Jane Austen Festival 2025

 

Floral Display in the Parade Gardens celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen

I traveled to the 2025 Jane Austen Festival in Bath solo and with (for me) remarkably little research ahead of time. But the lovely thing about the Festival is that anyone else attending (often most visible by costumery) is willing to point you in the right direction or take your picture. Because we all know that everyone wants good photos in their Regency garments with stunning Bath backdrops. 

While it's been on my radar as a Festival for a while, I was surprised at how many people in Bath at the time, both locals and other tourists, were unaware it was happening. (There were lots of attendees from Canada and the U.S.) I'd prepped for months waking up at 4am to snag tickets for events as they were released, crafting a wardrobe, planning accessories, and fitting it all into my backpack for travel. Bath is a magical place I've visited before, but doing so in costume, walking the streets of history and books in the period garments of the day with lots of other nerds, is next level amazing. The experience may not have fully lived up to my expectations, but there were still so many moments I focused on soaking in the atmosphere and vibes. I added to this in the "down time" by reading Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794) (as referenced in Northanger Abbey), a Persuasion-inspired rom-com, and watching adaptations of each of Austen's novels. 

BY THE NUMBERS: A Summary
1 JASNA member (though there were probably others in attendance)
2 Space Bags
9 Days of Activities
15 events as part of the festival  
6 activities otherwise
5 days of laundry
5 Dresses 
2 Jackets & 2 vests 
1 bonnet, 1 reversible reticule
1 pair of shoes, 1 set of Regency short stays
and lots of ribbons 

I still managed this whole trip (11 days in Bath, 6 days elsewhere) in a backpack. I made or modified my entire wardrobe and spent an hour ironing on the other side, with an Austen film in the background. My "Satan's Phaeton" sleeveless spencer even had a photo shoot by a journalist, though I haven't found them posted anywhere online. 

There are so many activities and they sell out so quickly. I got my top options, but definitely didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. This was a big topic of conversation at the first event I did, Day 1 - the afternoon Hartfield Country Dance at the Guildhall. My first dance experience was so fun! Way easier to learn and get involved than I expected (7/10 on the introvert scale). This was the only ball ticket some other attendees got, the only event ticket some of them were able to get, and were swapping ideas for other events happening around Bath at the time that weren't affiliated with the Festival. I got the impression that one of the weekends is better attended than the other, but since I was traveling all the way there (23 hours), I was staying for the whole thing. There was a Colorado student and her mom, visiting from her study abroad university in Edinburgh; a couple from Switzerland who attend Napoleonic dances regularly; a couple from California working on their Bridgerton fantasies; a Dutch mother and daughter; my partner for the last several dances, Grace, who was also there by herself. And we got much more exercise than we expected; Regency dancing is sweaty business! 

  

The next day was the Costumed Promenade through town. I learned later that this year's was limited to 2000 participants by Bath police and that they were organizing the route, rather than the Festival. Sounds like that won't be the case in the future, since it was pretty disorganized... But it is a Guinness World Record-holding event for the largest Regency costumed event. I made a couple of the social media videos! 

Later that day, I attended a lecture on (working) women in Regency society, particularly working women, held behind the Holbourne Museum. While it was interesting, and I'm glad this talk was available, I wouldn't say I learned anything. The same evening had a showing of the 2005 "Pride and Prejudice" at Bath Abbey. They used headphones for everyone, which makes some sense, and I wasn't bothered by them as much as expected. A cool experience, one I tried to soak in, though it was just largely watching a movie. 

The next day included a duel. There was a talk on the history of the duel, the reality of the duel in the Regency period, and then two examples: one for "show" as seen in movies, and one more historically-accurate. It was pouring down rain which wasn't ideal for the dampened shooters, but made for a lovely walk through Sydney Gardens afterward. 

