About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

V is for VAULTS GARDEN CAFE

My friend Anne and I were valiant vagabonds as we strolled towards Radcliffe Square in Oxford. Suddenly, we came upon a couple of bicycles leaning against the stone wall.  Each had a basket full of colourful vegetation and a sign indicating a cafe that welcomed one and all - the Vaults Garden Cafe.  It is named the Vaults because of its proximity to the Radcliffe and Bodleian Libraries - an apt name, I thought. Although we didn't go in (no time), I did stop and take a few shots of the bikes as they were indicative of the area, the contemporary yet historic heart of Oxford.  The cafe opened in 2003 and offers unpretentious hospitality, local organic food, a vibrant environment, and affordability.  The cafe will provide picnic blankets so you can dine on the lawns or you can sit inside the "Old Congregation House" with its vaulted ceilings, which dates from 1320. Next time I'm in Oxford on vacation, I'll definitely pop in for a bite to eat, preferably on the lawns.

I played around with my two photos of the bikes and I hope you like them.  Sometimes it's fun just to see what you can do with colour and saturation even though the photo may not look "real."  They are vibrant, though, and I feel victorious about being able to do this! First, one original -

and then my vicarious thrill of changing colours.

Then the other original -


 and my other attempt at variety.
Venerable thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, founder and creator of ABC Wednesday and her valiant sidekick, Roger, who has taken over the administrative reins of the site.   We have been very fortunate in having voluminous posts on ABCW but without our volunteers to assist with the visitations, poor Roger and Mrs. Nesbitt would be vulnerable to virtual exhaustion.  So if you'd like to participate in visiting about 10 posts per week, please contact Roger here at ABC Wednesday.

31 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

Thanks for the plug.

Like the post, but your avatar struggling to get on the bike was rather humorous!

Russell said...

Wow! I am impressed with the number of "v" words you came up with in a relatively short narrative! Very good!

I liked the variations of your bicycle photos, too.

Take care.

mrsnesbitt said...

Love all of the photos leslie - thanks for the ad. Have a good week.
Dxxx

Leeds daily photo said...

Nice bikes! My kind of place for a coffee and cake too.

photowannabe said...

Love the treatment on the photos.
It's too bad you couldn't visit that place. It seems delightful.
Of course that's the reason you must return.

MaR said...

Love the photo effects! and the variety of v words :)

v is for...

Anonymous said...

the photos are gorgeous. and i love the phrase valiant vagabond :)

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

I love them all! Now I have to go look at the avatar as I missed it struggling to get on the bike!

Ann said...

Sounds and looks like a lovely place. The bicycle advertising is great.
Ann

Nonnie said...

It is fun trying different effects on a photo, isn't it? I would love to go to the Vaults Garden Cafe because scones are one of my favorite treats.

carol l mckenna said...

Great photos and choice for V for ABC ~

(A Creative Harbor) aka, artmusedog and Carol ^_^

Dianne said...

It's fun to play around with editing photos .... Most probably our creative streak coming to the fore.
I love the last bike capture.... wonderful ambiance.

Carver said...

Great post. I love those decorated bikes and what you did with them.

Meryl said...

Oh I just love your posts! Those photos are awesome. Thank you!

Joy said...

A garden AND afternoon tea, a winning combination. I image Oxford is a very good place for tea rooms. Looks like you had fun playing with the photos, I like bike adverts.

Lmkazmierczak said...

Ordinary Words....love the vintage bikes♫♪

ChrisJ said...

Never mind the bikes! I'll take the fresh scones and clotted cream -- and strawberry jam of course. (But that was really a great V post.)

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I was telling my daughter who came from Singapore. there was this English nurse who was killed in an accident. Her friends chained the bike to the spot she was killed. Every now and then, people put flowers in the basket. One day, some idiot stole the bike. It was a modern bike, not an antique like yours.

Hazel said...

Absolutely lovely photos of the cafe sign! One thing that thrills me about England is its old age, the fabulous history! Is the Bodleian Library open to the public?

Mara said...

I love the way you 'coloured' your bike shots. Very pretty. I never learnt how to do it and am too lazy to just go and find out.

Lisa said...

Oh my, this looks like a wonderful place to spend an afternoon! I adore your bike shots too!!

Pride In Photos Beauty said...

This is exactly the type of places I look for to unwind with a cup of tea. Adorable!
Laurie @ Pride in Photos

Laloofah said...

I love the bike photos! A blogger friend who lives in England once posted a similar bike advertising a tearoom, but in a different part of England! Must be a somewhat popular method of English tearoom "signage!" :-) I can see why, it's very charming!

My favorites of your bike photos are the first and the last. They're lovely!

Black Jack's Carol said...

I loved every one of your bike photos and that vigorously pedalling cyclist in the avatar was veritably hilarious! The Vaults Garden Cafe was in a beautiful vicinity, and with picnic baskets provided, seems an ideal spot for lunch.

Hildred said...

Oh, verynice editing Leslie, - I especially like what you have done with the second bike.

Gattina said...

Gives very nice results ! I like to play around with pictures too ! I remember Oxford with its bicycles I almost felt like in Amsterdam where you find more bicycles then inhabitants !

Chubskulit Rose said...

I love the idea of using the old bike as a signage.

V is for..
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I loved these bikes Leslie ,, great way to advertise the cafe too. xox

Powell River Books said...

Looks like you are having fun. I love the bikes. - Margy

Unknown said...

It is interesting to try different effect pictures, isn't it? I would love to go to the garden cafe's Treasury because they are my favorite treat.
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cheap Hockey Jerseys said...

Love all of the photos leslie - thanks for the ad. Have a good week.