Day 15 - 05/15/17
Classroom Tour in London
Our first morning in London started very early with a 8 a.m. wake up at Lightfoot Hall. We were expected to be downstairs by 8:30 a.m. so we could go to the Holiday Inn for our student AIFS orientation. We took the standard double-decker bus from our dorm to the hotel where our professors were staying. The bus was very crowded and many people stood because all of the seats were taken. It was our first time using our Oyster Passes and it was interesting seeing public transportation like the buses used by so many people. It just goes to show how we take advantage of things like our personal cars to get us where we need to go instead of using alternate forms of transportation. When we arrived at the Holiday Inn, I immediately took notice of the "posh" atmosphere we were in. Everything had its place and even the staff was dressed to impress. We were directed to a conference room where we were able to snack on complimentary pastries, coffee and tea. We were then told to go inside another conference room where we would start our London orientation. After watching a tutorial on transportation in London we were given a minor presentation on law enforcement in London by a local officer named Paul. His humor kept our attention as he discussed the dos and don’ts and made an American joke here and there. After the orientation, we said our goodbyes to Marta, who would be heading back to Italy after accompanying us in Greece for two weeks. She was truly amazing and I hope to see her again on future Study Abroad trips or if I make it to Italy in the near future. Our AIFS representatives then took us to our classrooms at Kensington University. They told us how we would use our student key cards to get inside and access the resources available to us while we were abroad.
Lunch at Garfunkel’s
After orientation, we had some down time to grab a quick bite to eat before we started our guided tour of London. My friends and I walked around for ten minutes before stumbling on a diner called Garfunkel’s. It had a very cute atmosphere to it and they had great service. I decided to get the chicken and bacon wrap with lettuce, onion and honey mustard dressing and a side of chips (fries). It was delicious and I couldn’t wait to come back for more.
City Bus Tour
Once we finished lunch we made our way back to the meeting spot for the bus tour. Our tour guide’s name was Gary and our bus driver’s name was Kelvin. They worked very well together and shared many jokes throughout our day. We made multiple stops including:
-The Natural History Museum
-The Victoria and Albert Museum
-The Roman Catholic Church (that sings a high mass in Latin every Sunday at 11 a.m.)
-The Dochester Hotel (where one can stay in the royal suite for 32,000 pounds a night and is the only street in London where the drivers operate vehicles on the same side of the road as the Americans do since it is a private road)
-The Free Speech Corner (only on Sundays)
-James Bond Cars Showroom
-U.S. Embassy (It’s the largest embassy in the UK/London and is constructing a new building ranging between 800 and 900 million pounds for next year. The Grove of Americas is the nearby park featuring presidential statues. The embassy is also lined with state flags.)
-John Adams’ home
-Bond Street (The perfect street for shopping lined with all sorts of flags and shops including Victoria’s Secret, Jimmy Choos, Coach, and other higher fashion outlets.)
-Bentley Showroom (Before it became a showroom it was actually a hospital and more importantly, the birthplace of the Queen.)
-Mayfair (The most expensive place to rent luxury office space)
-Piccadilly Circus (More famously known for its feature in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 where Hermione, Harry and Ron evaporate to escape the death eaters at Bill’s wedding.)
-Burlington House
-Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum
-Haymarket Street
-The National Gallery (The Gallery features a statue of America’s first president, George Washington, and also featured Michelangelo and Sebastiano: The Credit Suisse Exhibit.)
-Trafalgar Square (The lions guarding the column and bottom of the base were made by melting French cannons commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar.)
-Strand Street (Which houses three theaters and Covent Garden)
-The Old Witch (Village)
-Headquarters of the High Court (This landmark houses over 100 courts and those seen wearing a white tie are the men who wear a white wig during session.)
-St. Dunstan Church (This church was rebuilt during the Victorian Era.)
-Free Street (This street was named after an old river that dried up a couple hundred years ago and was signified by the road. The river back then flowed from left to right.)
-St. Paul’s Cathedral
-Bank of London
-The Monument
-Tower Bridge
-Borough Market (It’s recommended to visit on Thursdays or Fridays.)
-The Globe Theater
-The Millennium Bridge (It’s also known as the Harry Potter bridge)
-Cleopatra’s Needle
Our tour was full of information and helpful tips for making our way around London. Gary was one of the best tour guides we had on our trip.
Tesco
After our full-day guided tour, a small group of us made our way to Tesco to shop for some necessities. Tesco is a very small grocery store-type of market. It was very self-automated and you have to pay for every bag you use. Between Emily and I we spent about £40 on food and other necessities like toilet paper and soap. We got lost walking back to Lightfoot Hall from Tesco and since our data plans were limited we thought we would try to find our way back on our own and asking locals. Some locals were more reluctant to help and a lot of them didn’t even know where Manresa Road was. Luckily, we managed to find our way after 30 minutes of wandering.
Dutch Pancake House
Since it had been such a long day, Emily and I decided to keep dinner simple and go to a pancake house across the street from Lightfoot Hall. We were encouraged by their busy and cute atmosphere in addition to their Monday Madness deal where you could get choose pancakes from a select part of the menu for only £5,65. I decided to get the traditional pancake with maple syrup and butter. When our meals came out we discovered the pancake was more like a crepe and it was cooked in a large skillet pan.
Random Facts About London:
-There are 12 professional football clubs in London
-Harrods gets over 30,000 people per day and has 30 departments in the store
-Most of the people that visit London are tourists and only eight million people live in the actual city
-There are 11 underground lines for the Tube
-London is a very expensive place to live (one penthouse sold for £147 million and was purchased by a foreigner)
-Traffic normally moves at 7.5 MPH
-Hyde Park has 625 open acres
-The Royal suite in the Dochester Hotel costs 32,000 pounds per night
-There are over 4,000 pubs and bars in London
-Ye Old Cheshire Cheese is one of the best pubs in London and was built in 1667
-£30,000 is the average yearly wage in London
Our first morning in London started very early with a 8 a.m. wake up at Lightfoot Hall. We were expected to be downstairs by 8:30 a.m. so we could go to the Holiday Inn for our student AIFS orientation. We took the standard double-decker bus from our dorm to the hotel where our professors were staying. The bus was very crowded and many people stood because all of the seats were taken. It was our first time using our Oyster Passes and it was interesting seeing public transportation like the buses used by so many people. It just goes to show how we take advantage of things like our personal cars to get us where we need to go instead of using alternate forms of transportation. When we arrived at the Holiday Inn, I immediately took notice of the "posh" atmosphere we were in. Everything had its place and even the staff was dressed to impress. We were directed to a conference room where we were able to snack on complimentary pastries, coffee and tea. We were then told to go inside another conference room where we would start our London orientation. After watching a tutorial on transportation in London we were given a minor presentation on law enforcement in London by a local officer named Paul. His humor kept our attention as he discussed the dos and don’ts and made an American joke here and there. After the orientation, we said our goodbyes to Marta, who would be heading back to Italy after accompanying us in Greece for two weeks. She was truly amazing and I hope to see her again on future Study Abroad trips or if I make it to Italy in the near future. Our AIFS representatives then took us to our classrooms at Kensington University. They told us how we would use our student key cards to get inside and access the resources available to us while we were abroad.
Lunch at Garfunkel’s
After orientation, we had some down time to grab a quick bite to eat before we started our guided tour of London. My friends and I walked around for ten minutes before stumbling on a diner called Garfunkel’s. It had a very cute atmosphere to it and they had great service. I decided to get the chicken and bacon wrap with lettuce, onion and honey mustard dressing and a side of chips (fries). It was delicious and I couldn’t wait to come back for more.
City Bus Tour
Once we finished lunch we made our way back to the meeting spot for the bus tour. Our tour guide’s name was Gary and our bus driver’s name was Kelvin. They worked very well together and shared many jokes throughout our day. We made multiple stops including:
-The Natural History Museum
-The Victoria and Albert Museum
-The Roman Catholic Church (that sings a high mass in Latin every Sunday at 11 a.m.)
-The Dochester Hotel (where one can stay in the royal suite for 32,000 pounds a night and is the only street in London where the drivers operate vehicles on the same side of the road as the Americans do since it is a private road)
-The Free Speech Corner (only on Sundays)
-James Bond Cars Showroom
-U.S. Embassy (It’s the largest embassy in the UK/London and is constructing a new building ranging between 800 and 900 million pounds for next year. The Grove of Americas is the nearby park featuring presidential statues. The embassy is also lined with state flags.)
