A GUIDED TOUR OF MEDIEVAL WARWICK CASTLE, SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE & THE OXFORDS PART 3

Can you hear an owl hoot in the background while looking at this image of the moon showing itself as evening dawns in the Oxfords where some scenes of  the Harry Potter movie series was shot? Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara.

Christ Church War Memorial Garden

On our way to visit the Great Hall in Christ Church

The Great Hall. Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara

Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara

Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara

The colleges in Oxford date back to the 13th century and among its famous students were Bill Clinton, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carol (Evan Evans Tours).

I guess what excited us the most in this walking tour was the visit to the Great Hall and the courtyards of Christ Church. It was with great anticipation that we awaited to see the site where most of the Harry Potter scenes were filmed : ). I confess that I have read the complete Harry Potter series but I never saw the film versions.  And upon seeing the Great Hall, I was immediately transported to the world vividly described by J.K. Rowling. The place was, to me, apt to how I would envision it when reading the novel.

Where Quidditch scenes were shot

Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara

The courtyard where they shot scenes of Quidditch was breathtaking because of the vastness and sheer size of it. 

This walking trip more than made up for what we missed when we were not able to get tickets to the Harry Potter exhibit which was up at the same time that we were there in London.

Photo courtesy of Ms. Joy Alcantara

We also saw the Bodleian library which is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian_Library.

Near the conclusion of our excursion, we again experienced another unexpected but pleasant surprise. It rained hail! My friend was able to capture it in video but sadly, she is not able to send the video to me for posting :(. 

What a fun trip that was : ).

Going back to London, instead of getting off at the Victoria Coach Station, my friend and I decided to get off in the area near Primark instead. Primark is a store we saw on our way to the Warwick Castle. It was really a spur of the moment decision. Ms. Joy Alcantara, who so generously shared some of her expertly taken photos above and who we met in the excursion joined us in visiting the store.

And, we did not regret going to Primark. It was the Divisoria of London! Clothes, shoes, eco bags and other items cost GBP 1.00 - 2.00 or P 68.00 - 136.00 only. A dangerous place for shopaholics! And so, with great restraint, we only bought a few eco bags with the Primark brand on them to give to friends back home : ).