Archives for Merton College

3. Oxford Spring: From Purgatorio to Paradiso (April 19-21)

3. Oxford Spring: From Purgatorio to Paradiso (April 19-21)

22 April, 2024 | No Comments

by Mr Rail Previous posts in the “Oxford Spring” series: Introduction: An Oxford Spring “Mind How You Go” (April 17 – 19, 2024) Dana wrote very descriptively and aptly about our purgatorial travel from Oregon to Heathrow, London.  As she noted, it is the travel part of traveling that can be amazingly uncomfortable—e.g., the sardine syndrome on the flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow. Hardly room to squirm. I will merely add a few condiments to Dana’s “main dish.” FROM PURGATORIO TO PARADISO I couldn’t help but think about Dante’s epic ascent from the Inferno, through Purgatorio, to Paradiso, guided
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Oxford Spring (17-19 April, 2024): “Mind How You Go”

Oxford Spring (17-19 April, 2024): “Mind How You Go”

20 April, 2024 | No Comments

by Dana Rail Previous “Oxford Spring” posts: Introduction TRANSATLANTIC PURGATORY The rough part about travel is, of course, well, the travel. From the time we left home to the time we (finally) landed at Heathrow, then navigated Immigration, Baggage Reclaim, and Customs, then caught the coach to Oxford and arrived at what was to be our home for the next month, we were looking at a stressful and mostly uncomfortable (sometimes miserably so) 36 hours. I know, I know…a First World problem. Better yet, an Oxonian-level First World problem, so no complaining, right? Still, at my age, enduring eleven hours
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