Greetings from the Oxford Riviera! All the heat and humidity of southern France without the inconveniences of a foreign language, strange money or unfamiliar food. The weather has been wonderful -- six straight days of temperatures in the 80’s to low 90’s, occasionally overcast but mostly clear blue skies.

Thursday was field trip day. This week was a short tour of the south coast with stops at Fishbourne and Portchester. Both benefitted greatly from the presence of our tutor, Roger Goodburn. The lengthy coach ride was improved by the company of Shirley, one of the few people in the program of my age -- while not the youngest participant, I am definitely on the younger end of the scale.

After a morning chasing obscure books, I am sitting by the river watching the punts and rowboats go around in circles (the paddle boats seem much easier to control but are also much nosier) while the rare canoe or kayak, expertly handled, nips through the congestion. Wildlife hazards -- crowds of ducks and geese drawn by people throwing bread from the bank -- contribute to the chaos, along with the water fights, punting poles getting stuck in the mud and left behind and the stray bride and groom straight from Magdalen Chapel (complete with bouquet). Cricket on the far bank, Strauss playing upriver and a Doors sign-a-long downstream complete the scene.

The evening was spent on a ‘real cider’ test. Weston’s Scrumpy (A.B.V. 7.mumble) shur sheems the real thin to me. G’night.