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Tolkien And Lewis Pilgrimage

I spent the Fall 2008 semester abroad in the UK with twenty-five other students and two professors. We did our coursework on the road, traveling to various cities while studying the literature and drama of each region.

Sadly, we only spent an afternoon in Oxford, but we did our best to make the most of it. As we had many J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis fans among us, including myself, we made the Eagle and Child pub a priority. While Oxford professors, these two famous authors often met at what is popularly known as The Bird and Baby to discuss literature and their writing. The Eagle and Child has a dark, wood-furnished atmosphere fitting the popular conception of an English pub. Since it was November, they served hot, spiked apple cider, which was sweet, spicy, and perfect for a chilly day in Oxford.

To continue our Tolkien/Lewis pilgrimage, we attempted to gain access to Addison’s Walk, where they would often argue over religion over a bit of exercise. Unfortunately, we needed a Magdalen (pronounced maude-len) College student to get us through the gate. We tried several entrances and had nearly given up hope, when an alumna from our school studying at Magdalen passed by with some of our other classmates. We joined them and got to enjoy the leaf-strewn path with the knowledge that our mission was complete. However, if you do not know a Magdalen student, enjoy the Eagle and Child and consider your pilgrimage sufficient.