Oxford is beautiful and truly a "college town" in every sense of the word. Oxford University dominates the city and is actually a federation comprised of over forty self-governing colleges and private halls. Teaching at this university dates as far back as the 11th century!
The city is brimming with students and faculty. Lovely stone buildings and college entrances line the streets, each welcoming visitors in to wander through the courtyards and catch a glimpse of the lecture halls and student facilities. Student bookshops bustle with activity, bikes are chained up to nearly anything and everything, the sun is shining and the air is crisp.
I really enjoyed visiting Oxford's Bodleian Library along with an exhibit displaying several original Jane Austen manuscripts. The Bodleian Library is one of several copyright deposit libraries, meaning that it receives a free copy of all books and periodicals published in Britain. The library currently holds over seven million volumes, which occupy 110 miles of shelving!!
