Following my C. S. Lewis tutorial on Wednesday I thought it was high time I get myself out to Magdalen (pronounced Maud-lin) College to see where the man lived while he was teaching in Oxford. Definitely one of my better decisions. Magdalen is absolutely beautiful. I was literally awestruck by the architecture, the grandeur of the grounds and the buildings and everything. I can't fathom how much time and money went into building these colleges. I am also floored by the fact that students still live in and attend them. Many students of the richer Oxford colleges have their own bedroom and study, sometimes even a sitting room. The dining halls are akin to those in the Harry Potter movies (filmed at Christ Church College in Oxford), and the whole place is just amazingly archaic.
My favorite part of Magdalen, though, was the deer park. Back in the day the park was filled with deer that the young men of Magdalen could hunt on occasion. Today the deer are more "decorative," and fill their designated area. I walked over several bridges, past my new favorite (weeping willow) tree, and happened upon the famous Addison's Walk - the footpath surrounding Magdalen and shouldering the Thames. This is also the place where Lewis walked with Tolkien and Williams the night/morning he converted to Christianity. The trees were still in full splendour and the sun played through them beautifully. I was listening to some classical music on my iPod, but turned it off to listen to the birds and the falling of the leaves. Second only to the sound of geese landing on the pond, I love the sound of leaves falling. I explored Addison's Walk for a good hour or so, wishing I could justify spending more time there. I also walked through the Fellow's Garden, which I'm sure is lovely in the spring, and over the Magdalen Bridge, which is lovely in any season. My red nose and chilled fingers were happy for the cup of tea I had before SCIO lectures that afternoon. Winter is coming.
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