I'd heard from the organizers that we could pick up temporary library cards at the Bath Library, so I made sure to pick one up. A small, perfect accessory! Had I needed to, I could have picked up some reading material, but I did bring a sufficient amount with me. There were several book discussions at the library throughout the Festival, but I wasn't able to get tickets to any of them. I did stop by the Book Fair, but it was Austen Christian fiction exclusively... not my area of interest. I did continue my wander through new parts of town, finding Rev. Austen and Frances Burney's grave sites and a beautiful (if windy and rainy) view over town. One of the few days/moments I wasn't in period dress.

The next day included a Murder Mystery Luncheon, "Sense & Sensibility" themed. Our table included a group of friends from California who travel to one period-costumed event each year (Egyptian, Carnival in Venice, Colonial Williamsburg, etc.) as they're all current or former U.S. Civil War reenactors and seamstresses. Lunch at the Abbey Hotel was delicious, the actors were amusing - though no one particularly cared who killed Mr. Willoughby. 

Next stop was a lecture on "Diversity in Jane Austen's Bath" by Dr. Timothy Manningmore, on the racial and socioeconomic diversity in Georgian bath, with a peek into gender non-conformance. It was very interesting and talked about how inclusive and ahead-of-its-time Georgian Bath was, even with detractors. I plan to read more about the Battle of the Assembly Rooms. Similar lectures are on Dr. Manningmore's webpage. And I ended the day at the theatre with "Potted Pride & Prejudice." Turns out, I'd seen this show under a different name a few years ago, so the comedy wasn't surprising. I did wear a turban and an adapted dress I picked up at a local costume shop; at the show, I met another Alaskan who had had THAT dress made years and years ago for a ballet performance and passed it along, where it eventually ended up in my hands. Crazy that we were both in Bath at the same show! 

It was a busy workshop day, after that, and learning to fence came first. I've been interested in fencing for a while and was so looking forward to finally trying it out. This was another workout, taught by the Bath fencing club, but so much fun! Glad I had time to quickly shower off before heading to the fabric dyeing workshop - something else I've been wanting to try. (Workshop by Lindsey Holmes) We looked at all the colors that the Georgians would have been able to make from plant matter, plus or minus rust and chalk, to liven up the streets. I was in charge of a pot of Madder, which was a red-orange not dissimilar to my dress. I think we found the black bean water most fascinating; it started as a tealy-blue, with a few additions turned indigo, and with a few more turned mustard yellow! 

A semi-spur of the moment addition to my Austen adventure was a tour of the Bath Masonic Lodge. It did play host to a Festival event and a Festival-related event, but I started by doing their standard tour. We were given an extensive history of this historic theatre, turned Catholic church, turned Masonic Lodge, which it has been since the 1800s. The oldest of the 13 Lodges in residence predates 1732. It's got Templars, 800+ graves of Napoleonic Catholic women, WWII rubble... Being familiar with Masonic lodges, it was so interesting to see how this building adapted its "private" use during "public events," with carpets rolled back, chairs moved, etc. 

But it was the pictures of the Regency soiree at the Roman Baths that had me sold on attending the Jane Austen Festival. While I thought there would be more candlelight, it was magical. Elderflower soda at the door, a true Regency announcement of each guest, music and mingling. I followed a French woman in and chatted with a couple girls from Spain. A woman from Wyoming (the Spanish protectorates) recognized my celestial Ursa Major spencer as the Alaskan Flag and some sisters from Kentucky took my picture. I didn't take many pictures, just trying to continue soaking in the atmosphere. The sunset on the Abbey, the chatter, the lights on the water... 

I managed to get tickets for the dinner and ball after the Soiree, so the dancing commenced! Once again, so fun, so sweaty, so perfect. I sat next to one of the festival stewards at dinner who gave our table a peek into the Festival's organization. We all chatted about costumes and traveling with them. As was inevitable, we jumped into Austen book and movie discussions before the dancing recommenced. We could have danced all night, but the carriages were eventually at the door and I glided home on cloud nine, brainstorming how to host an Austen dance. 

