A Day Out in Oxford + What Will Be Coming Next From My Blog...

Last week my family and I had a day out in Oxford. Then over the following few days, things changed so much regarding the coronavirus situation. Now most recreational travel, even within the UK, is something that is not advisable. So, I'm happy that we were able to have a final excursion, as it'll probably be a while before we can have another one.

Oxford is a beautiful city to look around, and I really enjoyed taking pictures of many of the old buildings.

We had a browse around Blackwells, a bookshop that occupies multiple floors, and had lunch at the Banana Tree, a southeast Asian restaurant with plenty of vegan options. Obviously it'll be a while before any of us go to a restaurant again, so I'm glad that the food there was really good!

Then we had a look around the Westgate centre, a very shiny and modern shopping centre in the middle of the city.

Finally, we went to see the castle, which in the past was actually used as a prison. As I've mentioned before, I'm a bit obsessed with castles, and this one (and the area surrounding it) didn't disappoint!

So that concludes my posts about three weeks filled with travel, which will most likely be followed by a few months of very little travel. Now, it seems like I shouldn't have been out and about as much as I was, but I had no idea that the situation would be as severe as it is now. I have to say that I'm very thankful that I was able to go to South America and see my boyfriend so recently, as everything's so uncertain now that I really don't know when I'll be able to go back and start my job there.

All of our lifestyles are changing so much right now, and it's no longer possible to do things that we took for granted before. For obvious reasons, the foreseeable future doesn't look very bright for travel blogging! I know I'm at my happiest when I'm spending a day at the beach or discovering a new city, but these things will have to wait.

The good news is that there are still travel experiences open to many of us. The key is to focus on the great outdoors and on areas that are within walking or driving distance. Parks and nature reserves are good options, and the National Trust have announced that the grounds of their properties are open, even though the buildings themselves are now closed. So we still have the chance to see some grand manors and castles from the outside and explore the surrounding countryside. My parents and I plan to do some National Trust trips over the coming weeks, which I'll blog about here.

This morning, we went for a walk at the Cotswold Country Park and Beach, a place which I blogged about in January. Going there is probably the closest thing I can get to going to a tropical beach at the moment, so I do appreciate it! It was definitely nice to be out getting some fresh air - I think it's really important to get outside and spend time in nature when possible, especially at the moment. And that's the sort of travel adventures I'll be having for the time being!

Check out a more detailed post that I wrote about Oxford here!