Whenever an invite from Tami appears asking me to come visit, it’s always a yes. I adore Tami, but I also adore Oxford, it’s one of my favourite cities to explore – especially with one of your best gal pals at your side! So on Saturday I got up bright and early, hopped in my car and headed north!
I’m lucky that the drive to Oxford is pretty smooth sailing from Bournemouth, so in under two hours I was parked up in Oxford and headed for brunch with Tami!
We headed to The Rickety Press in Jericho, Tami’s post work hang out of choice to put their brunch menu to the test. The chilled out atmosphere & cosy decor were perfect for catch ups over breakfast food! We picked a table in the back next to the mini library of classics, and settled in!
I ordered the Chilli Avo Smash, which ticked every requirement I have for Avocado Toast. Crisp sourdough, generous helpings of avocado, chilli, lime and perfectly poached eggs. Tami opted for their twist on Eggs Benedict, complete with roasted peppers & chorizo, and it got a big thumbs up from her. We also ordered a plate of blueberry pancakes to share because we just couldn’t resist! They were so good, drizzled in maple syrup & with a generous handful of fresh blueberries, it was the perfect sweet pick me up!
After we finished our meals & washed it down with fresh OJ, we bundled up in coats, scarves & hats to brave the great outdoors! Every time Tami and I get together it rains, so we’ve kind of resigned ourselves to it now! Warmed by our breakfast (and trusty Zara scarves) we walked into Oxford City Center.
Now, it wouldn’t be a Tami and Jaye day if we didn’t get a little shopping in! We had a meander round our usual suspects, Whistles, Space NK, Lush, The White Company, MAC, and also a few unusual suspects, M&S (cosy PJS, yes please), Pod (an amazing little gift shop on the High Street) and TOAST (we fell in love with their ceramics range). We picked up a few treats for ourselves, as well as getting a start on some Christmas shopping!
Once we’d shopped ourselves out, we meandered through some of Oxford’s side streets, filled with University buildings and dripping with history. There’s something wonderful about the architecture of Oxford, it feels timeless. Take away the students dressed in jeans, cars and shop signs, and you could be in any era. The buildings drip with history and importance, and looking at them fills me with a strange sense of melancholy. The building pictured above, the Radcliffe Camera, was surrounded by a steady stream of students, carrying stacks of classic novels and debating Proust. I felt like I’d stepped into a new world, surrounded by folk who could engage in intelligent debate on why we don’t train our troops to return from war, within seconds.
I think I walked through these streets looking a little gormless, mouth open and eyes in wonder. But it’s places like this that make me feel truly alive, that remind me of the beauty and magic of the world.
Once I put my tongue back in my mouth and eyes back in my head, we ducked into Turl Street Kitchen for a mug of Cotton Chai tea and to warm ourselves up. We bagged the last empty table at the bar, and chatted over hot tea, a blissful reprieve from the bitter cold outside! Turl Street Kitchen is the perfect rainy afternoon spot, it’s warm, cosy and always bustling!
And that was pretty much my Saturday! I made sure to dart into Starbucks for a gingerbread latte for the drive home, and Pret to pick up a Christmas Sandwich for Connor and I! Bournemouth doesn’t have a Pret and it will forever be the saddest thing to me – especially when the Christmas sandwiches are out!
If you’re ever after a place for a Saturday wonder, Oxford comes highly recommended from me!
All photos were taken on my iPhone 6, and edited in A Color Story.