We had the rest of Saturday free, until the farewell dinner in the evening. I did all my Oxford shopping (so many t-shirts with "Oxford University" in some form or the other to buy), and then went over to St. Mary's. I climb the tower (127 steps) to get a lovely aerial view of Oxford. I would suggest, if you ever decided to climb the tower at St. Mary's, that you not do it right after you've done all your Oxford shopping. The tower stairway is very skinny. Actually, I ended up climbing onto a lip by a window so people coming down could get buy. There is no passing possible on the stairs. Here are some overlooking Oxford pictures:
After that, I made my way over to the Botanic Gardens, where I had lunch and wandered about. It was very nice there. If ever you're in Oxford and want to go somewhere for a date, the Botanic Gardens would be a lovely spot. You can wander down the path next to the river,
look at all the pretty flowers,
listen to a concert,
gaze at fountains,
take a nap.
Whatever you'd like.
That was pretty much the day. There were more colleges and churches I hadn't seen, but I'd kind of reached my saturation point with colleges and churches. The farewell dinner was very nice. There was toasting and frivolity.
In conclusion, the Oxbridge Teacher Seminar was wonderful. I had a great time, Maria was amazing and knowledgeable, it was thrilling getting to work with someone who is a scholar in the field, and it was so rewarding spending hours each day talking to other educators who are as interested as I am in fantasy literature. I'm so appreciative to the program for giving me a fellowship, and to my school and to the Cooperative Library Association for making it possible for me to go. If you ever have a chance to take part in the Oxbridge Teacher Seminar, I would highly recommend it. And tell everyone I say hello.
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