tiny bit of joy: A Day in Oxford

Oxford has a certain charm that makes it incredibly adorable and obviously historic. It's also buzzing with university students so it feels alive but also reserved with its character well intact. We visited last Saturday for a quick day trip as it's only about an hour north west by train. Although it was a little crisp, there was blue sky, good food (and pints!) and plenty of sites to see all within a small space.

This is the gorgeous Randolph Hotel, a classy 5-star establishment with gorgeous architecture. It's also across from a small, but well put-together museum, the Ashmolean.

Shortly after arriving around mid-morning we stopped at The Fudge Kitchen, naturally. We picked up a slice chocolate marble fudge and watched them make a fresh batch of decadent toffee fudge...it was delicious!

We more or less followed a simple walking tour of the city which took us past the main monuments, pubs and restaurants. Here's the Bridge of Sighs given its name because of its supposed similarity to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice.

Of course, we had to visit the University of Oxford and this is just one of the many colleges that make up the sprawling campus. I felt more academic just being there!

We popped in the Grand Cafe for lunch and had an incredible English breakfast. I don't eat red meat, but they surprisingly had a a vegetarian option and it was scrumptious. In case you're wondering, a traditional English breakfast includes scrambled eggs, English bacon, sausage, baked beans, toast and a grilled tomato.

Apparently, the Grand Cafe is the site of the first coffee house in England and an Oxford institution. The building itself feels very grand with marble pillars, gold-leafed ceilings and mirror-lined walls.