-John Adams’ home
-Bond Street (The perfect street for shopping lined with all sorts of flags and shops including Victoria’s Secret, Jimmy Choos, Coach, and other higher fashion outlets.)
-Bentley Showroom (Before it became a showroom it was actually a hospital and more importantly, the birthplace of the Queen.)
-Mayfair (The most expensive place to rent luxury office space)
-Piccadilly Circus (More famously known for its feature in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 where Hermione, Harry and Ron evaporate to escape the death eaters at Bill’s wedding.)
-Burlington House
-Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum
-Haymarket Street
-The National Gallery (The Gallery features a statue of America’s first president, George Washington, and also featured Michelangelo and Sebastiano: The Credit Suisse Exhibit.)
-Trafalgar Square (The lions guarding the column and bottom of the base were made by melting French cannons commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar.)
-Strand Street (Which houses three theaters and Covent Garden)
-The Old Witch (Village)
-Headquarters of the High Court (This landmark houses over 100 courts and those seen wearing a white tie are the men who wear a white wig during session.)
-St. Dunstan Church (This church was rebuilt during the Victorian Era.)
-Free Street (This street was named after an old river that dried up a couple hundred years ago and was signified by the road. The river back then flowed from left to right.)
-St. Paul’s Cathedral
-Bank of London
-The Monument
-Tower Bridge
-Borough Market (It’s recommended to visit on Thursdays or Fridays.)
-The Globe Theater
-The Millennium Bridge (It’s also known as the Harry Potter bridge)
-Cleopatra’s Needle
Our tour was full of information and helpful tips for making our way around London. Gary was one of the best tour guides we had on our trip.
Tesco
After our full-day guided tour, a small group of us made our way to Tesco to shop for some necessities. Tesco is a very small grocery store-type of market. It was very self-automated and you have to pay for every bag you use. Between Emily and I we spent about £40 on food and other necessities like toilet paper and soap. We got lost walking back to Lightfoot Hall from Tesco and since our data plans were limited we thought we would try to find our way back on our own and asking locals. Some locals were more reluctant to help and a lot of them didn’t even know where Manresa Road was. Luckily, we managed to find our way after 30 minutes of wandering.
Dutch Pancake House
Since it had been such a long day, Emily and I decided to keep dinner simple and go to a pancake house across the street from Lightfoot Hall. We were encouraged by their busy and cute atmosphere in addition to their Monday Madness deal where you could get choose pancakes from a select part of the menu for only £5,65. I decided to get the traditional pancake with maple syrup and butter. When our meals came out we discovered the pancake was more like a crepe and it was cooked in a large skillet pan.
Random Facts About London:
-There are 12 professional football clubs in London
-Harrods gets over 30,000 people per day and has 30 departments in the store
-Most of the people that visit London are tourists and only eight million people live in the actual city
-There are 11 underground lines for the Tube
-London is a very expensive place to live (one penthouse sold for £147 million and was purchased by a foreigner)
-Traffic normally moves at 7.5 MPH
-Hyde Park has 625 open acres
-The Royal suite in the Dochester Hotel costs 32,000 pounds per night
-There are over 4,000 pubs and bars in London
-Ye Old Cheshire Cheese is one of the best pubs in London and was built in 1667
-£30,000 is the average yearly wage in London
Day 16 - 05/16/17
Classes
Since it was our first day of classes in the city and we had our group production later that night we decided to stay low-key for the day. Emily and I had the same schedules because we were taking the same classes, so we wandered around Chelsea a little bit beforehand. We stopped by the local Starbucks and ordered some coffee (it was the first time we’ve had Starbucks in two weeks). It was interesting to see how the drink sizes in Europe compared to American sizes. A venti (large) in Europe was more similar to a grande (medium) in America. After Starbucks, we found a cute little book store to hang out in. Waterstone’s Bookstore sold a variety of novels and accessories. The setup of the shop was very appealing with lots of tables scattered around the store and bookshelves lining all of the walls. After the bookstore, we got lost again trying to find our classes and ended up walking around London for 40 minutes. We eventually turned on our data and found our way to Kensington University.
Lunch at Whole Foods
Our classes ended around 1 p.m. so we decided to grab a small bite to eat at Whole Foods since it was about a 15-minute walk from class. We went upstairs to the food court and were impressed by the wide variety of cuisine that was being sold around the floor. There was Asian, American, Italian, a salad bar and more. Emily and I decided to visit the pizza stall since they were having a deal where you could get two generous slices for three pounds. The pizza was very good and fresh since they put it in the brick oven right after we told them the slices we wanted.
Kensington Park
Since we finished lunch fairly quickly and we had some time before we had to be in the city for the play, we decided to stop by Kensington Park (inside Hyde Park). The hour we spent in the park had to be one of my favorite things about London. It was very beautiful and peaceful. It was neat to see people just being people, socializing without cell phones and kids playing together and running around. There were many having a picnic lunch, coming straight from work, and just hanging out until they had to return to their office. The trees were humongous and the grass was the greenest color I’ve ever seen. It looked like it was taken straight out of a painted picture. There was also a huge pond inside the park and next to Kensington Palace called the Round Pond. It was full of swans and ducks, but the water was still very calm. I wish I could spend every single day in Hyde Park and I know that if I ever live in London, I’ll do just that.
Dinner at Crown Café-Bar
After the park, we returned to the dorms to get ready for the play. We were told to be there around 8 p.m. and we still had to eat so we decided to leave the dorms around 6:30 p.m. We navigated through the city to Novello Theater and looked at restaurants nearby. We found a Pret a Manger and a small café-type place called Crown Café-Bar. They sold a lot of deli-like items so I ordered the Chicken and Cheese Pita Press Sandwich. It tasted good, but was very messy to eat. Thankfully, it only cost five pounds for my meal.
Mamma Mia at Novello Theatre
After dinner, we made our way back to the theater. It was starting to get really busy since we were only 15 minutes away from showtime. My friends and I checked in with our graduate assistants Mandi and Barbara because it was a group function that counted towards our overall grades. After checking in we made our way inside. We all received our tickets in the envelope we got at check-in and we had assigned seats on each of our tickets, however, we were scattered throughout the theatre. I was in a row practically all by myself, but it made it easier on leg room since the seats were so close together (the theatre was opened in 1905. I sat nine rows away from the stage so I considered it to be a pretty good seat despite the annoying people that sat behind me making noise throughout the play. I had seen the movie when it came out, but it had been awhile since I’d seen it again. I was very impressed by the casting and attention to detail throughout the production. It was just like the movie except with British people. They held intermission after "Voulez-Vouz" and the remainder of the play only lasted another 40 minutes at most. The show was not sold out, but the theater was very crowded. After the play, we stopped at another local diner for some ice cream and made our way to the tube to get back home. When we got off the tube at Kensington we noticed how empty the station was and it kind of freaked us out. We made our way upstairs and saw local police patrolling the area and only letting people out (no one was allowed to go in to use the tube). We heard rumors that someone got hit, but we were never able to find out what actually happened. We ended up taking a bus back to the dorm and got back around 12:45 a.m.
Since it was our first day of classes in the city and we had our group production later that night we decided to stay low-key for the day. Emily and I had the same schedules because we were taking the same classes, so we wandered around Chelsea a little bit beforehand. We stopped by the local Starbucks and ordered some coffee (it was the first time we’ve had Starbucks in two weeks). It was interesting to see how the drink sizes in Europe compared to American sizes. A venti (large) in Europe was more similar to a grande (medium) in America. After Starbucks, we found a cute little book store to hang out in. Waterstone’s Bookstore sold a variety of novels and accessories. The setup of the shop was very appealing with lots of tables scattered around the store and bookshelves lining all of the walls. After the bookstore, we got lost again trying to find our classes and ended up walking around London for 40 minutes. We eventually turned on our data and found our way to Kensington University.
Lunch at Whole Foods
Our classes ended around 1 p.m. so we decided to grab a small bite to eat at Whole Foods since it was about a 15-minute walk from class. We went upstairs to the food court and were impressed by the wide variety of cuisine that was being sold around the floor. There was Asian, American, Italian, a salad bar and more. Emily and I decided to visit the pizza stall since they were having a deal where you could get two generous slices for three pounds. The pizza was very good and fresh since they put it in the brick oven right after we told them the slices we wanted.
