Oxford, a museum in the open air

I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all like an opera. (William Butler Yeats)

As I enter the little chapel of the Bodleian library, the space is filled with a beautiful melody. An Oxford university student, unaffected by my presence, is practising at the piano, while I sit and watch him in awe.

Oxford has a peculiar vibe. On one hand loads of local pensioners and international tourists, on the other hand laid-back students, and on the other hand a lower class, which is more visible here than in any other place that I’ve been to in England. Class divides are very apparent in Oxford.

But as the most famous University city in the world, Oxford is a place to be seen. Historic building after historical events after historical figures, Oxford feels like an open-air museum. Wherever you turn there are elegant gothic structures, historic squares and ancient churches.

Although there is a lot to see in Oxford, the 36 colleges are the main attraction. Scattered all over the city, each one is as beautiful as it’s grand with its own history, grand courtyard and mini-chapel. In fact, there are churches and religious statues all over Oxford. The colleges in itself also resemble churches and monasteries, still maintaining its past’s deep connections to religion and tradition.

As the the birthplace of British intellectualism and the hallmark of western knowledge, elitism is quite evident at the university. The 800-year-old university is still embedded in tradition. Up until the 19th century, a lecturer was not allowed to get married. That tradition has now been removed but other traditions remain.

If you happen to see Oxford students running around with long, black gowns and pressed white shirts on a hot spring or autumn day, you’ve seen “sub fusc”. Sub fusc is a compulsory dress code Oxford students must follow during an entry ceremony (which they call ‘matriculation’), exams and graduation. By the length of the gown and the different silk trims, each student’s gown reveals what degree level they are studying and wether or not they have a scholarship. Interestingly, everyone without a scholarship is called a ‘Commoner’ and wears a shorter gown.

But there is something very interesting, inspirational and serene about Oxford. I can feel the intellectual spirit and atmosphere of free thought. While there are a lot of chain-restaurants and chain-cafes, there are also mysterious, little alley ways everywhere where you can find independent restaurants and cute cafes. It comes to no surprise that major writers in the likes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Oscar Wilde succeeded in Oxford.

Feel the Oxford serenity by taking a riverside walk; get a feel of 800 years of British intellectualism by visiting the colleges like All Souls College, the Bodleian library; get some fresh air by climbing around Oxford castle and castle hill and walk around England’s oldest botanic garden.