After busy and exciting days, the weather was nice enough for my own Box Hill picnic with strawberries at the Palladian Bridge in Prior Park. While I was lead astray by Maps and was unnecessarily sweaty, I spent about 5 hours reading by the bridge and the pond. I waited for the bridge to be empty and get some perfect shots, but ended up a bit rushed at the end before the park closed. They're all out of focus, unfortunately. But it was a gorgeous day (apart from the giant mosquito hawk I accidently trapped in the gathers of my skirt), a cute picnic, ducks and water and sunshine, and the spooky "Mysteries of Udolpho." The day ended at the theatre, again, this time to "The Complete Works of Austen (abridged)." I've seen and loved the abridged works of Shakespeare play and had high hopes. Thank goodness they were proven correct! This play was exactly what I needed - the fun in Austen, the depth in Austen, the fandom, the impact... 

The Festival may have been winding down, but there were still things to do on the list! I participated in a fascinatingly-organized mobile theatrical production that moved around the Royal Crescent telling a Pride & Prejudice-inspired story as we were passed from cast member to cast member. It was such an interesting format by the Natural Theatre Company! They call them "walkabout performances" and I'd love to see more of them. 

Then came a ghost tour. While there was an official ghost tour as part of the Festival, Bath still has other ghost tours and I booked tickets through one of those. The guide was dressed in a later period and none of the other guests were there for the Festival, most of them not dressed for an evening in the wind, which wasn't an issue given *ahem* Alaskan AND the layers of period dress. We walked Bath at night, which wasn't new to me given the late performances and activities, but heard the stories of Bath's spooky histories. I've done lots of ghosts tours in my travels as a different take on a history tour and this one delivered, too! Roman history, Georgian history, modern... including a haunting and exorcism that took place between the last time I visited Bath and this one! Unlike most, this tour did leave me a little uneasy.

The end-of-Festival mini Promenade was the next morning. Much less official, anyone can pile in, costume or not, though most still were costumed. I walked next to a woman from Washington through the Royal Victoria Park, Botanic Gardens; the Promenade ended in front of the Royal Crescent. We thought there was a group photo, but as far as we could tell, no one took one. After that, I headed to the Baths to taste again of the waters. They aren't terrible, but they aren't awesome. The process for doing so had changed since the last time I went, but I asked a guard at the door and it all worked out. It did not solve all my problems. 

Croquet was next, which was also fun on a beautiful day at the Bath Croquet Grounds. With sufficient flat grass, I'd play more croquet. I'm sure we weren't the worst beginners. The others on my team and the opposing team were a group of friends from Maryland/NY/NJ, one of whom is currently studying in the Czech Republic. We chatted over scones and tea afterward. This was my last Festival-based event. 

But I did go to Adrian Lukis' one-man show "Being Mr. Wickham" at the Masonic Lodge. He played Wickham in the 1995 BBC production of "Pride & Prejudice" and spent some of COVID writing and researching this show of Wickham's early years and age (now 60) since the official story ended. It wasn't what I expected - just a man, a chair, a candle, and a bottle of wine - but interesting none the less. He discusses his largely happy marriage, which still involves plenty of flirtations from himself and his wife to various other parties. 

I was expecting, on the whole, the Festival to be more immersive. I recognize that was a little much; you can't fully transport a town in time, even one that already retains so many of its historic elements. One must wait for traffic when moving between venues and pass fast fashion stores and busloads of weir-viewers. While some of the individual events were also not quite what I anticipated, I had many perfect moments. Moments of stillness and enjoyment, conversations with other nerds and tiny pieces of time travel. 

Work Week 2

Tuesday (since nothing of note happened Monday): 

Received a couple of projects at work: yay!! They were interesting and important. I also explored the depths of the building. We'll probably get lost if we have to go alone next time.

The Theatre. The Folger's Theatre was showing "Sense & Sensibility," so of course I went to see it. It was opening night, and the cast worked through the kinks fantastically and the show was better than anticipated. As much as I love Austen, "Sense & Sensibility" is ranked near, if not actually, the bottom of the list for me. But I've never seen one of her works performed live, and thought the location was great as well. And they did such a great job!! They definitely amped up the comedy factor significantly. On such a small stage, complete set makeovers would be difficult, so every piece is on a casters and the cast rolls them around effortless. Without getting up from their chairs, a parlour becomes a patio becomes a dining table. The members playing multiple characters were shoved back and forth across the stage when necessary. And the playwright incorporated several proposal lines from other Austen works into this one, for better or worse. The comedy 100% made this performance! Loved it!