Kensington Park
Since we finished lunch fairly quickly and we had some time before we had to be in the city for the play, we decided to stop by Kensington Park (inside Hyde Park). The hour we spent in the park had to be one of my favorite things about London. It was very beautiful and peaceful. It was neat to see people just being people, socializing without cell phones and kids playing together and running around. There were many having a picnic lunch, coming straight from work, and just hanging out until they had to return to their office. The trees were humongous and the grass was the greenest color I’ve ever seen. It looked like it was taken straight out of a painted picture. There was also a huge pond inside the park and next to Kensington Palace called the Round Pond. It was full of swans and ducks, but the water was still very calm. I wish I could spend every single day in Hyde Park and I know that if I ever live in London, I’ll do just that.
Dinner at Crown Café-Bar
After the park, we returned to the dorms to get ready for the play. We were told to be there around 8 p.m. and we still had to eat so we decided to leave the dorms around 6:30 p.m. We navigated through the city to Novello Theater and looked at restaurants nearby. We found a Pret a Manger and a small café-type place called Crown Café-Bar. They sold a lot of deli-like items so I ordered the Chicken and Cheese Pita Press Sandwich. It tasted good, but was very messy to eat. Thankfully, it only cost five pounds for my meal.
Mamma Mia at Novello Theatre
After dinner, we made our way back to the theater. It was starting to get really busy since we were only 15 minutes away from showtime. My friends and I checked in with our graduate assistants Mandi and Barbara because it was a group function that counted towards our overall grades. After checking in we made our way inside. We all received our tickets in the envelope we got at check-in and we had assigned seats on each of our tickets, however, we were scattered throughout the theatre. I was in a row practically all by myself, but it made it easier on leg room since the seats were so close together (the theatre was opened in 1905. I sat nine rows away from the stage so I considered it to be a pretty good seat despite the annoying people that sat behind me making noise throughout the play. I had seen the movie when it came out, but it had been awhile since I’d seen it again. I was very impressed by the casting and attention to detail throughout the production. It was just like the movie except with British people. They held intermission after "Voulez-Vouz" and the remainder of the play only lasted another 40 minutes at most. The show was not sold out, but the theater was very crowded. After the play, we stopped at another local diner for some ice cream and made our way to the tube to get back home. When we got off the tube at Kensington we noticed how empty the station was and it kind of freaked us out. We made our way upstairs and saw local police patrolling the area and only letting people out (no one was allowed to go in to use the tube). We heard rumors that someone got hit, but we were never able to find out what actually happened. We ended up taking a bus back to the dorm and got back around 12:45 a.m.
Day 17 - 05/17/17
Neal’s Yard & Lunch
After classes my friends and I decided to wander into the city and find Neal’s Yard. We heard it was a great photo stop and had some interesting shopping centers nearby. Neal’s Yard was very difficult to find, despite asking locals and using GPS. We saw the beautiful multi-colored buildings and some restaurants, but overall did not believe it lived up to its hype. After visiting Neal’s Yard, we went shopping nearby. My friends and I found a Birkenstocks store close by so we decided to check out their prices since Birks in Europe are much cheaper than they are in America. I found a pair for £60, so I decided to get them there. Afterwards, we found a local pub, called the Greene King, to have lunch at. It was pretty quiet in there for it being the middle of the afternoon so we had some time to just relax for a little while the rain passed. We also took advantage of the free Wi-Fi. For lunch, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and although it wasn’t one of the best, I still thought it was pretty good for only costing me £11.
Oxford Street
After lunch, we walked to Oxford Street. On our way, we ran into Palace Theatre, home to the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. The theatre was beautiful on the outside and the area was very crowded because of an upcoming performance. Since my friends and I are Harry Potter fans, we thought it was pretty cool that we just coincidentally ran into the theatre. When we finished admiring the theatre, we finished our walk to Oxford Street. It was very similar to pictures I’ve seen of Times Square in New York. My friend Emily who goes to New York every year agreed. It was lively and entertaining and full of hustle and bustle. The architectural designs of the buildings were very neat as well.
Dinner at Byron’s
We took the tube from Oxford to South Kensington and then a bus to get back to our dorms in Chelsea. Emily and I had another friend that was doing a study abroad program with the College of Business at UF that was studying in London so we met her for dinner at Byron’s (a hamburger joint located five minutes away from Lightfoot Hall). They served great hamburgers, but unfortunately fries were not included in our meals so we didn’t get any. It was so nice seeing Nina and a great meal too!
After classes my friends and I decided to wander into the city and find Neal’s Yard. We heard it was a great photo stop and had some interesting shopping centers nearby. Neal’s Yard was very difficult to find, despite asking locals and using GPS. We saw the beautiful multi-colored buildings and some restaurants, but overall did not believe it lived up to its hype. After visiting Neal’s Yard, we went shopping nearby. My friends and I found a Birkenstocks store close by so we decided to check out their prices since Birks in Europe are much cheaper than they are in America. I found a pair for £60, so I decided to get them there. Afterwards, we found a local pub, called the Greene King, to have lunch at. It was pretty quiet in there for it being the middle of the afternoon so we had some time to just relax for a little while the rain passed. We also took advantage of the free Wi-Fi. For lunch, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and although it wasn’t one of the best, I still thought it was pretty good for only costing me £11.
Oxford Street
After lunch, we walked to Oxford Street. On our way, we ran into Palace Theatre, home to the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. The theatre was beautiful on the outside and the area was very crowded because of an upcoming performance. Since my friends and I are Harry Potter fans, we thought it was pretty cool that we just coincidentally ran into the theatre. When we finished admiring the theatre, we finished our walk to Oxford Street. It was very similar to pictures I’ve seen of Times Square in New York. My friend Emily who goes to New York every year agreed. It was lively and entertaining and full of hustle and bustle. The architectural designs of the buildings were very neat as well.
Dinner at Byron’s
We took the tube from Oxford to South Kensington and then a bus to get back to our dorms in Chelsea. Emily and I had another friend that was doing a study abroad program with the College of Business at UF that was studying in London so we met her for dinner at Byron’s (a hamburger joint located five minutes away from Lightfoot Hall). They served great hamburgers, but unfortunately fries were not included in our meals so we didn’t get any. It was so nice seeing Nina and a great meal too!
Day 18 - 05/18/17
Bath
Our morning started off very early in front of Lightfoot Hall. We were taking a city tour of Bath and visiting the famous Roman Baths. Bath is a very posh-like city located about three hours away from Chelsea. Gary and Trudy were our tour guides for the day (the same guides from our London city tour), but Trudy was assigned to our bus this time. On our way to Bath, Trudy pointed out Windsor Castle, the largest castle in the world and the home of the Queen when she is away from Buckingham Palace. Windsor Castle is 990 years old. When we got to Bath, we learned that 90,000 people currently live in Bath and it is “the best preserved ancient baths and temple complex in northern Europe.” The greenery and buildings coming into the city was radiant in color. When we got off the coach bus, we followed Trudy through some of the town towards the Roman Baths. On the way, we saw the Abbey, which was very beautiful and had many intricate designs. When we started the tour of the Roman Baths, we were given audio guides to help us understand different components of the tour. The audio guide was very helpful as we moved throughout the complex. We learned that the water inside the main bath area is actually semi-radioactive. There were many other interesting aspects of the baths, but the towers of tiles under the floor that held it up so heat could travel underneath and warm up the floor was one of the coolest facts we learned.
Lunch at Cornish Bakehouse
After our tour at the baths, we found a Cornish bakery to grab a bite to eat. I decided to get the Chicken Pasty and the Cheese & Onion Roll. Both of they were very good and very cheap. I spent less than £5 for both pastries. The crust was so flaky and buttery it melted as soon as it hit your tongue.
Abbey at Bath
After lunch, we had about an hour before we had to be back at the bus. We found a small ice cream parlor to grab some quick dessert. After ice cream, we made our way towards the Abbey. We didn’t have to pay to see the Abbey, but a donation was highly encouraged as we walked in or out. The inside of the Abbey was absolutely beautiful with many intricate designs and beautiful stained-glass windows. You could also see the gigantic pipe organ on the side of the Abbey.
