Oxford Castle

I (Annie) had a lovely day today. I drove to Oxford in the glorious sunshine with my car's roof down - so wonderful to be able to do that even if it was a little chilly. I met up with an old friend (Kate) in Oxford and we went to Jamie's Italian for lunch. Kate and I were at university together and were flatmates for a number of years afterwards. I loved the time we lived together - in our twenties, no ties and lots of fun to be had. It's always great to see her, and in the time we spent catching up, the sets of people came and went on the neighbouring table.

Today's blip is the wonderful old Oxford Castle. Once used as a prison, it's now a Malmaison hotel and a number of lovely eateries. It has such a great feeling around it. The hotel is wonderful inside - it still has the prison doors and prison-style walkways, but all mixed with plus carpets, flowers and fancy lighting. I spent a happy few minutes sitting on the steps next to the castle, soaking up the sun and watching the world go by.