Carpe Diem -- seize the day: the sunny days, the rainy days, the last glorious days in Oxford

On Friday I joined Beatriz on her trip to Burford.  While she had her tutorial, I walked over to the small neighboring village of Fulbrook, through fields dotted with cows and to the tune of crowing roosters.  Nestled among charming English cottages with their flower gardens is a Norman church.  It is incredible to be able to walk amidst so much history!

Saturday was spent writing up my last tutorial paper for Mr. Stephen Barrie.  It was on the theory of double effect, which is the ethical principle that a person is not responsible for the side effects of his action, but only those consequences which he directly causes. 

Dispersed among the paper writing were lovely chats with some of our Blackfriars friends, an essential part of what will be missed about the Blackfriars’ library.

Sunday we kept up the delightful routine of tea and coffee with friends after Mass at the Oratory followed by lunch at one of their favorite Asian noodle restaurants.  Maximizing our time conversing with the lovely people we met!

On Monday Fr. Richard Conrad planned a countryside walk to view the wall paintings in different medieval churches.  One of the students at Blackfriars studies religious artwork, and his tutor came along to act as a tour guide.  We caught a bus out to the first little village, North Leigh, and stocked with rain coats and a picnic lunch, hit the country roads.  The wall paintings date from the 14^th and 15^th centuries, before flying buttresses came into vogue in church architecture.  Since the churches then had fewer stained glass windows and more wall space, the wall paintings were the usual way of decorating the church interior.  The scenes that we saw were of the Last Judgment (hence they are also called “Dooms”), with serpentine demons struggling up to swallow souls on one side while angels welcomed the saved into the heavenly Jerusalem on the other.  Our circuit covered St. Mary’s Church in North Leigh, the Church of St. James the Great at South Leigh, and Eynsham. 

 

Fr. Richard was our dauntless leader as we braved the incredibly squelchy, muddy paths through the woods and tramped through the soggy barley fields.  The signs were extremely scarce and far between, and we passed no one else adventurous enough (or would it be crazy enough?) to undertake a cross-country walk on this drizzling day.  I’m amazed at how Fr. Richard would examine his map to try to puzzle out which side of the group of trees up ahead we wanted to steer towards.  Despite the rain, we stopped for a picnic lunch which Fr. Richard most generously provided, complete with cheese, sausage rolls, apples, cakes, and Blackfriars labeled wine bottles. 

By the time we finished our seven mile loop, my pants were soaked past the knees from brushing past the wet barley stalks, and I don’t think my shoes will ever be quite the same again.  It never felt so luxurious to change into dry socks!

On Tuesday we journeyed via train through the English countryside to Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey, for those who are fans!).  It was hard to imagine that a family still occasionally lived in the house (apparently they use it for dinner parties).  I guess the notion of an aristocracy is especially foreign to American minds.  In the family photographs decorating the rooms, you could see various family members strolling, chatting, and posing with the Queen and Princess Diana.

That evening, Brother Oliver invited us to a farewell ‘Dinner with Dominicans.’  We have been so privileged to be able to study and participate in the various activities at Blackfriars.  All of the friars and student brothers were so welcoming, and it was lovely to be able to celebrate with one last meal with them at their long dining table in the refectory. 

Wednesday, the Fourth of July, was an interesting combination of American holiday and last day in England.  Beatriz and I went to Burford, a quintessential English country village, and had one last afternoon tea. 



Beatriz decorating the flag cake



Back in Oxford, we gathered at a friend’s house to celebrate Independence Day with our American friends.  Our British friends were there as well, of course, although I think they would dispute the ‘celebration’ part; several eyes were rolled during the playing of patriotic American tunes, and the host insisted on hanging the Union Jack prominently on the living room wall.  All teasing confrontations aside, it was the best way to spend our last evening in Oxford that we could have dreamed of.  Who would have thought that we would have met so many wonderful, generous, hospitable people over our six week stay!  What a blessing! 

London and Beaconsfield

On Wednesday morning, we caught a bus to London, where flags were beginning to be arranged in preparation for the Olympics.  We saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and then paid a visit to Westminster Abbey.  The nave was beautiful, lined with chairs marked with the crests of the different aristocratic households, and ending with intricately carved arches that let in a golden light. The Poets’ Corner housed the graves of many prominent English authors, including Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson, Dickens and Kipling.

Next we stopped by Westminster Cathedral which has striking mosaics in the side chapels. 

We took a quick peek into the Brompton Oratory, the Oratorians church in London.  It was quite spectacular!

To complete our tour of London’s Churches, we dashed off in search of St. Dominic’s Priory.  It took us a while to hunt down – it’s quite off the beaten track, down a side street of old apartments.  It was definitely worth the trek, though!  There was a beautiful side chapel dedicated to each mystery of the Rosary.

Fr. Richard Conrad had most graciously (especially at such late notice) arranged for us to stay the night with the Dominican sisters in Ealing.  Taking the train there, we passed rows of English city houses.  They made me think of C.S. Lewis’ Magicians Nephew, with the connected attics. 

