Port Meadow

27 November 2014

The sun came out around noon.  We took a bus to the center of Oxford, and then walked to the southern entrance to Port Meadow. A trail map at the entrance pointed out where the meadow floods in winter. This was the only part of the footpath that was raised and dry.

We followed the path to Burgess Field, to the east of the meadow.

Then we doubled back to the entrance and walked west toward the Thames River.

We walked north along the muddy towpath.

On several gates around the meadow were notices that an environmental impact study was taking place ahead of a proposed development.  It was on the towpath that we saw this sign:

I turned around to look.  They lost the battle:

A dirt road led away from the river to a village.  We decided to follow it.

The Perch, the pub in the village of Binsey:

Again we doubled back, this time walking south along the Thames canal towpath towards the center of Oxford. The sun would be setting at 4:02 p.m. We had half an hour to get back.

Eddies in the canal:

The new graduate housing complex loomed to the left.  It was ugly and obtrusive.  It might not have been so bad had the architects attempted to blend them in with the older buildings in the city.  I didn't take any pictures.

Duckweed:

Ducks.  (Mallards.)

An expansive community garden, the second that we saw:

Graffiti or not, Oxford likes its walls:

We emerged a quarter mile from the train station, where we could catch a bus back to Beechwood.  Here's the bicycle parking lot:

I chose the top level front seats so that I could get one good, last view of Oxford. At the edge of the shopping area is a churro truck, one of a small handful of food trucks around the city.

Tomorrow I have to be up at 5:00 a.m. in order to get to the airport by 8:00 for my 10:30 flight.  Every side and corner of my suitcase is stuffed with boxes of chocolate.  I can just barely get the thing zipped.

So that's it, my summer vacation.  See you at Winter Larry's ride on Sunday?