Blenheim Palace and Oxford

Bladon was our base of operations for a few days, and we really enjoyed the peace and quiet. We were right there on the grounds of Blenheim Palace, seat of the Duke of Marlborough, so we toured that and enjoyed a little down time one day. Some of the furnishings of the Palace actually originated in Versailles and were sold during Napoleonic times. I particularly remember one tapestry, one that I was not allowed to photograph. In fact, the only interior where photography was allowed was in the chapel. Shame, because there’s a really impressive Father Willis organ in the long gallery. But—beautiful grounds, and we had a ball walking around for an hour or so.

The next day we drove to the local Park & Ride and went into Oxford. It was not a great time of year to be there, just after commencement, but we did have a good time walking through the colleges. First we went to Communion in Christ Church Cathedral, but the choir was a visiting one from Dublin. Small world. Nevertheless, we found Oxford to be intriguing, but after living in Cambridge before, we weren’t as completely enamored as we might have been.

After our stay in Bladon, we hit the road again. This time, through the Cotswolds on the way to Glastonbury.