October 8, 2003

Roaming at Reading

While London was certainly fascinating, it was indeed nice to travel outside of the city limits to the town of Reading. However, while Reading is considerably smaller than London, there are still several places to go. There is a pub on almost every corner, and shops litter the sidewalks. Coffee bars and internet cafés can always be found, and yes, there is a mall for those who can’t live without one. Many of the streets here are strictly pedestrian which allows one to amble

leisurely from one shop to another without the fear that some crazy motorist (and there are many) will run you over.

The [University of Reading] campus itself is absolutely beautiful. One might think that it’s a national park with its variety of trees and wildlife. There are some areas that appear to be more like a forest than a college campus. Whiteknights Lake cuts through the middle of campus and is the home to several Canadian geese and mallards. Of course, the leaves are starting to turn now with the onset of autumn adding to the already apparent beauty of the university.

The architecture of the dorms ranges a bit here. Wantage Hall looks like it’s directly out of Harry Potter, while Windsor Hall seems to be a product of the crazy 70’s. However, each dorm room in every hall has its own sink. I found this particularly wonderful since I can move my bed (all rooms are single) next to the sink and wash my face and brush my teeth all while I’m under the covers. This might seem silly, but when you wake up on a frosty English morning the warmth of blankets doesn’t seem so bad.