Because it's raining.
And to prove that life is really unfair, I'd point out the pattern of the rain. Walk to the library: raining a bit. Umbrellas, but nothing crazy. Charles drops me off, I go in, he leaves to walk back (30 minutes), and...the skies open. Not just today, but at least 3 times already.
In other news:
1. A sign on an Oxford college: No Parking. Violators will be Clamped. (!)
2. We found the most incredible bookstore ever. It appears to be just a couple of little shop fronts, nothing special. And when you enter the left side, you come into a tiny room full of tourist stuff about walking tours. You could be forgiven, at this point, for rolling your eyes and daparting. But wait...a stairway. This bookstore turns out to occupy the better part of the entire building. 4 stories up (with a staircase very much like the one at Hogwarts), with a huge (huge) basement level room (the Norrington Room) on 3 levels of its own. The basement room is one enormous space with lofts, devoted to various sub-genres of academic study. In this bookstore, Sociology gets its own area. Outside the Norrington Room, classic literature receives almost an entire floor. Meanwhile, history...not even in the Norrington Room, because it gets most of the 2nd floor. I'm going there this afternoon and I may never leave.
Also, there's a coffee shop. And I pre-ordered the new Harry Potter.
5 comments:
The most galling bit was the pouring rain while the sun was shining in my face as if to say, "Suck it whig."
That's right; suck it!
And when I say 'we' found the bookstore, let me be clear that you found it and I am soooo proud.
Isn't it fun how the rain pours, and then the sun comes out (nyah, nyah) and then the rain pours again? I love it.
I am confused about your description of the bookshop, Fiona... Where are the discount books that no wants to read but greet you when you walk in? Where are the tables and tables of crappy oversized coffee table books about ponies and old cars that the publishers feel you must own? And where are the racks and racks of miniature books that teach you office yoga or Origami? You must have walked into a substandard book shop, for sure.
Uh...M? Those things aren't that awesome. Personally, I'm not that into ponies. But never fear; one thing is consistent across cultures: the fancy, expensive, faux hipster coffee shop. Cafe Nero, in this case.
Apparently, your mother has been in the touristy bit. I'll see if I can convince Charles to take photographs later.
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