T H I S+W E E K

Mondo Weirdo:
The strangest food in the world
By Don George, Editor

Praise the Titanic!
By Doug Cruickshank
Eighty-five years later, they're still going down with the ship

Above the volcano
By Robert Riddell
Blowing off steam at Mexico's newest volcano
-Books on Mexico
-Getting there

D E P A R T M E N T S

The Surreal Gourmet
By Bob Blumer
It's a cocktail! It's a fruit drink! It's -- Supermartini!

Postmark: Alvescot
By Amanda Castleman
Down and out at Watermill Cottage
> Getting there

Passages:
"Into Thin Air"
Inside the Everest disaster
By Jon Krakauer

Readers' Tips and Tales
Drinking and travel

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Your virtual travel agency

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LA S T+W E E K

Tuesday, May 20

If it's Tuesday,
I must be tipsy
By Jan Morris
Jan Morris drinks her way across Europe

A full list of all
Wanderlust articles

                      |   G E T T I N G   T H E R E   |

o x f o r d

The city goes far beyond the hallowed spires. Wars, lynchings and class uprisings have swept through these streets. Royalty and scum have rubbed shoulders, and some of the world's greatest thinkers have analyzed the whole vibrant tangle. It is not an area to be viewed in a day, sandwiched between London's smutty charms and sugary Stratford-on-Avon.

The classic Oxford visitor will wander, jaw gaping, among the golden-stone university buildings. A detour to Blenheim Palace usually completes the overdose of Significant Architecture. Stay a while longer.

Oxford and the county have many nooks worth investigating, not to mention world-class museums. The city is a unique blend of sophistication and naiveté, grandiose cathedrals and cow pastures, starched university functions and grubby back-street pubs.

The best historical guide to the city is James Morris' classic "Oxford" (Harcourt Brace). This collection of witty observations and obscure factoids offers some of the best nonfiction writing I've encountered, plus it imparts a quick, eloquent dose of the city's magic.

Further suggestions for discovering Oxfordshire:

• The Rollright Stones
  Outside the village of Chipping Norton lies the remnant of an ancient mystical henge. Legend says a crone bewitched a power-hungry local king, turning him to stone as he strained to glimpse the omen of his ascendancy. He stands alone on a hill, and five "whispering knights" cluster in a nearby field plotting treason. The King's Men -- rumored to be impossible to count -- form a circle, where New Age tourists and porn stars sometimes get naked. The 30-pence entrance fee is donated to an animal charity.
• Port Meadow Canal Walks
  A large chunk of common land, called Port Meadow, remains near downtown Oxford and is home to a herd of semi-wild ponies. Much of the land has never been plowed, and the occasional canal-side pub only enhances the landscape. Try an afternoon stroll, with ample stops to sample local cocktails and brews. (Pimms No. 1 Cup is a regional favorite consisting of gin, mint, fruit and liquour. Good luck finding your way home.)
• William Morris' village
  The great designer, writer and philosopher wrought his marvels in Kelmscott, about 20 miles west of Oxford. Samples of his genius dot the manor house, which is fortunately preserved. Unfortunately, the National Trust extorts around 6 pounds as an entry fee, so more people walk away from the hallowed gates than through them. Penny-wise pilgrims can pay homage to Morris' simple grave in the village churchyard though.
• Little Wittenham
  A simple, unassuming stone bridge over the Thames marks the Pooh Sticks World Championship playing grounds. Yearly, people gather from around the world to pay homage to A.A. Milne and compete for the international title. The contest is held in December, providing the Thames doesn't freeze over, but you can test your skill at any time. Look for a box filled with pre-cut sticks, rather than defoliating the precious local shrubs.
• City pleasures
  Europe's oldest botanical garden is free for the viewing. Indoor greenhouses offer shelter and warmth during rainy spells (which are frequent, if usually brief). Don't forget to gawk at the Radcliffe Camera, the Sheldonian Theatre, Christ Church and the Magdalen urban deer park, complete with herd (the name is pronounced "maudlin" for obscure reasons). The Asmolean Museum remains one of the world's finest, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Pitt Rivers Museum are worth visiting as well. Don't forget a stop at the Eagle and Child pub, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien exchanged tips on the world's greatest children's fiction.

While searching for the county's charms, remain alert for signs of "twee." The slang derives from a childish pronunciation of "sweet," and when a whole village succumbs to the disease, the effect is sickening. Any town described as "charming and olde worlde" in a guidebook is likely to be twee. Expect to find lots of shoppes full of overpriced rag wool sweaters, needle-point kits and overpriced coffee mugs. Burford, Borton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wolde are three such villages to be avoided. Trust me. The Cotswold kitsch only seems appealing until you're surrounded by it.

Getting there: Oxford is a quick and easy trip from London. By bus and train the trip takes about an hour and a half and services run 24 hours a day. Traveling to Oxford's outer villages is slightly more difficult. Check the bus and train stations for detailed listings. Aside from being very useful, the Oxford Information Center also offers walking tours of the city.

For more information contact:

Oxford: Oxfordshire

The Oxford Information Centre
The Old School, Gloucester Green
Oxford OX1 2DA
011-44-1865-726871
Fax: 011-44-1865-240261
May 24, 1997

-- Amanda Castleman

And don't forget our Table Talk area -- another great source of detailed advice!