Thursday:

The first memo I wrote required very little editing and passed all the way up the chain of command to the boss! I've officially done a thing.

In addition, since D.C. is crawling with Congressmen, I've started Congressman Bingo. Unfortunately, I can't post photos like I do with Embassy Bingo, because I've rarely seen any of them long enough to take a photo. But so far we've at least seen:

Senator Cory Booker

Senator Rand Paul

Senator Marco Rubio

Senator Bill Cassidy

Congressman Don Young

There are certainly others, but with so many of them, I'm still learning to recognize faces. 

Saturday: 

I have been wanting to go to a Madame Tussaud's for a very long time. It's been on my to-do list in London, but I just haven't done it yet. So I went to the D.C. exhibit! I know that each is themed for the city it's in, so I wasn't surprised to see all the presidents; I was surprised that there wasn't much else. There are maybe four other rooms, each with a few... is statues the right word? But it's predominately presidents. 

The Taft

The Kennedys 

Uncle Sam

Me and my new oven are capable of great things.

I didn't get many good pictures because I'm terribly unaccustomed to the idea of getting up-close-and-personal or touching the displays. There were plenty of other people wandering the narrow space, climbing on plinths, putting their arms around the figures, but it just felt... wrong. 

Post-Madame Tussaud's, I headed to the International Spy Museum. Dang, that place is cool. Videos narrated by Linda Hunt and Toby Stephens, the temporary exhibit on James Bond, and the interactive "learning to be a spy" portions. I climbed through an air duct, listened to the bugs around the building, saved the world from a nuclear device, and hung off a helicopter (for more than 10 seconds, everybody). Essentially, this museum tells you everything you think about spies is true at least some portion of the time. 

Russia post-1990s knows what's up.

And I used a digital Enigma machine. How did anyone
figure this out, the first time 'round?

I went to find cannoli afterward, but it turns out the bakery I was looking for has disappeared. But I did pass the Carnegie Library and the MLK Memorial Library and went through Chinatown (which has a super fancy archway).

The back of the Carnegie Library is way more interesting
than the front.

Sunday: 

Just explored the Pentagon City Mall today. Found another Panera, a Teavana (their Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Chocolate tea is amazing, and possibly the first Pumpkin Spice drink I've had), another Taco Bell, a Nordstrom Rack and a Marshalls, etc. Once again made me realize I miss Tasku's habit of stores putting the price of the items mannequins are wearing in the window, so I could see how expensive a store is going to be before I walk in and immediately leave. 

And unless something crazy happens in the next several hours, that was my week!

Seeing (Some More of) the Sights: D.C.

 After brunch, I began the day with the Will & Jane exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library. It covered the works, biography, cult of celebrity, and growth in popularity of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. The exhibit discussed how Austen was influenced by Shakespeare: she included him in her own works, attended performances of his plays, even lived down the street from a gallery that only held paintings of scenes from his works for a time. While not a comparison of the two, each display held themed artifacts and pieces from each writer: items from under their floor boards, parodies of their novels, clothing items with their faces or writings printed thereon, film adaptations, versions handed out to soldiers, etc.

Not sure they quite thought through the cover...

It was a really interesting exhibit, especially to compare with things I already knew about Jane Austen and pieces I'd seen originals of at her house when I visited, like her turquoise ring. Jane only owned 3 pieces of jewelry, and when I visited it was the first time they'd all been together since her death. I was surprised they loaned it out, but turns out this one was a replica Kelly Clarkson had purchased. There was a screen with a selection of British actors and clips from the parts they'd played in a Shakespeare and Austen production (i.e. Laurence Olivier in Pride & Prejudice and Hamlet; Alan Rickman in Sense & Sensibility and reading Sonnet 130). And when I first walked in the building the woman at the front desk said, "Don't miss the shirt." So I found the shirt. On display, Colin Firth's lake scene shirt, and on the scene behind an endless loop of it and reproductions of the lake scene. 

