An Instagram Tour of Oxford

After my Instagram tours of Paris and Brighton, it was inevitable that I would do one of beautiful Oxford as well. The city of colleges, Narnia, Harry Potter, Middle Earth and more bookish greats (which you can read about in my Literary Guide to Oxford) is also called the city of Dreaming Spires and it's easy to see why with the beautiful college buildings seeming to go on forever as you look up and around you ♥ I shared a few of my snapshots on Instagram already but most of these are new, and I hope you enjoy them!

A Book Lover's Guide to Literary Oxford

Oxford is steeped in literary history, being the birth place to imaginative places such as Narnia and Middle Earth, and having links to more contemporary reads such as Harry Potter and His Dark Materials too. The big book geek that I am, I of course made it my mission to see as many places in the city of dreaming spires related to literature, from Tolkien's Oxford home right down to what could've been the inspiration for Mr Tumnus to C.S. Lewis. And from the shop where the real Alice from Lewis Carroll's famous Wonderland books bought her sweets, to an impressive dining hall that looks to come straight out of Hogwarts. In fact, much of the gorgeous architecture and surroundings in Oxford look quite fantastical and it's no surprise it was the inspiration for so many imaginative worlds. 

10 Hours in Oxford – How to Spend a Day in the City of Dreaming Spires

The travel bug has been itching again recently, and while time and money isn't allowing me to go back to travelling the world like I used to, I've decided to explore the UK again in the meantime. Through day trips and weekend breaks I'm hoping to satisfy the travel craving just enough until I have saved up money and holiday days for a bigger trip. The long weekend over Easter was perfect for my first outings, one of which was to glorious Oxford. I was only in the city of colleges, Tolkien, Alice in Wonderland, dreaming spires, and Harry Potter for 10 hours – but that was plenty of time for a jam-packed day of exploring, and I'd like to share with you my top tips for visiting Oxford in such a short space of time.

My 5 Favourite Quick & Cheap Day Trips From London

I love London, but sometimes I want to get away from the hustle and bustle and explore somewhere new. While an overseas holiday would be great, there isn't always the time or money for even a weekend break in the UK and day trips provide the perfect opportunity to still satisfy the need of going away, without breaking the bank or go very far. And because I don't drive in the UK, my favourite day trips from London are all just a quick train journey away. With summer just around the corner, these five British locations are the perfect getaways for a a little holiday in your own country.