Our morning started off very early in front of Lightfoot Hall. We were taking a city tour of Bath and visiting the famous Roman Baths. Bath is a very posh-like city located about three hours away from Chelsea. Gary and Trudy were our tour guides for the day (the same guides from our London city tour), but Trudy was assigned to our bus this time. On our way to Bath, Trudy pointed out Windsor Castle, the largest castle in the world and the home of the Queen when she is away from Buckingham Palace. Windsor Castle is 990 years old. When we got to Bath, we learned that 90,000 people currently live in Bath and it is “the best preserved ancient baths and temple complex in northern Europe.” The greenery and buildings coming into the city was radiant in color. When we got off the coach bus, we followed Trudy through some of the town towards the Roman Baths. On the way, we saw the Abbey, which was very beautiful and had many intricate designs. When we started the tour of the Roman Baths, we were given audio guides to help us understand different components of the tour. The audio guide was very helpful as we moved throughout the complex. We learned that the water inside the main bath area is actually semi-radioactive. There were many other interesting aspects of the baths, but the towers of tiles under the floor that held it up so heat could travel underneath and warm up the floor was one of the coolest facts we learned.
Lunch at Cornish Bakehouse
After our tour at the baths, we found a Cornish bakery to grab a bite to eat. I decided to get the Chicken Pasty and the Cheese & Onion Roll. Both of they were very good and very cheap. I spent less than £5 for both pastries. The crust was so flaky and buttery it melted as soon as it hit your tongue.
Abbey at Bath
After lunch, we had about an hour before we had to be back at the bus. We found a small ice cream parlor to grab some quick dessert. After ice cream, we made our way towards the Abbey. We didn’t have to pay to see the Abbey, but a donation was highly encouraged as we walked in or out. The inside of the Abbey was absolutely beautiful with many intricate designs and beautiful stained-glass windows. You could also see the gigantic pipe organ on the side of the Abbey.
Day 21 - 05/21/17
Dublin Airport
We took a cab to the airport from our hostel since our flight was in the morning and we didn’t have that much time to figure out other ways of transportation. The cab ended up costing €20, which wasn’t too bad compared to the £150 cab fee we had in London. When we got to the airport things went pretty smooth for the most part. The only hiccups were my bag having to be personally scanned by TSA because of an alert that went off as it went through the machine and losing my boarding pass between security and the gate. My lost boarding pass left me as the last person to board the flight since they had to print me a new ticket at the desk. My middle seat next to Emily and Rachel stayed the same as it was when we were traveling from London to Dublin.
Hillsong Church
Since it had been such a long day with us traveling, we decided to keep it low-key with us just working on some homework back at the dorms. I had already planned to attend a Hillsong Church service at the Dominion Theatre at 5 p.m. It was the only Sunday in London that I would be able to attend so I was very excited. Hillsong United is one of my all-time favorite music groups and it’s on my bucket list to visit their home campus in Sydney, Australia. I went to the service by myself and it was a lot of fun being able to get around London on my own. I felt like I was experiencing the city in a whole new way since I was on my own and without distractions. Pastor Erwin McManus was a guest speaker that gave the message on ambition. He talked about how it’s looked at as being destructive if it’s corrupted, but God designed us for greatness and that greatness is found in what we do for others. After a wonderful evening, I decided to stop at a Chipotle I found on my way back to the dorm for dinner. They were getting ready to close and they didn’t have any corn salsa, but I enjoyed it all the same. It had been over three weeks since my last chicken bowl so I planned on taking what I could.
We took a cab to the airport from our hostel since our flight was in the morning and we didn’t have that much time to figure out other ways of transportation. The cab ended up costing €20, which wasn’t too bad compared to the £150 cab fee we had in London. When we got to the airport things went pretty smooth for the most part. The only hiccups were my bag having to be personally scanned by TSA because of an alert that went off as it went through the machine and losing my boarding pass between security and the gate. My lost boarding pass left me as the last person to board the flight since they had to print me a new ticket at the desk. My middle seat next to Emily and Rachel stayed the same as it was when we were traveling from London to Dublin.
Hillsong Church
Since it had been such a long day with us traveling, we decided to keep it low-key with us just working on some homework back at the dorms. I had already planned to attend a Hillsong Church service at the Dominion Theatre at 5 p.m. It was the only Sunday in London that I would be able to attend so I was very excited. Hillsong United is one of my all-time favorite music groups and it’s on my bucket list to visit their home campus in Sydney, Australia. I went to the service by myself and it was a lot of fun being able to get around London on my own. I felt like I was experiencing the city in a whole new way since I was on my own and without distractions. Pastor Erwin McManus was a guest speaker that gave the message on ambition. He talked about how it’s looked at as being destructive if it’s corrupted, but God designed us for greatness and that greatness is found in what we do for others. After a wonderful evening, I decided to stop at a Chipotle I found on my way back to the dorm for dinner. They were getting ready to close and they didn’t have any corn salsa, but I enjoyed it all the same. It had been over three weeks since my last chicken bowl so I planned on taking what I could.
Day 22 - 05/22/17
Day 22 – 05/22/17
My Old Dutch Pancake House for Breakfast
Before we headed off to class, a group of friends and myself decided to take advantage of the Monday Madness deal at the pancake restaurant across the street. We each ordered differently and I decided to get the Nutella pancakes instead of the traditional ones I got last week, just to change things up. We had a great time catching up from our weekend excursions and just hanging out before our day got started.
London Pass & National Portrait Gallery
After class, Emily and I went into the Theatre District to pick up our London Passes that we pre-ordered in Greece. Our passes were valid for three days and they came with a free guidebook full of tips, maps and details about the activities included in our pass. After picking up our pass we visited the National Portrait Gallery. The gallery featured a lot of old paintings, but our favorite was the one of Ed Sheeran. Despite its humor, it was a very good painting. Admission being free was also a nice perk to the gallery.
Men’s and Women’s Health/Hearst UK Headquarters
Our class field trip for Social Media Skills included a visit to the Men’s and Women’s Health magazine headquarters building in London. We met with Ed Vernsteen who is the digital director at the magazine. Men’s and Women’s Health is owned by a much larger magazine corporation called Hearst. Mr. Vernsteen shared how Men’s Health is in 40 countries around the world and one of their most pivotal aspects of the company is driving traffic. They use Facebook to help drive this traffic, but they also like experimenting all the time with new ideas and techniques. It was cool hearing Mr. Vernsteen discuss their social media platforms and which ones they find the most beneficial to the magazine.
Harry Potter Walking Tour
After our field trip and grabbing a quick bite to eat at Pret a Manger, Emily, our friend Li, and I decided to go on the free Harry Potter Walking Tour. The tour takes you around London and shows some of the more important buildings used in filming the Harry Potter movies. Our tour guide’s name was Rob and he’s an actor from a small city outside London. He had a British accent and was sometimes difficult to understand, but you could tell he had a passion for acting and his Harry Potter tours. We visited Trafalgar Square, which was used for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The entire square was filled to the max with fans of the books and movies alike. Our next stop was Picadilly Square which was featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 after the Weasley wedding in which Ron, Hermione, and Harry used apparition to escape the Death Eaters. They said the movie rented out all four cinemas in Leicester Square and the red carpet led to Trafalgar Square. Our next stop was the famous Banqueting Hall, which was a palace before it was burnt to the ground and is now owned by the Queen of England. Warner Bros. Studios had to get special permission from the Queen to use the building, and she accepted their request. Ironically, this beautiful building was simply used as an equipment/trolley hall. They were really interested in using the building right next to it which is known as the Ministry of Defense building or “The Iceberg.” This particular building runs about 10 stories underground and was used as the Ministry of Magic in filming Harry Potter. While we were visiting this particular site, Rob went into some of the analogies many fans have made between some of Rowling’s characters and people in real life. He talked about how many people draw connections between Voldemort and Hitler, Death Eaters and Nazis, Mudbloods and Jews, Gays, etc. It was very interesting once you started thinking about the actions of these people and how similar they really are. Our next stop was Embankment Gardens, surrounded by very fancy hotels and beautiful greenery/flowers. Rob discussed how the language used throughout the series was very simple for children to understand, but it was still clever and witty. For example, Diagon Alley and diagonal line because this Alley is anything but straight and normal. Another example is the Knight Bus and the big red night buses that are used all over London. They actually built the Knight Bus with three layers (using two regular red buses) and it was deemed “road worthy,” but would swerve dangerously when they were filming scenes. They had to dismantle it to transport it and often filmed during the late nights and early morning on the London Bridge and riverbanks. Our next stop was Scotland Place. It’s used as the headquarters of the police force in London, but was used as filming locations for the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. We walked by Garrick Theatre, which was the inspiration for Garrick Ollivander, the famous wand personnel in the Harry Potter world. One of our final stops was Cecil Court which is believed to be the “real” Diagon Alley. It is home to many Victorian and antique shops including Watkins Books (the oldest book shop line in the UK), Marchpane Children’s Books, The Witch Ball, and many others. The walking tour was very entertaining and a great way to see London from a Harry Potter fan’s perspective.
