Can he croon?

Last night I went to the Hollybush on Botley Rd. to watch MC play an acoustic set.  It turns out he's quite the musician!  I really enjoyed his performance.  Although the pub was a bit dark, I managed to get one decent shot of him strumming & singing. 

If I'm honest, the Hollybush isn't my favorite pub in town, but they did serve me a delicious Titanic Iceberg ale.  Or two.  Before last night I'd never come across that ale, or any Titanic beer for that matter, but I rather enjoyed it, so I'll keep an eye out in the future.

When I left you, I was but the learner

Fi & I spent some time Christmas shopping in London last weekend, & we came across some fantastic Lego builds in the toy section of John Lewis.  Representing were Vader:

Threepio:

& R2:

I don't spend enough time in department stores to know whether these are commonplace, but I was pretty excited (as were most of the display's target audience) to see them out in JL.  Star Wars makes everything better.

Winter Wonderland

Oxford University Press U.K. has spared no expense decorating for Christmas.  OUP elves have festooned the building's interior with ornaments, garland, & lights, & the whole display does wonders for boosting the Christmas spirit.  Perhaps my favorite part is the tree placed in the courtyard just behind the Walton St. entrance.

Isn't it nice?  This is one of probably ten placed around the compound.  I really appreciate working in a place where people aren't scared to rock out the seasonal decor.

Jenny & Barrett's visit

After spending a couple of days vacationing in Scotland, Jenny & Barrett came to visit us in Oxford for Thanksgiving.  With her usual dedication & care, Fi had them out & about taking in all the best sights from the time they arrived.  For whatever reason though (probably beer), I lapsed big-time on my picture-taking responsibilities, so as I sit here in attempt to cobble together a post, I've got about 5 usable shots at the ready.  With that apology, I give you my abbreviated version of J&B's time with us in the UK...

Here's J&B on the bus from Oxford to London, where we spent Friday & Saturday:

The happy couple sharing the frame with St. Paul's & the Millenium Bridge:

& then tippling a tasty beverage at the Swan:

In front of the Tower Bridge (not to be confused with the London Bridge):

Slightly fuzzy at the Christmas Market.  I'm sure that has nothing to do with glühwein.

The best for last, ladies & gentlemen, my sister (before the UT v. A&M game).

Tania's Birthday Tea

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I accompanied the Mooring ladies to afternoon tea in celebration of Tania's birthday.  I was pretty excited about the prospect.  Even though we had tea with my parents at the Old Parsonage in Oxford only a short while ago, somehow it didn't quite pack the punch of my previous experiences at the fancy London hotels.  Lucky for me, the gals had booked at The Langham, which has been, in my short experience, the city's finest tea-serving establishment.

Since the faithful readers of you will have already read my tea-narratives from earlier in the year, I'll spare the lengthy descriptions & skip straight to the crowd pleasers.  Germanophiles will be happy to know the Langham features a selection of über teas.

Here's the table.  We sat around it on small couches & armchairs.

The birthday girl & her fam...

One of your narrator for a change

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for, our food.

Delicious.  You know, my birthday is less than a month away.  Perhaps there'll be a tea for that occasion?

Christmas Time is Here!

Behold, Gloucester Green Market's finest pint-sized Blue Spruce, decorated with care.  'Tis the season, after all, for Tannenbaums, mulled wine, mince pies, & A Charlie Brown Christmas.  

I never thought it was such a bad little tree.  It's not bad at all, really.

My Favorite Things

Oxford's quite a pretty place in the fall.  The leaves here show the season like no place else I've ever lived, so it feels pretty special this time of year.  Walking through the autumnal foliage in the last few weeks has caused me to think a few times about what it is I appreciate about living in England (besides my special lady friend, of course--she's the #1 reason to be here).  One of the top contenders right now:

Ale

Real ale, or bitter, as its also known, offers a new beginning to those of us weaned on fizzy, insipid lager (what up, Miller Lite). Granted, the carbonation void makes for a huge hurdle (there's no carbon dioxide added to cask ale, so it's totally flat compared to traditional lagers).  It took me more than a few pints before I got over the feeling that I was drinking beer that'd been left out overnight.  In spite of the learning curve, even the worst English ales have a huge leg up on the majority of American beers in the flavor dept, & the difference can be eye-opening.  The varieties available are nearly endless, so I try to branch out as much as possible & taste different kinds.  Since many regions here have their own breweries, who change their offerings with the seasons, there's always something new to try.  Over the last 9 months, I've been building up a list of favorites.  Here's the first string as of now:

1. Adnam's Broadside

2. Fuller's 1845

3. Hobgoblin

4. Old Peculier

5. Brakspear Organic Oxford Gold