It’s spring, and we have sprung the coop! Here are some photos and a brief description of our Oxford flat, a lovely Georgian townhome, very near to Gloucester Green with its fabulous market. It is our home for three months and we love it!
We are living over three fairly narrow floors. This means that there is a hallway right off the front door, and each room is the width of the flat. The ground floor has a sitting room and a dining room; the first floor (= second floor) a bedroom and kitchen, and the second (= third) has our bedroom and an enormous bathroom. Yes, there is only one bathroom and yes, it is tucked away in the top corner. And yes, we are spending most of our time moving from one floor to the next gathering the various things we thought we’d brought up/down on the previous trip. But hey, it means we don’t need a Stairmaster!
It is far more space than we need but we are happy to spread out. The place typically rents for a year at a time, so we are feeling lucky to have snagged it. (Incidentally, John’s mad internet skillz obtain our residences and arrange our travel, so kudos to him.) The street is residential but busy. And the view is a cracking one, with our back windows looking right down into the Sackler library. There’s even a peek off to the side of some of the Ashmolean friezes.
We like the furniture, not least the wing chair below, upholstered just to our taste. It would perhaps not surprise you to learn that most short-term rentals are furnished minimally, and that we rarely find a comfy chair anywhere. So we intend to spend as much time as possible reading in these. Luckily, there are two of them, or things could get ugly.
The kitchen is especially pleasing, with a wide assemblage of useful things and some unexpected bonuses. These include a salad spinner, a hand mixer, and a shiny new steamer set. As usual, we fail to fathom the purpose of several implements. But perhaps we’ll figure them out over the next few weeks. We have much more to say about appliances in other countries (including on washing machines), but we’ll save that for another post.
Appendix 1 May 2022: By special request: a picture of the things we don’t understand – please, British friends: any advice?
I think the metal implement is a tin opener?
Yes, it must be. Only it looks as though you would have to open the tin in its middle. We’ll buy some tinned goods and report back.
It isn’t a tin opener. It’s the handle for the grill tray in your oven. When you need to grill something, you attach the handle to the tray and then grill your food with the oven door open. When the food is cooked, you remove the tray from the oven using the handle. Afterwards, you put the handle back in its drawer. Most kitchens in the UK have these grill trays with detachable handles. There’s one in my own kitchen, although I have never used a grill in my life.
I lived in your street in 1986-7 and then again in 1988-91. I rented a room in a house on the same side of the street but further down. It was extremely basic, but I was really only there at night. I worked in the Bodleian during the day and took all my meals in college. It was the best possible location, even though there was no Sackler Library at that time.
Dominic, amazing! That is exactly what it is. We’ve not grilled in this oven but now I kind of want to. And thanks for telling us you lived on our street too – we’re collecting neighbours. We love the street – close to absolutely everything…
This is so fun to follow! I assume you aren’t in Oxford, Ohio – thank you for sharing this
Thanks for writing and for the important clarification! (Also not Oxford MS.) Both of which are no doubt grand, but short on pubs. Still, if you recommend it, we’ll put it on the list of possibilities…
What a nice place! Thanks for these posts. (I know I have work to do while the semester is winding down but I’m a little addicted to these posts and couldn’t stop reading.) “Luckily, there are two of them, or things could get ugly.” How precious to have a like minded travel companion!
Don’t worry. We won’t tell anyone we are your new secret vice. Now get back to work!
So, Oxford! A great spot for a 3-month stay. Some weird coincidences for us on this location. A friend of ours, who is also a former university professor, whose wedding we also attended, lived in Oxford for several years before she moved to Australia. So we got to know Oxford a little bit during our two visits there about 10 years back. Enjoy!
And we’re headed to Australia, or so we think! Thanks for the comment, and for coming along with us.
The white plastic implement looks quite a lot like the stirring device that came with my electric rice cooker – is there (or was there once) a rice cooker in the kitchen?
Thanks Gail! Interesting – there is certainly no rice cooker but perhaps there once was one. And I can see how it would be useful. We’ll give it a whirl (er, stir).
Miss you already
We miss you too! There’s (almost) always a spare bedroom for you wherever we are…
Hi! One of the puzzling implements is a spurtle: a wooden Scottish kitchen tool, dating from the 15th century, used to stir porridge, soups, stews and more.
Thanks Sheryl – that’s fascinating! The Google adds that they do not have a dragging effect, as spoons do. Any idea, anyone, if they are still regularly used? [We will make a soup, porridge, or similar ASAP and report back on its effectiveness…]
Nobody likes dragged porridge.
For you true fans out there, we’ve found this on the spurtle: http://www.porridgelady.com/2014/01/20/the-spurtle-customs-myths-legends-and-lump-free-porridge/
amazing adventure that you have started. Enjoy and good luck!
Thanks for writing, John! So far we are having a blast.
We need pictures of the strange kitchen implements! Maybe your British friends can shed some light on them…. Or maybe not!
Ask and you shall receive – now added to post!
Welcome to your new home! Our salad spinner has been shoved somewhere deep into the back of the corner kitchen cabinets. Your post gave me a plan. Next time I rent an Airbnb or Vbro, I’m going to take it to leave so maybe someone can enjoy the unexpected bonus of having one! Maybe I will even take a set of beautiful salt and pepper shakers or a cup to place on the back of the bathroom sink. I think I’m going to work to bring unexpected joy through these bonuses when I’m traveling! (Or at least make the apartment/homeowners ask their partner or children “Honey, where did the X come from?”)
Hi Lisa and thanks for writing! I love this idea – we are contemplating something similar with the tea mugs here, which are too small for us. We’re probably going to have to invest in some proper mugs, which naturally will not make the onward journey…
What a lovely place to live, and you can’t beat the location, imo! The bathroom is much nicer looking than most others I have experienced in Europe (outside of hotels), but that could be just the level of accommodation I was able to afford.
Hi Trevor, and thanks for writing! Agreed: we could host a small dinner party in the bathroom – unlike Laurel’s first Oxford flat, in Gloucester Green, which had a wee bathroom, a murphy bed, and no dining room table at all. Stay tuned for more on travel on a budget…