Maxwell’s for Dinner
Emily and I decided to treat ourselves and go to dinner together in the Covent Garden district. We found a place called Maxwell’s right outside the tube station and we didn’t even have to wait to get seated. It was a great atmosphere and our waitress was super kind. What really caught our eye was their famous “freakshakes” they were parading around the restaurant. We ended up ordering burgers and chips for dinner and then we waited on our desserts. Emily ordered a Slated Caramel Freakshake and I decided to get the Oreo Freakshake. Hers came with salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, a homemade salted caramel donut and marshmallows while mine came topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, Oreo biscuits and a whole homemade Oreo cookie ice cream sandwich. We were overwhelmed with our desserts and could only drink half of the shake after getting through the goodies on top, but we enjoyed them tremendously. Calories only consumed in Europe stay in Europe, right?
My Old Dutch Pancake House for Breakfast
Before we headed off to class, a group of friends and myself decided to take advantage of the Monday Madness deal at the pancake restaurant across the street. We each ordered differently and I decided to get the Nutella pancakes instead of the traditional ones I got last week, just to change things up. We had a great time catching up from our weekend excursions and just hanging out before our day got started.
London Pass & National Portrait Gallery
After class, Emily and I went into the Theatre District to pick up our London Passes that we pre-ordered in Greece. Our passes were valid for three days and they came with a free guidebook full of tips, maps and details about the activities included in our pass. After picking up our pass we visited the National Portrait Gallery. The gallery featured a lot of old paintings, but our favorite was the one of Ed Sheeran. Despite its humor, it was a very good painting. Admission being free was also a nice perk to the gallery.
Men’s and Women’s Health/Hearst UK Headquarters
Our class field trip for Social Media Skills included a visit to the Men’s and Women’s Health magazine headquarters building in London. We met with Ed Vernsteen who is the digital director at the magazine. Men’s and Women’s Health is owned by a much larger magazine corporation called Hearst. Mr. Vernsteen shared how Men’s Health is in 40 countries around the world and one of their most pivotal aspects of the company is driving traffic. They use Facebook to help drive this traffic, but they also like experimenting all the time with new ideas and techniques. It was cool hearing Mr. Vernsteen discuss their social media platforms and which ones they find the most beneficial to the magazine.
Harry Potter Walking Tour
After our field trip and grabbing a quick bite to eat at Pret a Manger, Emily, our friend Li, and I decided to go on the free Harry Potter Walking Tour. The tour takes you around London and shows some of the more important buildings used in filming the Harry Potter movies. Our tour guide’s name was Rob and he’s an actor from a small city outside London. He had a British accent and was sometimes difficult to understand, but you could tell he had a passion for acting and his Harry Potter tours. We visited Trafalgar Square, which was used for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The entire square was filled to the max with fans of the books and movies alike. Our next stop was Picadilly Square which was featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 after the Weasley wedding in which Ron, Hermione, and Harry used apparition to escape the Death Eaters. They said the movie rented out all four cinemas in Leicester Square and the red carpet led to Trafalgar Square. Our next stop was the famous Banqueting Hall, which was a palace before it was burnt to the ground and is now owned by the Queen of England. Warner Bros. Studios had to get special permission from the Queen to use the building, and she accepted their request. Ironically, this beautiful building was simply used as an equipment/trolley hall. They were really interested in using the building right next to it which is known as the Ministry of Defense building or “The Iceberg.” This particular building runs about 10 stories underground and was used as the Ministry of Magic in filming Harry Potter. While we were visiting this particular site, Rob went into some of the analogies many fans have made between some of Rowling’s characters and people in real life. He talked about how many people draw connections between Voldemort and Hitler, Death Eaters and Nazis, Mudbloods and Jews, Gays, etc. It was very interesting once you started thinking about the actions of these people and how similar they really are. Our next stop was Embankment Gardens, surrounded by very fancy hotels and beautiful greenery/flowers. Rob discussed how the language used throughout the series was very simple for children to understand, but it was still clever and witty. For example, Diagon Alley and diagonal line because this Alley is anything but straight and normal. Another example is the Knight Bus and the big red night buses that are used all over London. They actually built the Knight Bus with three layers (using two regular red buses) and it was deemed “road worthy,” but would swerve dangerously when they were filming scenes. They had to dismantle it to transport it and often filmed during the late nights and early morning on the London Bridge and riverbanks. Our next stop was Scotland Place. It’s used as the headquarters of the police force in London, but was used as filming locations for the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. We walked by Garrick Theatre, which was the inspiration for Garrick Ollivander, the famous wand personnel in the Harry Potter world. One of our final stops was Cecil Court which is believed to be the “real” Diagon Alley. It is home to many Victorian and antique shops including Watkins Books (the oldest book shop line in the UK), Marchpane Children’s Books, The Witch Ball, and many others. The walking tour was very entertaining and a great way to see London from a Harry Potter fan’s perspective.
Maxwell’s for Dinner
Emily and I decided to treat ourselves and go to dinner together in the Covent Garden district. We found a place called Maxwell’s right outside the tube station and we didn’t even have to wait to get seated. It was a great atmosphere and our waitress was super kind. What really caught our eye was their famous “freakshakes” they were parading around the restaurant. We ended up ordering burgers and chips for dinner and then we waited on our desserts. Emily ordered a Slated Caramel Freakshake and I decided to get the Oreo Freakshake. Hers came with salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, a homemade salted caramel donut and marshmallows while mine came topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, Oreo biscuits and a whole homemade Oreo cookie ice cream sandwich. We were overwhelmed with our desserts and could only drink half of the shake after getting through the goodies on top, but we enjoyed them tremendously. Calories only consumed in Europe stay in Europe, right?
Day 23 - 05/23/17
Manchester Attack
That morning, I woke up to an abundance of notifications and messages from social media, family, and friends. Manchester was hosting a concert by Ariana Grande and a suicide bomber had attacked the arena after the concert had ended. 50 people were directly impacted with 20 dead and 30 injured. It was scary for my family and friends back in the states because they were unaware of how far Chelsea was from Manchester (about four hours in case you were curious). Emily and I were unsure of what the city would be like after an attack like that, so we decided to keep to our original and low-key plans for the day. Our AIFS agents and professors were very communicative with making sure everyone was okay and felt as safe as possible.
Westminster Abbey & Wimbledon
Emily and I wanted to see Westminster together so we decided to try and go before class. We would be getting free admission with our London Passes, but what we didn’t expect was a last-minute event that prevented the Abbey from being open to the public until 2:30 that afternoon. We ended up walking around the area and seeing Parliament from the bridge over the Thames River. It was so nice spending some time in London just walking around and absorbing the history in front of us at our own pace.
Our Sports Media class planned on taking a field trip to Wimbledon after our Social Media class had ended. Wimbledon was still open, despite the attack in Manchester and increase in security. We took the tube outside of the zones designated on our Oyster cards, so some of us had to add some money to get out of the tube station. It only took about 20 minutes to walk from the station to Wimbledon. The tour of Wimbledon was included in our London Passes as well, so Emily and I were able to check-in using those. We waited outside for about 15 minutes before a representative came to take us to center court. 15,000 seats surround center court and it’s the only court available for public viewing at the Wimbledon complex. Court one is having a roof built over it to help with weather conditions during matches. The security at Wimbledon was very strict and you could tell the area was very posh. A 5-year ticket with seats guaranteed at every match (including the Championship Match) costs £50,000. Luckily, this can be resold if you find a lucky buyer.
Camden Market
After taking the tube back to South Kensington station, a small group of us decided to take the tube to Camden Market. We heard it was a good market for buying souvenirs and seeing a different part of the city. There was a wide variety of people at the market and there were a lot of different shops ranging from vintage to modern. There were also many food stalls at the market selling mostly fried food, but Chinese was a popular delicacy throughout the market.
