Oxford Outside

The whole of Oxford is made of stone--the buildings, the sidewalks, the gargoyles and devices that ornament the town. The streets are narrower than in the U.S.--instead of rivers, they have streams. High Street, the large main road in Oxford, can scarcely hold a candle to the main road in my tiny hometown, though High Street's traffic is much more varied. Busses, cars, and bicycles vie for space along the thoroughfare.
Their sidewalks, too, are narrower, and paved with old, rough flagstones, offering many an opportunity for pedestrians to trip on their unevenness. Contrary to what the guidebooks tell you, the pedestrians don't keep to the left. Instead they dart around from side to side wherever other pedestrians, scaffolding, road blocks, and litter bins will permit. And there are more pedestrians than in the U.S. Perhaps it is because they do things differently here, or perhaps it is just because this is a big city, but people walk everywhere. And not just for traveling at a breakneck pace from point A to point B--they do it for pleasure. Almost immediately after my arrival, the Shakespeare professor (from our American university, not Oxford's) showed a group of us a gravel path following along a tributary of the Thames, overlooking a meadow beyond which can be seen Christ Church College (now sadly seeming to be best known as the on location site for the Harry Potter movies). The walk affords not only a beautiful view, but punters and rowers to watch on the river, bold and demanding waterfowl, and enormous, ancient trees shading benches. People--not just tourists--take walks there, sit and chat with friends on the banks, or stuff more bread into the spoiled birds. It's a beautiful place, and people take good advantage of it.