still a chance we could make it.

Until the Italian family decided to chat with the bus driver for two minutes to decide if they were going to get off or not.  Ugh.  One minute is just not enough time to make it up the stairs with 45 lb bags, especially when there are about a zillion Asian tourists all trying to get out of the station as you're trying to get in.

Sidney's bag "Herbie" (because he's so small) was the lightest and she was up those stairs lickety split.  I wasn't far behind, but with my stupid mangled suitcase "Mangus", it took longer.  Poor Barbara nearly fell down the stairs wrestling with "Big Carla" and eventually had to have some nice gents help her out.

Needless to say, we did not make the train.  I was lucky enough to rip one of the wheels of Mangus on those stairs, so now he is good and truly mangled.

 Mangled Mangus, the most ridiculous suitcase ever.

  

He took his anger out on me by cutting my ankle with the dangling remains of his wheel at some point Sunday.  Rude.

Anyway, since we missed our first train, we caught the next one an hour later to Didcot Parkway.  We had reserved seats on the first one, but naturally on this one, we did not.  We also had giant suitcases, so we rode from Bath to Didcot standing near the luggage rack.  At Didcot, we got off and had to change trains, but again, since we missed our first train, we missed our second.  The next train that went directly to Oxford was in an hour - definitely would have cut down on our preparation for our nice reception.

Luckily, thanks to Barbara's sharp hearing, about 15 minutes after arriving, we caught a different train that was stopping in Oxford!  Snaps to Babs!

Upon arrival in Oxford, we caught a cab to Brasenose, checked in, and got dressed for our orientation, reception with libations, and dinner.

This photo reminded me how incredibly badly I need a haircut.  Perhaps that will be one of my Oxford adventures!  We were so glad to have made it in (mostly) one piece.  Too bad Mangus wasn't as lucky.