That morning, I woke up to an abundance of notifications and messages from social media, family, and friends. Manchester was hosting a concert by Ariana Grande and a suicide bomber had attacked the arena after the concert had ended. 50 people were directly impacted with 20 dead and 30 injured. It was scary for my family and friends back in the states because they were unaware of how far Chelsea was from Manchester (about four hours in case you were curious). Emily and I were unsure of what the city would be like after an attack like that, so we decided to keep to our original and low-key plans for the day. Our AIFS agents and professors were very communicative with making sure everyone was okay and felt as safe as possible.
Westminster Abbey & Wimbledon
Emily and I wanted to see Westminster together so we decided to try and go before class. We would be getting free admission with our London Passes, but what we didn’t expect was a last-minute event that prevented the Abbey from being open to the public until 2:30 that afternoon. We ended up walking around the area and seeing Parliament from the bridge over the Thames River. It was so nice spending some time in London just walking around and absorbing the history in front of us at our own pace.
Our Sports Media class planned on taking a field trip to Wimbledon after our Social Media class had ended. Wimbledon was still open, despite the attack in Manchester and increase in security. We took the tube outside of the zones designated on our Oyster cards, so some of us had to add some money to get out of the tube station. It only took about 20 minutes to walk from the station to Wimbledon. The tour of Wimbledon was included in our London Passes as well, so Emily and I were able to check-in using those. We waited outside for about 15 minutes before a representative came to take us to center court. 15,000 seats surround center court and it’s the only court available for public viewing at the Wimbledon complex. Court one is having a roof built over it to help with weather conditions during matches. The security at Wimbledon was very strict and you could tell the area was very posh. A 5-year ticket with seats guaranteed at every match (including the Championship Match) costs £50,000. Luckily, this can be resold if you find a lucky buyer.
Camden Market
After taking the tube back to South Kensington station, a small group of us decided to take the tube to Camden Market. We heard it was a good market for buying souvenirs and seeing a different part of the city. There was a wide variety of people at the market and there were a lot of different shops ranging from vintage to modern. There were also many food stalls at the market selling mostly fried food, but Chinese was a popular delicacy throughout the market.
Day 24 - 05/24/17
Westminster Abbey
I was on my own for the afternoon since Emily went to see a play, and since we didn’t get to see it before our classes due to the long line, I decided to stop back by Westminster Abbey. After waiting about 10 minutes in line, I had to put my phone away and I was granted entrance inside the Abbey. There is zero tolerance for photography inside the Abbey, which was very disappointing, but it was still very interesting to go through and explore. The detail inside was absolutely stunning. Gold accents and monuments were all over and there were tombstones the size of Smart cars, which were made out of marble, throughout the Abbey. The graves were very fancy and probably cost a pretty penny to make. It was a little difficult to fully appreciate the history and significance behind the Abbey with the self-tour and when I go back to London, I will most certainly be using the audio guide as I make my way around. It was also difficult to navigate around all of the people inside the Abbey so next time I will try to go at a more off-peak time to avoid some of the crowds.
The National History Museum
After visiting Westminster Abbey, I met Mandi, our graduate assistant, at the Natural History Museum. I found myself thoroughly disappointed with the museum by the end of our visit. The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” could not be truer. The architecture behind the building and attention to detail on the outside is amazing, but the inside was less than desirable. We spent about an hour inside the museum exploring the various exhibits. The only part of the museum that I was able to appreciate was the geode section. The dinosaur exhibit was also disappointing with cheesy animatronics and big plastic structures.
The Victoria & Albert Museum
After our underwhelming experience at the Natural History Museum, Mandi and I made our way across the street to the Victoria & Albert Museum. This particular museum focused on different types of art ranging from statues to portraits to pottery. I found this museum to be far more interesting, and the fact it had a beautiful interior was another perk. The museum was also featuring a Pink Floyd exhibit that you could purchase a ticket for upon entry. Even though my time spent in the museum was brief, I was impressed with some of the pieces I saw and would definitely go back in the future.
Shake Shack & Wicked
For dinner, the group and I met up at Shake Shack to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to the theatre to see Wicked. I ended up ordering a bacon cheeseburger and fries for £10, but I was far too stuffed to order their famous custard. Funny enough, this was the first time I had been to a Shake Shack despite the fact they are pretty popular in America. When we finished our meals, we started making our way to the theatre. I was very excited to see Wicked because I had seen it at the STRAZ Center in Tampa back in 2010 and absolutely loved it. The cast was awesome and the more pivotal roles like Fiyero, Elphaba, and Glinda were casted perfectly. It was fun to see this production again after so many years because I had forgotten some of the scenes and songs, but once they started everything started to click together. It was also nice that we were spending £20 on tickets that would've cost us $100 back home, for the same quality production.
I was on my own for the afternoon since Emily went to see a play, and since we didn’t get to see it before our classes due to the long line, I decided to stop back by Westminster Abbey. After waiting about 10 minutes in line, I had to put my phone away and I was granted entrance inside the Abbey. There is zero tolerance for photography inside the Abbey, which was very disappointing, but it was still very interesting to go through and explore. The detail inside was absolutely stunning. Gold accents and monuments were all over and there were tombstones the size of Smart cars, which were made out of marble, throughout the Abbey. The graves were very fancy and probably cost a pretty penny to make. It was a little difficult to fully appreciate the history and significance behind the Abbey with the self-tour and when I go back to London, I will most certainly be using the audio guide as I make my way around. It was also difficult to navigate around all of the people inside the Abbey so next time I will try to go at a more off-peak time to avoid some of the crowds.
The National History Museum
After visiting Westminster Abbey, I met Mandi, our graduate assistant, at the Natural History Museum. I found myself thoroughly disappointed with the museum by the end of our visit. The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” could not be truer. The architecture behind the building and attention to detail on the outside is amazing, but the inside was less than desirable. We spent about an hour inside the museum exploring the various exhibits. The only part of the museum that I was able to appreciate was the geode section. The dinosaur exhibit was also disappointing with cheesy animatronics and big plastic structures.
The Victoria & Albert Museum
After our underwhelming experience at the Natural History Museum, Mandi and I made our way across the street to the Victoria & Albert Museum. This particular museum focused on different types of art ranging from statues to portraits to pottery. I found this museum to be far more interesting, and the fact it had a beautiful interior was another perk. The museum was also featuring a Pink Floyd exhibit that you could purchase a ticket for upon entry. Even though my time spent in the museum was brief, I was impressed with some of the pieces I saw and would definitely go back in the future.
Shake Shack & Wicked
For dinner, the group and I met up at Shake Shack to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to the theatre to see Wicked. I ended up ordering a bacon cheeseburger and fries for £10, but I was far too stuffed to order their famous custard. Funny enough, this was the first time I had been to a Shake Shack despite the fact they are pretty popular in America. When we finished our meals, we started making our way to the theatre. I was very excited to see Wicked because I had seen it at the STRAZ Center in Tampa back in 2010 and absolutely loved it. The cast was awesome and the more pivotal roles like Fiyero, Elphaba, and Glinda were casted perfectly. It was fun to see this production again after so many years because I had forgotten some of the scenes and songs, but once they started everything started to click together. It was also nice that we were spending £20 on tickets that would've cost us $100 back home, for the same quality production.
Day 25 - 05/25/17
Tower of London
Since Emily and I had only had one day left on our London Passes, we decided to try to explore as many attractions as possible. Our first stop was the Tower of London. When we arrived, there was a bit of construction going on so we had to enter in a sort of roundabout way. We also noticed how the attraction was not really a single tower, but more so a conglomerate of towers in one area. While the attraction itself was a little underwhelming it was still neat to see the crown jewels and some of the other historical artifacts preserved throughout the buildings. When viewing the crown jewels, everything inside was gold and sparkly and there was a zero tolerance on photography. The security was also pretty intense while we were inside so it was best to stay on good behavior. The moved the crowds inside very well by using moving walkways so no one really had time to stop in front of the jewels, but they could slowly appreciate them at a moving speed. While we were in the complex, we had some pretty nice views of the Thames River and Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge
After we visited the Tower of London, we walked over to Tower Bridge. This was another attraction that Emily and I could use our London Passes on. We waited in line for about 20 minutes before we took a very large lift to the top of the south tower. From there, we were able to walk across the bridge towards the north tower. There were a couple of areas where the ground was actually a glass plate that you could see the moving traffic underneath your feet. While someone with a fear of heights might not appreciate it, I thought it was very neat. After spending some time in the suspended walkway, we took another lift down to ground level in the north tower and then walked to the gift shop and mechanics room. There was a lot of cool information displayed throughout the bridge and walkways and it’s definitely something everyone should do when they visit London.