I loved this quote at the end of a display on fan continuations of the stories these famous writers can no longer write themselves: "Fans are not merely passive worshippers of the celebrity of these authors but its creators, producing new art - high and low, bad and good - in continuing celebration of the art of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen." Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, they say. And I loved the tagline on someone's take on Macbeth from 1866(1806?): "Wherein Duncan is murdered, Banquo is murdered, and everything is murdered for the entertainment of the young at merry Christmas time. 

After lunch at Taco Bell (surprise), I went to the Sewall-Belmont House & Museum. I visited Alva Belmont's first house in Newport when I was there this summer, and this new house of hers is certainly different. The Sewall-Belmont House became the headquarters of the National Women's Party in 1929, and currently serves as a museum for all things women's suffrage. I've written several papers on the suffrage movement in the United States and studied the British movement (though I haven't seen the new movie), particularly the violence visited upon both groups of women. I was really excited to see artifacts and hear more about the women involved. Unfortunately, overall, I was disappointed; there were very few things said I didn't already know. On the plus side, it means I did learn something at university. It was still an awesome visit. 

With Susan B. Anthony's desk and Elizabeth Cady Stanton's chair, elongated to fit her bustle. 

Knowing the audience most likely to visit a museum on women's right to vote, they've made every mirror in the building a selfie spot, but with an individual message. I hate the "camera in the photo" selfies, so I didn't take many, but this one has the portraits of some of the most famous US suffragists, so I think I'll keep it. At the bottom of the mirror it says "This is what a leader looks like."

This one says "I stand on the shoulders of the women before me." 

One of the rooms held cartoons from the Suffragist and other suffrage cartoons. I liked this one most. It says "Question: How can this be a 'goverment of the people and by the people' if only 1/2 of the people vote?" In its suffrage context, the meaning is plain. However, as a kid with a PoliSci degree, this was interesting because even for presidential elections, less than 50% of Americans vote, period, making this still a relevant and topical question. 

I really like the idea of the jail door pendants that the suffragists wore after they'd been arrested, but I have done zero things cool enough to deserve it. 

Post-epic-suffrage-artifacts, I was heading to the hip-and-happenin' region of Georgetown. Unfortunately, I took the wrong turn down a street and ended up...

In front of the White House.  Legitimately, I did not plan to end up here. What is my life right now?! I got directions the other day that said "turn left at the Library of Congress." What is this?!?!

Sunset, predominately orange,
over all the things.

On my way home, I was treated to my first D.C. sunset, and it did not disappoint.

Better picture with the Capitol,
but further away.

AND!! I'm actually super excited to continue including posts of Embassy for Embassy Bingo. Today, I saw the Mexican Embassy in this modern building currently in the process of swallowing these two smaller buildings. Stay tuned for my trip to Embassy Row!

P.S. I also acquired a roommate today!

Seeing the Sights: The Birthday Trip, London

April 8th, 2015:
The bus pulls into Victoria Coach Station at 6:30am. Like most accommodation establishments, I can't check into my hostel until 2pm. I have all my belongings with me. What will I do?

Cambridge
After a bit o' thinking and trip planning, I bought a bus ticket to Cambridge. When in London, I exclusively use the Tube or walk. This trip reminded me why I'd decided not to use the Overground, as it took us an hour just to get to the city outskirts, having woven through traffic. But we did make it to Cambridge. In short, there really isn't a bad angle of this city, aided by the fact that the sun was out and the birds were chirping. I had some homework to get done, and I figured what better or more motivational place to do it than Cambridge? I'd find a cafe, grab a snack and some tea, and get stuff done. (Spoiler alert: This did not happen. Well, not the homework part.)

One of the things I have not missed being in the less tourist-hot Eastern Europe is the people who try to sell you things on street corners. Of course, they are placed in the most touristy areas, which means you cannot help but pass so many of them. Pretty much all of those I passed were working for groups that take you around the city in the punts, something I'd completely forgotten was a thing in Cambridge. While it sounded like a cool idea, the shear number of people who asked me made me not want to give them the satisfaction, so I didn't. I didn't have a lot of time in the city, so I got to see more in-land than from the river.

