These Hot Days

“I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire.
The day is hot; the Capulets, abroad;
And if we meet we shall not ’scape a brawl,
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1

Close up of an exterior angel. The detail is incredible.

Oxford skyline.

I’ve said it before and I’m sure you’re sick of it, but London is hot right now. Hot weather tends to make people uncomfortable and cranky, and I am no exception. Today was one of those days where I think everyone was at the end of their ropes and just fed up with the weather. Couple that with a stuffy early morning train ride and a sweaty walk around Oxford and it adds up to not everyone being on the top of their game. There are bright sides to this post, lest I get too ranty. Oxford is beautiful. I love walking around college campuses in general, and I tend to seek them out when I travel. There is just something about being on a college campus that makes me feel at home. There is a sense of wonder and knowledge that seems to radiate throughout the buildings and all over the grounds. Oxford is no exception to this. There is also a unique magic to Oxford because of the history that accompanies it. We spent a lot of time on the Oxford campus today and even had a chance to tour the amazing Bodleian Library. There is something about being in the same room with all of those aged books that gives me chills. The amount of history on the pages is just staggering to me. I always feel honored to be seeing them.


Antique printing presses. Super cool.

After our tour of the library, we were treated to a tour of the Story Museum. This is a really amazing project. This non-profit company was founded in 2005 and it exists to celebrate children’s stories and to share enjoyable ways for young people to learn through stories as they grow. Any children’s librarians out there should check them out. Even if you’re not a children’s librarian, you should check them out anyway. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they grow in the future. They also had a collection of antique printing presses which I found incredibly interesting.

"Toy Camera Affect," one of my camera's unique features.

I couldn’t end this post without talking a little bit about the photography focus today. We were challenged to explore our camera’s unique features. I took a lot of photos today, but I think my favorite was of this old cemetery. I know nothing about it, but I thought it was beautiful. I’m sorry if that sounds creepy, but I love old cemeteries. My mom has always told me that there is nothing to fear in cemeteries and I completely agree with her. There is a real peace there. This cemetery in particular was in the middle of a convergence of roads with tour buses whizzing by, but there in the middle of the chaos was a peace. This particular photography affect was called “toy camera affect.” I don’t know what “toy camera” really refers to, but I love the vividness of the colors. It really seems to add a spark to the peace of this shot, and really reiterates that cemeteries are not creepy or something that should be feared.

I have to say that this hot day could not have ended better. I was able to bond with a handful of my classmates over pints at a pub close to the rail station. It was a perfect way to cool down and avoid any brawls.