Churchill’s Underground Bunker
Since Emily and I still had a little bit of time left before we had to be at the dock for our River Boat Tour, we decided to end our day at Churchill’s Underground Bunker. It was a London Pass attraction and was much neater than I was expecting. It was pretty large to walk through, and I think it would’ve been more enjoyable with an audio guide, but overall, we had a great time. Some of the spaces were very narrow so it was difficult to navigate if there was a crowd, but the rooms were perfectly preserved and Churchill’s artifacts were displayed throughout the museum. The museum was very interactive and I was truly impressed at all of the Churchill memorabilia that was displayed.
Shake Shack for Dinner…Again
Since Emily and I were so crunched for time, we decided to stop at the Shake Shack in Camden Market on our way to the dock. We practically got the same thing we ordered the day before, except this time we had a much longer wait due to the crowds. While we were waiting on our food, we were able to see a little of Camden Market. It was mainly food stalls, but we agreed it would’ve been a cool place to spend more time in if we had it. We ended up running through the streets of London with our food in hand trying to get to Temple Pier to make it on time for the boat tour. It was going to take us about 15 minutes to walk from Shake Shack to Temple Pier and it was already 6:00 p.m. No food was allowed on the boat, so we were relieved to get there in enough time to sit and eat our meal at a normal pace, despite being rushed beforehand. Our boat started loading around 6:30 p.m. and we sailed at 7 p.m.
Thames River Boat Tour
Our four-and-a-half-hour boat ride along the Thames River was more fun than what we anticipated. When we first heard there was no food allowed and we would be gone for four hours, we were all a little salty about the situation. This boat tour served as our “goodbye banquet” for our study abroad adventure. All 87 of us were on the same boat going up and down the river together. They served a variety of beverages including water, beer, ciders, and mixed drinks. We were a little peeved that they cost us about four pounds for a small drink, but we still managed to have a lot of fun together. Our DJ took song requests and played some great dancing tunes and we also sang our hearts out to some of the Mamma Mia soundtrack (an ongoing joke because no one really enjoyed the play except Dr. Weigold, who claimed Mamma Mia is his all-time favorite). All of our professors were very funny and relaxed as we enjoyed sharing stories and memories from our time together. We learned about the upcoming study abroad trips to Italy (2018) and Australia (2019), if they can get enough people to sign-up. It was truly an awesome way to end an amazing trip together as we enjoyed some incredible views from the Thames River and took advantage of the lovely weather.
Since Emily and I had only had one day left on our London Passes, we decided to try to explore as many attractions as possible. Our first stop was the Tower of London. When we arrived, there was a bit of construction going on so we had to enter in a sort of roundabout way. We also noticed how the attraction was not really a single tower, but more so a conglomerate of towers in one area. While the attraction itself was a little underwhelming it was still neat to see the crown jewels and some of the other historical artifacts preserved throughout the buildings. When viewing the crown jewels, everything inside was gold and sparkly and there was a zero tolerance on photography. The security was also pretty intense while we were inside so it was best to stay on good behavior. The moved the crowds inside very well by using moving walkways so no one really had time to stop in front of the jewels, but they could slowly appreciate them at a moving speed. While we were in the complex, we had some pretty nice views of the Thames River and Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge
After we visited the Tower of London, we walked over to Tower Bridge. This was another attraction that Emily and I could use our London Passes on. We waited in line for about 20 minutes before we took a very large lift to the top of the south tower. From there, we were able to walk across the bridge towards the north tower. There were a couple of areas where the ground was actually a glass plate that you could see the moving traffic underneath your feet. While someone with a fear of heights might not appreciate it, I thought it was very neat. After spending some time in the suspended walkway, we took another lift down to ground level in the north tower and then walked to the gift shop and mechanics room. There was a lot of cool information displayed throughout the bridge and walkways and it’s definitely something everyone should do when they visit London.
Churchill’s Underground Bunker
Since Emily and I still had a little bit of time left before we had to be at the dock for our River Boat Tour, we decided to end our day at Churchill’s Underground Bunker. It was a London Pass attraction and was much neater than I was expecting. It was pretty large to walk through, and I think it would’ve been more enjoyable with an audio guide, but overall, we had a great time. Some of the spaces were very narrow so it was difficult to navigate if there was a crowd, but the rooms were perfectly preserved and Churchill’s artifacts were displayed throughout the museum. The museum was very interactive and I was truly impressed at all of the Churchill memorabilia that was displayed.
Shake Shack for Dinner…Again
Since Emily and I were so crunched for time, we decided to stop at the Shake Shack in Camden Market on our way to the dock. We practically got the same thing we ordered the day before, except this time we had a much longer wait due to the crowds. While we were waiting on our food, we were able to see a little of Camden Market. It was mainly food stalls, but we agreed it would’ve been a cool place to spend more time in if we had it. We ended up running through the streets of London with our food in hand trying to get to Temple Pier to make it on time for the boat tour. It was going to take us about 15 minutes to walk from Shake Shack to Temple Pier and it was already 6:00 p.m. No food was allowed on the boat, so we were relieved to get there in enough time to sit and eat our meal at a normal pace, despite being rushed beforehand. Our boat started loading around 6:30 p.m. and we sailed at 7 p.m.
Thames River Boat Tour
Our four-and-a-half-hour boat ride along the Thames River was more fun than what we anticipated. When we first heard there was no food allowed and we would be gone for four hours, we were all a little salty about the situation. This boat tour served as our “goodbye banquet” for our study abroad adventure. All 87 of us were on the same boat going up and down the river together. They served a variety of beverages including water, beer, ciders, and mixed drinks. We were a little peeved that they cost us about four pounds for a small drink, but we still managed to have a lot of fun together. Our DJ took song requests and played some great dancing tunes and we also sang our hearts out to some of the Mamma Mia soundtrack (an ongoing joke because no one really enjoyed the play except Dr. Weigold, who claimed Mamma Mia is his all-time favorite). All of our professors were very funny and relaxed as we enjoyed sharing stories and memories from our time together. We learned about the upcoming study abroad trips to Italy (2018) and Australia (2019), if they can get enough people to sign-up. It was truly an awesome way to end an amazing trip together as we enjoyed some incredible views from the Thames River and took advantage of the lovely weather.
Day 26 - 05/26/17
Borough Market
Emily and I decided to venture into Borough Market with some friends to find some cheap and decent food for breakfast. When we walked into the market, we were shocked at how many food stalls were in the outdoor market area. We walked around for a bit and found some delicious food. I decided to try some coconut pancakes, a butter croissant, and a salted caramel brownie frappe. The pancakes were very sweet and egg-like with a light coconut flavor. The croissant was very soft and fluffy. The frappe reminded me of a Double Chocolately Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. I spent less that £6 for all of this and I wanted to sample more, but we only had 45 minutes to explore the market.
Euston Junction to Watford
Emily, our friend Li, and I made our way from the market to Euston Junction so that we could board a train to get us to Watford, where we would then board a bus to take us to the Warner Bros. Studio for the Harry Potter Studio Tour. We got to the station without a problem and purchased our 11-pound train tickets with ease. Our train was old and grimy, but we just found some seats and sucked it up for our 30-minute ride. The train didn’t move nearly as fast as I expected, but overall, the ride wasn’t too horrible.
