157 Competitions Latter They’re Still Rowing

The Boat Race is a huge event here in London, watched live by a quarter million alongside the bank of the Thames. All started in 1829 when Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford on 12 March. The tradition is that the previous year loser sends the challenge to the other university.

2011 winners Oxford (copyright The Xchanging Boat Race)

The circuit is on the river Thames from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge. In 1829 the race was held on Henley on Thames, then moved to Westminster the following year and finally in 1845 was moved to Putney.

Hammersmith waiting for the race

2010 Race

Two eights competing steered by coxs, even Dr House Hugh Laurie is a former blue who was part of the Cambridge team in 1980. 157 races later and Cambridge has the lead in the series 80-76.

Morris dancers entertaining the crowds

Boats remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Andrea Doria” where George is fighting to keep a new flat.

Jerry: Hey. How's the new place?

George: Gone. The tenant association made me give it to this guy because he was an Andrea Doria survivor.

Elaine: Andrea Doria? Isn't that the one they did the song about?

Jerry: Edmund Fitzgerald.

Elaine: I love Edmund Fitzgerald's voice.

Jerry: No, Gordon Lightfoot was the singer. Edmund Fitzgerald was the ship.

George: You could fit 15 people in that bathroom.

Elaine: I think Gordon Lightfoot was the boat.

Jerry: Yeah, and it was rammed by the Cat Stevens.

Kramer: The Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm in dense fog 21 miles off the coast of Nantucket.

A Rainy Day in Oxford

I finally went to Oxford, I almost stayed at London because the day was completely overcast and the weather forecast didn’t have any positive hopes for the rest of the day, but if you’re waiting for a sunny day in England you will probably have a long wait. The city fulfilled all my expectations, a mix of architectural styles, a work and inspiration place for J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Lewis Carroll, 34 beautiful Colleges, astonishing buildings, and dreaming spires. It has a unique atmosphere of culture, history, knowledge, and it just makes you feel comfortable.

Probably one of the oldest Universities of the world, it reminds me the pitch episode where Jerry says to George after apparently ruining his meeting for a TV show opportunity “I don't even want to talk about it anymore. What were you thinking? What was going on in your mind? Artistic integrity? Where, where did you come up with that? You're not artistic and you have no integrity. You know you really need some help. A regular psychiatrist couldn't even help you. You need to go to like Vienna or something. You know what I mean? You need to get involved at the University level. Like where Freud studied and have all those people looking at you and checking up on you. That's the kind of help you need. Not the once a week for eighty bucks. No. You need a team. A team of psychiatrists working round the clock thinking about you, having conferences, observing you, like the way they did with the Elephant Man. That's what I'm talking about because that's the only way you're going to get better”. So if George had gone to Oxford he would have had a great time.

So many attractions to see in only one day so I went for the main ones, the Radcliff Camera a beautiful mid 18 century building, obvious inspiration for Sauron’s temple in “Lord of the Ring”, the Sheldonian Theatre with his prominent cupola a perfect place for the graduation ceremonies, the colleges where the main one probably is Christ Church with the impressive Tom Tower over Tom Gate, but so many others to choose like All Souls, Keble amazing neo gothic red brick construction, keeper and guardian of The Light of the World inside the college chapel, Exeter which its back yard has an excellent view to the Radcliff Camera, and many others. Wandering around the city centre you can see the Martyr’s Memorial, City Church, Carfax Tower, the Town Hall, the Oxford Castle, and St Mary the Virgin church where you can go to the top of the tower and have an amazing view of Oxford.

But not everything is sightseeing so I had the chance to go to a pub crawl, thanks to the recommendations of Andy. I started the day going to the Kings Arms, wonderful atmosphere, in one of the walls the back of an open piano hanging there just like a fine art painting, great food I had the chance to try bangers and mash and have a pint. Later the Turf Tavern, one of the best pubs I’ve been so far, full of ambience, different levels, and great beer garden, my friend Andy told me that it was difficult to find but nowadays with blackberries, iphones, and google map nothing is hidden, ironically I did the walking tour and one of the stops was that hidden treasure. After that I decided to discover the place where the Inklings used to meet so I went to the Eagle and Child, really nice pub, I had dinner in the place, however the food wasn’t as good as expected, in their defence their specialty are British pies, they even have a counter for the amounts of pies and ales they sold in the previous week, so I guess the next time I will try the pies. Finally to finish the night the Lamb and Flag, a nice pub full of memorabilia about the colleges and Oxford boat clubs.

In conclusion Oxford is a place I will definitely come back for more.