River Cam

Do you see what I see? That's right, this restaurant has root beer!

Because who doesn't draw Daleks on the side of
their antique university buildings?

King's College

I had crêpes for lunch, since the restaurant was in a less packed portion of town and they had the "free wifi" sticker in the window. Unfortunately, you still needed a password for it, and with the people that kept walking through the door and only one guy working behind the counter (taking orders, making drinks and crêpes) I wasn't up for bugging him, so flipped through a Cambridge magazine instead. And that's why I didn't get any homework done. That and the fact that the buses I was on didn't have wifi. (Estonia, I miss you!)

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
-George Bernard Shaw

In search of a postcard, I ended up in a bookstore. (All right, so if I'm honest the postcard might have been an afterthought once I was already inside, but whatever. It was a beautiful big bookstore. So shhhh.) A book I really want to read came out on St. Patrick's Day and I haven't seen it in the stores in Tartu yet, so I popped into several stores on this trip to look at it. I didn't have space to buy it on this trip, and I would have had to ship it home anyway, but I just like to look at it. I've got a tab open on my computer to buy the Kindle edition, but I'm trying to wait until I get home. Either way, I loved browsing through the Waterstones in Cambridge. There was an author signing books (not a person nor novel of which I'd heard). When I go to bookstores, I often take pictures of titles to remind me to find them cheaper/more convenient elsewhere, so I acquired many new photos this afternoon. Probably too soon, it was time to head back to the bus stop to return to London.

Pearce Park

I was on the bus back when my phone started vibrating. Since I've left home, there is really only one person that calls me, but because it's my birthday, I knew exactly who was on the other end.

Unfortunately, with bus and traffic noises and international phone charges, it wasn't the best time for a call, so after my gramma sang "Happy Birthday" I told her I'd call her back later.

I checked into my 18-bed hostel room which looked a bit ridiculous. Each bed had curtains and most people had used clothing or towels to fill the gap between them. Essentially, 18 adults and built forts. It was awesome, if a bit cramped. Luckily, having slept most of my life in a twin bed, sharing a small space with all my gear wasn't that big a deal.

My bunk with my drying towel

After checking in I headed to the London Hard Rock, a place I have yet to visit in my previous trips to London.

They found space for me at the bar in front of the kitchens. The server asked where the party was, but since it was just me he and the other staff amused me. The asked question and talked to me, all in a non-creepy way. They were all really friendly and it was actually awesome. It made the London Hard Rock my favourite that I've visited. It's also the smallest, which surprised me for being such a big city. They have the free birthday dessert, but I sprung for the Oreo cheesecake instead with my strawberry-mango piña colada. 

I learned it's really hard to take pictures of yourself while
you're eating.

After getting back to the hostel and setting myself up in the kitchen, away from all of my sleeping dorm-mates, I called my gramma back over the noises of the hostel. Hostels, of course, keep slightly different hours, so there were still plenty of people up, but we managed. Then I crawled into my pod and slipped into Dreamland.




April 9th, 2015: Oxford
After finally figuring out my plan for the day, I took the Oxford Tube to Oxford (duh!).

If it surprises anyone that my first stop was part of the Bodlein Library... do I know you?
The round library wasn't one open to the public, but man was it pretty. It's sits across from the university church, so that was my next stop.
Now, I've seen a lot of churches since coming to Europe. You can't walk 15 feet without seeing a new one in most places. I can see 3 (nearly 4) from my dorm window and Estonia's not a very religious country. But the university cathedral had some cool features. First off, part of the ceiling is painted to have stars on it. Secondly, they have a display showing how the church has changed since it was built. I found this really interesting because it shows not only the change in religious observance and style over the centuries but also the change in the size of the city. A balcony was added to hold undergraduates (but has since been removed) and organ was added, the altar and pulpit moved around, etc. University church, not only pretty, but educational.

