2 weeks ago George and I had 2 nights in Oxford for our latest UK staycation (I think staycation technically means staying in your own city but I'm going with it) and to be honest I'm still quite sad that it's over! I had planned on sharing this post last week but with the UK going crazy again, my mental health was not at its best and I felt very much like I did in March when all of 'this' started. Who knows what's to come next but whatever happens, I'm glad we've been able to have a little bit of freedom recently and our trip to Oxford is one I'll look back on and smile.
I didn't know a huge deal about Oxford and what it had to offer before going but I'm honestly already wanting to book another trip. As soon as we arrived, I was just in awe of how beautiful the city is. Before we properly got to exploring we checked in at our hotel which was the Malmaison Oxford, a former prison which now has 95 converted rooms. I'm weirdly fascinated by prisons, don't ask why cos I don't know but because of that, the Malmaison is a hotel I'd wanted to stay in for years. It was incredibly cool to walk through and know you're genuinely in a prison but in the rooms, you'd have no idea! I loved the industrial style design of the room and the view out of the window was just stunning. It's not a hotel I'd necessarily rush to stay in again just yet for a normal stay just because a lot of it is about the actual experience of staying in a prison and obviously we've done that now and explored it all but for a special occasion in the future, I'd definitely consider it.
After checking in we headed to Cafe Loco which I'd seen recommended a few times whilst researching the places to visit in Oxford. It was really big and spacious so felt really safe and the cake there was honestly one of the best I've ever had. You also get the most stunning views.
After a short walk we then found some of the main attractions, Radcliffe Camera, Bridge of Sighs, Bodleian Library and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. I can't get over Radcliffe Camera, it's just amazing to look at but the whole area is so picturesque. I've seen these places on TV in so many shows before but I never thought they'd be quite so beautiful up close. The weather was perfect too (I mean maybe a bit too hot) so the sun was shining the whole time we were there.
That evening we had booked a table at Mowgli and it was an absolute taste sensation. I honestly think it's one of the best restaurants we've ever been too. It was really reasonably priced, the decor is just gorgeous and the cocktails were lovely. We had a variety of small dishes to share but my favourite would have to be the Himalayan Cheese Toast. It was so good we ordered seconds and it will 100% be the first thing I order next time. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Tea Steeped Chickpeas which I'm going to have to try and re-create at home. Just the most heavenly meal.
The next morning started off with brunch at The Breakfast Club. Hash browns and fried bread are life, you can't tell me otherwise. We then headed to the Covered Market which was full of independent shops and cafes. A really unique place that I'd love to spend more time at next time. We also managed to fit in a second visit to the University Church of St Mary the Virgin but this time we actually went in and looked round. I didn't take any photos as it didn't feel appropriate but inside was really beautiful. You can climb to the top for apparently the best views of the city which I was so tempted by but it was sweltering and I genuinely feared I would pass out. Something to do next time though, hopefully when it's much cooler.
Later that afternoon we booked for the tour of the Oxford Castle and Prison. Not all of it has been converted into a hotel so there's still a lot that's been kept as it was and there are tours there each day. It was so interesting to find out more about the prison and our tour guide was really funny. We were only in a small group which made it much better and we got plenty of time to explore ourselves at the end. I could definitely see us going again one day as there's so much to take in.
For our final night we had a lovely meat at Ask Italian then headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave the next morning. We had 2 nights in Oxford and we did get to see so much as everything is quite close-by to one another but I'd have loved an extra night. There's still so much on our list to see so I guess it just means we'll have to go back one day? As much as I absolutely loved it in Summer, it was so hot and I am not a Summer girl AT ALL. I think next time we'd plan to go later in Autumn or maybe even near Christmas when the markets are on? Either way it's a fantastic city and I really do miss it already.
Have you ever been to Oxford?
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I'm not even really sure why I'm sharing all of this and I'm sure it's likely a lot people won't be interested but it felt right to be a bit more open and talk about how I'm genuinely feeling. I'm sure all bloggers have had up and down moments and I know I won't be the only one that's felt like giving up with it entirely but something feels different this time. That's not to say I'm quitting blogging tomorrow and that's it forever but I am going to be treating my blog a little differently I think.