The sisters kindly welcomed us into their home, heating up some dinner at chatting with us around the kitchen table.  There were four sisters living at the house at the moment.  Unfortunately, the state of religious vocations in England is suffering.  The congregation these Dominican sisters belong to has a scarcity of young vocations, and with so many aging sisters in need of nursing care, they will have to close their London house next year.  Hearing this, we realized how extremely fortunate we were to be able to visit them when we did and to witness their inspiring hospitality (as just one example out of the many small ways they showed their welcome, they had placed vases of freshly cut flowers in both of our rooms). 

In the morning, we awoke to the sounds of a sister’s singing.  We joined them in their simple breakfast, while Sr. Tamsin Geach (daughter of Elizabeth Anscombe!) regaled us with tales of her childhood and adolescence. 

Going back to the center of London, we visited the Church of St. Ethelreda, which was the first cathedral in London to be restored to the Catholics after the Reformation.

Next we visited the National Gallery, which has an amazing collection of paintings of artistic gems.  We especially enjoyed the medieval and Renaissance paintings. 

Next stop: Beaconsfield, home to G.K. Chesterton in his later life, after he left the bustle of London.  It was a small town, but rather spread out, so it took some searching to find Chesterton’s gravestone.  His house was quite charming (from the outside; now it is in private ownership, so we didn’t get to see the indoors).  Note the slightly largish doorways.

 

As the bus from London drove back into Oxford, it almost felt like coming home, seeing the familiar streets after the hubbub of the big city.

Bath, Bikes, and Picnic Baskets

June 21st was the feast of St. Aloysius, the patron saint of youth and the namesake of the Oratory.  The Oratory held a Solemn Mass to mark the occasion, with a parish dinner afterwards (with picnic food, but given the English weather it was in the parish hall). 



Beatriz with friends at the parish "picnic"



The next day, Beatriz and I ventured off to Bath.  The medieval cathedral was quite impressive.  On its ornate front, groups of angels climbed up and down a pair of ladders, often in rather comical positions.  After lunch, we paid a visit to the Roman baths, where warm water still flows into a greenish pool.  We also drank a bit of the Bath waters.  Dickens mentions them in his Pickwick Papers, and I think his character describes them well:

“I thought they were particularly unpleasant. I thought they’d a very strong flavour o’ warm flat irons.”

Rather nasty.

One of the most stunning things about the city of Bath was seeing the Roman and medieval architecture juxtaposed.

On Saturday, the morning dawned looking sunny (or at least only partly cloudy, which counts as fine weather in England!) and I dragged Beatriz over to the bike rental shop.  As we waited for our bikes to be checked, ominous clouds began to close in.  Hoping for the best, we set off down a jolting trail along the Oxford Canal.  Small houseboats lined the banks, with pots of flowers and herbs on their roofs.  On the other side of the narrow trail were fields with cows grazing.  Just as we reached Wolvercote, it started to downpour.  We waited for the rain to finish its fury in a tiny Chinese take-out place (note for future travels: not Beatriz’s dining choice of preference!). 

Once it was slightly more safe to venture out, we headed through the town to the ruins of the Godstow Abbey.  Supposedly Henry II imprisoned Rosamond there.  Only remains of the front of the chapel and of the outer walls are still standing.  Personally, I think the threatening clouds gave a neat atmosphere for traipsing around a 12^th century monastery.  On the bumpy bike ride back, we stopped to feed a flock of ducks and a pair of swans.  One of the swans in particular was intimidatingly aggressive, plodding after us with its huge webbed feet. 

In the evening, we attended the Jubilate Concert at Blackfriars, which was centered around British music, from Handel to English madrigals. 

After Mass on Sunday, we went with a group of friends to a neighboring restaurant for tea and coffee.  Someone suggested a picnic, we divided up the supplies list, and all went our separate ways to our contributions and then to meet at the gate of Christ Church.  Walking through the meadows for a bit, we found a perfect picnic spot along the banks of the Thames, and feasted on a smorgasbord of bread, cheese, sausage, grapes, strawberries, and raspberries. 

After leisurely chatting for a while, and still wanting to enjoy as much of the lovely sunshine as possible, we ambled off along the river towards the village of Iffley to see the 12^th century church there.  On our way back along the river, we happened to pass one of the locks as a boat was passing through.  It was interesting to watch the dams opening to raise the boat to the new water level.

On Monday afternoon we attended walked past Magdalen College to the South Parks.  The view of the city skyline was quite spectacular! 

The Monday Aquinas group switched topics that evening, since Fr. Peter, the Aquinas expert, was away.  Instead, Dr. Rowland lectured on the Theology of the Body.  This week he talked about the two accounts of Creation in Genesis and what we learn about human nature from man’s state of original solitude.

Tuesday morning I had a tutorial with Dr. David Jones on the relationship between theology and bioethics.  We discussed how much of a role theology should, or has to, play in bioethics.  Should a Christian bioethicist only use arguments based on natural law?  Are there some instances when faith provides the most practical guide to bioethical principles?  It was interesting to hear how he contrasted America and Britain.  In the US, separation of church and state is a standard assumed position.  Yet in England, ecclesiastical and political roles overlap more. 

In the afternoon, we visited Christ Church chapel and hall, as well as the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. 

For dinner, we went to the Eagle and Child, enjoying both the photos of the Inklings on the walls, and the fish and chips!