Oxford

M and I are trying to make a point of getting outside and walking on free Thursdays when neither of us is working. Last week we headed off to Oxford (a bit less than an hour's drive from us). Using a walking route I downloaded as inspiration we headed for the Museum of Natural History and the University Parks. Considering I spent seven years at school in Oxford (high school, not university) it is ridiculous that I had never visited the Museum of Natural History before. It had dinosaurs

And statues of famous scientists around the walls. This one was the 13th century Franciscan friar and scholar Francis Bacon.

From the University Parks we headed across a bridge to Mesopotamia - so called because it is land between two rivers - as I wanted to see where it led. The answer turned out to be past some playing fields and then through what looked like open countryside, even though it is quite close to the centre of the city. There was even a farm!

As we circled back to the University Parks we crossed over another bridge. I particularly liked this photo, with the geese and the trees reflected in the water. 

After we walked there was food in a 14th century annex to the University Church which was the original Congregation House for the University of Oxford; it is now a very nice cafe with lots of whole food options. I enjoyed leek and potato soup with artisan bread, followed by yoghurt with fruit compote and granola.