strolling the corridors of Hogwarts

I felt that this day deserves its own post because it’s jammed pack with amazing experiences and it was one of my favorite days so far.
WEDNESDAY
DAY TRIP DAYYYY. It was super super awesome. We went to Blenheim Palace, which is where the Dukes and Duchesses of Marlborough have lived and still live. Sir Winston Churchill was born and raised here for a bit, also. And if you’ve seen the Kenneth Branagh version of “Hamlet”, this is where it was filmed. The palace was pretty but the gardens were BEAUTIFUL. I can only imagine how it looks in the spring and summer.

.:Blenheim Palace:.

.:gardens at Blenheim Palace:.
Next was Oxford and the University of Oxford. It felt good to be in a college town, again. Annie and I ventured away from the group and headed towards the Ashmolean Museum. At first, I looked the map and thought: “Meh, just another museum, I’m not excited about this anymore”. But then Annie found the Pissarro room. Yes, a room devoted to Pissarro. What a delectable surprise for me.
Next on the agenda: get Oxford attire. Check.
Then: wander around Oxford and take as much in as you possibly can. Check. This included going to the library where the Gringott’s scene was filmed in Harry Potter and checking out the Radcliff Camera, this really cool building that I’m not sure what the purpose is for (misnomer). We also got a Ben’s Cookie from the ORIGINAL Ben’s Cookies.
The group got back together at Christ’s Church College. This is not a misnomer, it still has the church, but the rest of the buildings are for the school. On these grounds stands the tree that inspired Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire cat tree (along with where the cat used to roam). There’s also the door where the dean’s little girl wasn’t allowed to go through, so she peeked through the key hole (also an inspiration for Carroll).
The coolest thing about Christ’s Church College is the fact that I got to take a step into Hogwarts. I can’t even begin to describe how many dreams were fulfilled because of this day. You know the steps where Harry meets Draco for the first time? Been there. Also, walked down some corridors where Harry walked. You know the Great Hall? Done that. Wellll I THOUGHT I had done that, but apparently it’s not THE Great Hall, just The Great Hall (inspired JK Rowling for the movie). Either way, we had the special privilege of having tea time there. Man, I couldn’t stop smiling.

.:tea time at Hogwarts:.