I look forward to spending time with you all mad and lovely people!
Weekend programme
Thursday 6 March 18.30 Drinks and meal at the Turf Tavern.
Friday 7 March Let's give Alice a break and pay a visit to Harry Potter! 11.10 Christ Church. Visit and walk in the park.
14.00 Meeting point at Carfax Tower for walk in Port Meadow. Drinks at the Perch.
20.00 Dinner at the Chequers.
Saturday 8 March 16.20 Mad Hatter - Cocktail masterclass. 18.00 - 00.00 The Cape of Good Hope.
A few details...
Friday 7 March The Christ Church You are invited to buy online tickets in advance to avoid long waiting time. We will meet in front of the entance at 11.00. The visit lasts more or less 1 hour.
Port Meadow Let's meet in front of Carfax Tower at 14.00 Wear comfortable shoes that can get dirty. The walk takes more or less 2h back and forth. We will arrive at the Perch at around 15.30. We will have drinks at the Perch and then go back in the city center for dinner. I will book a table at the Chequers at 20.00 for anyone who wishes to join us for dinner.
Saturday 8 March Birthday Day Let's meet at 16.20 at the entrance of the Mad Hatter. The activity will last until 18.00. We will then move to the Cape of Good Hope where we will have drinks on the first floor. Dinner and drinks will be served at 20.00 Any drinks at the Cape of Good Hope consumed between 18.00 and 20.00 will be at your expense.
Must see in wonderland
In case you can't get enough of wonderland, Oxford has plenty of things to see.
St Mary's Church: the best view of Oxford. Climb the many stairs and enjoy the gargoyles.
Magdalen College: one of the most popular Oxford University's colleges. There are many deers wandering freely in the fields.
Bodleian Library: one of the oldest working libraries in the world. You can book guided tours in many languages.
If you still have time you can also visit the Pitt Rivers, Ashmolean and history of science museums as well asthe Sheldonian theatre, botanic garden and bridge of sighs.
Entance to museums are free.
Curioser & curioser
Wonderland is a cabinet of curiosities.
Covered Market: Alice is there, I swear! And so Ben's Cookies and Moo Moo's and its amazing milkshakes!
The Norrington Room: Go to Blackwell's music bookshop in Broad Street. Then go downstairs and walk down the corridor... I bet you've never seen something like this before!
Punting: If the weather allows it, do it!
Turf tavern: it's an historic and one of the best pubs in Oxford. It is hidden in the city center and worth visiting.
Where to eat in wonderland
The mad hatter knows many good places when it comes to tea parties...
Pub food The Chequers and the Turf tavern
Sri Lankan cuisine The coconut tree
Indian cuisine Dosa Park
Thai cuisine Thaikun
General information
British weather Wear warm clothes! It's cold, rainy and windy in Oxford. High heels are not recommended as most roads are paved. As some walks are on the grass, bring sneakers that you don't mind if they get a bit muddy.
Payments Payments by card are charged up to 2% (ING oblige). Most businesses in the UK do not accept cash.
Travel information You will need to bring your passport. For EU nationals tourist visa is not required. Public transportation in Oxford is excellent. Avoid renting cars as parking in the city is a nightmare.
Children Children are welcome to come. However, please note that they cannot attend the cocktail masterclass. They can come to the party at the Cape of Good Hope until 22.00. After that time, it is illegal for pubs in the UK to have children in their premises.
How to get to Oxford
Oxford is easily reachable by public transports.
From London: There are trains departing from Paddington and Marylebone every 20 minutes.
From Brussels and Paris: There are cheaper Eurostar tickets (if booked in advance) to get to London, St. Pancras. Then from St. Pancras (Kings Cross rail station), you can take the metro, stop to Paddington station, and get the train to Oxford. Alternatively, you can get the bus (called Oxford Tube) from Marble Arch to Oxford.
Why Oxford?
I spent 8 years in this beautiful city which I consider home. To me Oxford is a mix of architectural beauty, academic excellence and fun activities.
Oxford University has produced many Nobel laureates, scientists, and intellectuals including Stephen Hawking, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll. The university comprises 39 autonomous colleges, each with its unique traditions.
Oxford’s architecture features Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical buildings. The most famous sites are: Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Library, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Sheldonian Theatre. Many of these buildings have also been used in the film Harry Potter.
The Bodleian Library is one of Europe’s oldest libraries, containing millions of books and priceless manuscripts.
I hope you will love Oxford as much as I do and I would be delighted to explore it together.
What does Alice have to do with Oxford?
Alice in wonderland is a book written by Charles Dodson a.k.a Lewis Carroll who taught mathematics at the Oxford college Christ Church.
Many of the iconic places in the book that inspired Carroll remain accessible today. Sites like the Christ Church and Port Meadow preserve Oxford’s Victorian-era charm and its influence on children’s literature.