A Very Covid Christmas

Ninth week at Oxford – a time when classes cease to meet and some exams are held – is a time when the mad gallop of the year slows down to a trot. Many people either party or try to leave early, and some even manage to do both. With the weight of schoolwork lifted from my shoulders, I ate a few long meals with course-mates and visited the botanic garden with a friend before the consequences of the omnipresent carefree atmosphere inevitably caught up with us. My housemate tested positive for covid, which forced us all into isolation for several days. Luckily, the contagion stopped there, which meant that no one else’s travel plans were impacted. However, the happy send-offs I was eagerly expecting would not happen.

A greenhouse with Magdalen Tower in the background
"Buddha's Hand"
Another view of Magdalen Tower
Starfruit
Red bananas
Cocoa
A big succulent
Pitcher plants
Bananas
Can't remember what this was
More pitcher plants
More pitcher plants
An interesting trunk
Cacti
Cowley Road Methodist Church
Peckwater Quad at Christ Church
Tom Quad at Christ Church
Christ Church Cathedral
Tom Quad again
More of the same
Peckwater Quad, but more dimly lit
More of the same
And more
More of the Cathedral
More of Christ Church
Ibid.
Ibid.
The dining hall at Christ Church
The same from a different angle

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Southern Delhi and Other Bits and Pieces

Image
On my last day in Delhi, I managed to cross off the last few items on my sightseeing list. I began by packing my luggage, all the while congratulating myself on having remembered to ask the hotel to do my laundry in advance. That finished, I ordered an Uber to Akshardham, a massive Hindu temple east of the Yamuna River. The opening hours of the temple are not well advertised, and when I arrived by the front gate, I learned it was still closed. For a few minutes, I took pictures of the temple from afar, when suddenly an autorickshaw driver approached me. He reasoned with me that since the temple would not open until ten, I had better come with him and see other sights. I had to admit the soundness of his reasoning and gave him my next address.
Read more

Ireland: Day 8 – County Louth

Image
My plans for my last day in Ireland came together in a very ad hoc fashion. Having seen everything I wanted to see, I searched for interesting sights close to the highway between Dublin and Belfast. These did not include – though I found it the most interesting sight of all – the modest highway sign saying “Welcome to Northern Ireland” painted over with several streaks of dark red paint.
Read more

When the Cows Come Home: The Désalpe in Saint-Cergue

Image
Towards the end of September and beginning of October, many Swiss villages celebrate a tradition known as the Désalpe (or Alpabzug in German-speaking Switzerland and Almabtrieb in Germany and Austria). The tradition celebrates the return of the cows from their summer pastures in the mountains: the more touristy Swiss villages deck out their cows in towering flower crowns and put on shows to fill in the time between the descent of various herds. In Saint-Cergue, for example, the entertainment during these pauses was provided by alpenhorn players, yodelling choristers, an orchestra band, and a singular man cracking his long, supersonic cow whip. There were also two other processions: one composed of cart-dragging Saint Bernards, and another one of men carrying cowbells.
Read more