     Like many churches, I'm always surprised by the floor, which to be made entirely out of graves. It's one thing to have people buried in the walls of the church, though England's churches especially seem to have walls made out of graves as well, but I kinda feel bad about stepping on these people. There's just no way around them!

Anyway, after checking out the church, I stumbled upon the (non-disappointing) Bridge of Sighs. I tried to recreate the perspective I remembered from Midsomer Murders, but didn't quite managed it. I remembered it being higher off the ground (though clearly it isn't) and with more trees/greenery on the other side. Either way, I found it!

     I was trying to find the "Marks of Genius" exhibit the Bodleian was putting on, but I don't think I ever did. I stumbled into a MASSIVE bookstore and found the bookstores edition of it (or at least I hope this wasn't the entire thing) but that was pretty cool as well. They had some third edition Shakespeares, and the one that had me nerding out the most, first edition Jane Austens. For a mere $20,000 I could have been the proud owner of a first edition, three-volume Emma, or for $16,000 a second edition Sense & Sensibility. They had the first edition, three-volume bind-up of my two favourite Austen's Northanger Abbey & Persuasion for $30,000 if I remember correctly. 

In a corner at the top of the stairs leaving the exhibit was a massive pile of Harry Potter books. 

...uh, guys?

Other than the university buildings and the library, I wasn't sure what else I'd find in Oxford. I looked for the Eagle & Child pub where the Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others used to host the Inklings Club. Looking at the map now, seems I walked around it in circles, but I didn't find it while I was there. 

But! That doesn't mean I didn't find cool things! I found this bit of Shakespearean architecture in the middle of a shopping district. Which just looks epic, might I add. 

Krispy Kreme!

When I passed the Krispy Kreme in the area I spun around and bought a Lemon Meringue Pie donut that was fantastic, though there are probably a number of factors that contributed to this: hunger, attitude, elevation of Krispy Kreme to near god-like status, lack of donuts in Tartu, and the best pie flavour ever. Now, I'm a bit disappointed in myself that the thing I ate in Oxford was an American donut, but not so disappointed that I wouldn't do it again. I did buy chocolate from the Bodleian (peach raspberry white chocolate) that was phenomenal, so that makes up for it a bit.

Listening to a tour guide passing as I took this picture, this is one of the most unique colleges in Oxford, since it has no students. All Souls College only has research fellows. But this little bit of the campus you can see is really pretty, much like the rest of Oxford. 

Oxford is a lot cheaper than Cambridge, so I did actually go into one of the buildings here, the Divinity College at the Bodleian, which you'll probably recognize from the picture as it served as a background for several Harry Potter scenes, maybe most notably the Yule Ball dance tutorial. This room, like the church, also had some information posted about what used to take place in the building, though not as extensive as the info in the church.

One of the things I absolutely loved about Oxford is the number of bookshops, and the number of them that were combined with cafes. This one, with the lamps reading "Speak Friend And Enter" is just one of many that I passed. It was like an entire city built out of pieces in my mind palace. Just down the street is Christ Church College which sits on the edge of the centre of town and has this huge, expansive lawn. It's one of those things that boggles my mind. Here's a "bustling" city, narrow, winding streets, and then BAM! Massive grassland with tractors and all. Oxford probably just became my favourite day trip from London. So much Oxford Love. 

AND! It taught me a new word: "Plinth"

After returning to London, I ran to meet up with a Jack the Ripper tour. I tried to go last time I was in London, but it didn't work out. This time, I wandered around the meeting point outside Tower Hill station and didn't see anything. Fifteen minutes after the tour was supposed to start, I give up and head toward the DLR to go back to the hostel. I pass a group of people who turn out to be exactly who I was looking for and sneakily joined the tour. I found it interesting that the government has built over all but one of the places were Jack the Ripper's victims were found. This was done after World War II supposedly in an attempt to curb that kind of behaviour, but since the murders occured in the late 1880s and WWII didn't end until 1945, that seems like quite the delay. If nothing else, I learned some things I hadn't heard in the other videos and readings I've done on Jack the Ripper, so that was cool. And, of course, maybe the Masons did it.