Harry Potter Studio Tour
Our train reached Watford Junction around 2 p.m. and our tour was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. We hopped on the Studio Tour bus that would take us from Watford Junction to Warner Bros. Studio and arrived within 15 minutes. After getting over the initial awe factor that we were actually there, we went inside to get in line for the studio tour. The lobby area was full of hustle and bustle. They had handprints from the famous trio set in cement, individual photos of key cast members from the films hung around the top of the walls around the room, and they even had costumes and props from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As we made our way towards the tour entrance, we were lucky enough to have the staff member let us in with the regular 2:30 p.m. tour group so we could enjoy our day and not spend the next two hours waiting around. While waiting in line we saw some of the major props used throughout the films such as the cupboard under the stairs (Harry’s room), the Ford Anglias (Weasley’s flying car), the Astronomy Tower Armillary, and Harry’s Owl Cage and Luggage Cart. As we made our way through the line, we were directed into a large room surrounded by Harry Potter film posters from around the world. One of the staff members gave us some insight on some of the rules they have for the studio and what we could expect. After her speech, she directed us into a large theater. The theater room started playing a film showing the famous trio and behind-the-scenes clips from throughout the filming of Harry Potter. It made it more memorable to hear the kind words they had to say about the studio and film production members from all levels of involvement. After the conclusion of the short film, the screen lifted and we saw the doors used as the entrance to the Great Hall in Hogwarts. Everyone started lining up and when they opened we walked into the Great Hall. It wasn’t as big as I imagined, but looking around and taking note of the intricate details made it very special. We saw many of the original costumes, including Harry’s first set of uniforms, the grand fireplace, and many other special components. After our time in the Great Hall, we were told to go through the rest of the studio at our own pace and enjoy the rest of our day. The next part of the tour included information about screenwriting, production crew, production design, art direction, costumes design, and props. Some of my favorite parts of the tour included a wheel featuring all of the major cast members wands, the wall of portraits, Gryffindor’s boys dormitory, the mirror of erised, Azkaban prison number plaque, remembrall, Dumbledore’s office, the potions classroom, the Burrow, the Black Family Tree Tapestry, Hogwarts Bridge, the Daily Prophet door, original sketch work for some of the major structures used throughout the films, the scaled replica of Hogwarts, and the wand room outside of the gift shop displaying the name of every cast member, actor, actress, producer, director, composer, etc. My friends and I probably spent about three hours wandering about the studio, It was enough time to go through all of the exhibits and enjoy them at a leisurely pace. The studio tour was absolutely amazing and it’s something any Harry Potter fan should do while they’re in London.
Oxford Street
After we got back from the studio tour, we decided to visit Oxford Street. It was really easy to get there since there is a tube station in the middle of this part of the city. It was really cool seeing the early nightlife of this part of London. We stopped in a few of the stores and looked around for a bit, but mostly we were just enjoying one of our last nights in London.
Pizza Express
We were all starving because we hadn’t eaten since Borough Market earlier that morning, so we decided to go to a local Italian outdoor restaurant called Pizza Express. We waited about 20 minutes before we were seated, but it was definitely worth it because the food tasted amazing. I ended up ordering the Pollo Pesto Al Forno and the flavors were incredible together. It was probably one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to.
Emily and I decided to venture into Borough Market with some friends to find some cheap and decent food for breakfast. When we walked into the market, we were shocked at how many food stalls were in the outdoor market area. We walked around for a bit and found some delicious food. I decided to try some coconut pancakes, a butter croissant, and a salted caramel brownie frappe. The pancakes were very sweet and egg-like with a light coconut flavor. The croissant was very soft and fluffy. The frappe reminded me of a Double Chocolately Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. I spent less that £6 for all of this and I wanted to sample more, but we only had 45 minutes to explore the market.
Euston Junction to Watford
Emily, our friend Li, and I made our way from the market to Euston Junction so that we could board a train to get us to Watford, where we would then board a bus to take us to the Warner Bros. Studio for the Harry Potter Studio Tour. We got to the station without a problem and purchased our 11-pound train tickets with ease. Our train was old and grimy, but we just found some seats and sucked it up for our 30-minute ride. The train didn’t move nearly as fast as I expected, but overall, the ride wasn’t too horrible.
Harry Potter Studio Tour
Our train reached Watford Junction around 2 p.m. and our tour was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. We hopped on the Studio Tour bus that would take us from Watford Junction to Warner Bros. Studio and arrived within 15 minutes. After getting over the initial awe factor that we were actually there, we went inside to get in line for the studio tour. The lobby area was full of hustle and bustle. They had handprints from the famous trio set in cement, individual photos of key cast members from the films hung around the top of the walls around the room, and they even had costumes and props from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As we made our way towards the tour entrance, we were lucky enough to have the staff member let us in with the regular 2:30 p.m. tour group so we could enjoy our day and not spend the next two hours waiting around. While waiting in line we saw some of the major props used throughout the films such as the cupboard under the stairs (Harry’s room), the Ford Anglias (Weasley’s flying car), the Astronomy Tower Armillary, and Harry’s Owl Cage and Luggage Cart. As we made our way through the line, we were directed into a large room surrounded by Harry Potter film posters from around the world. One of the staff members gave us some insight on some of the rules they have for the studio and what we could expect. After her speech, she directed us into a large theater. The theater room started playing a film showing the famous trio and behind-the-scenes clips from throughout the filming of Harry Potter. It made it more memorable to hear the kind words they had to say about the studio and film production members from all levels of involvement. After the conclusion of the short film, the screen lifted and we saw the doors used as the entrance to the Great Hall in Hogwarts. Everyone started lining up and when they opened we walked into the Great Hall. It wasn’t as big as I imagined, but looking around and taking note of the intricate details made it very special. We saw many of the original costumes, including Harry’s first set of uniforms, the grand fireplace, and many other special components. After our time in the Great Hall, we were told to go through the rest of the studio at our own pace and enjoy the rest of our day. The next part of the tour included information about screenwriting, production crew, production design, art direction, costumes design, and props. Some of my favorite parts of the tour included a wheel featuring all of the major cast members wands, the wall of portraits, Gryffindor’s boys dormitory, the mirror of erised, Azkaban prison number plaque, remembrall, Dumbledore’s office, the potions classroom, the Burrow, the Black Family Tree Tapestry, Hogwarts Bridge, the Daily Prophet door, original sketch work for some of the major structures used throughout the films, the scaled replica of Hogwarts, and the wand room outside of the gift shop displaying the name of every cast member, actor, actress, producer, director, composer, etc. My friends and I probably spent about three hours wandering about the studio, It was enough time to go through all of the exhibits and enjoy them at a leisurely pace. The studio tour was absolutely amazing and it’s something any Harry Potter fan should do while they’re in London.
Oxford Street
After we got back from the studio tour, we decided to visit Oxford Street. It was really easy to get there since there is a tube station in the middle of this part of the city. It was really cool seeing the early nightlife of this part of London. We stopped in a few of the stores and looked around for a bit, but mostly we were just enjoying one of our last nights in London.
Pizza Express
We were all starving because we hadn’t eaten since Borough Market earlier that morning, so we decided to go to a local Italian outdoor restaurant called Pizza Express. We waited about 20 minutes before we were seated, but it was definitely worth it because the food tasted amazing. I ended up ordering the Pollo Pesto Al Forno and the flavors were incredible together. It was probably one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve ever been to.
Day 27 - 05/27/17
Notting Hill
Emily and I met her family at Paddington station early in the morning so that we could spend a couple of hours in Notting Hill. Being fans of the Notting Hill movie, Emily and I enjoyed seeing the famous travel book company store and blue door. Unlike the movie, the store was filled with many touristy items instead of books. It was fun exploring Portobello Market and the cool antique items we hadn’t seen in the other markets. It was very crowded and hard to move around, but it was a cultural experience listening to people haggle over some really cool items. Emily and I enjoyed the multi-colored buildings that lined some of the streets the most.
Farm Girl Café
After spending some time exploring Notting Hill, we found a café that we had heard some great things about online called Farm Girl Café. This particular café had a unique style and demeanor to it. We had to wait at least 30 minutes to be seated and that itself should’ve hinted at our experience to come. The service itself wasn’t that great. Yes, they were crowded, but our waitress didn’t have much of a personality and it took forever to get little things we asked for like napkins and straws. The food was also average, which was disappointing because it was so expensive. The only thing enjoyable about the café was the really cool designs they did in their lattes.
Hoop and Toy Bar & Ben’s Cookies
After exploring Notting Hill, Emily and I left her family to head back towards South Kensington. We had decided to watch the Chelsea vs. Arsenal football (soccer in America) game at one of the local pubs with some of our classmates and professors from Study Abroad. The pub was very crowded and rowdy as locals enjoyed the game. It was cool to experience such a competitive atmosphere where everyone treated the game like it was life or death. After a couple of hours, we decided to part ways to get ready for going out tonight. On my way back to Lightfoot, I stopped to get a double chocolate chip cookie from Ben’s. It was delicious and I’m sorry I didn’t discover this gem of London sooner.
Franco Manca Sourdough Pizza
That night, Emily and I went out with some of our closest friends from Study Abroad. Our friend Amanda knew one of the guys playing guitar in a gig at a pub in the city and we all decided to go out and listen. The music was great and the lead singer had a really pretty voice. In-between songs, Emily and I decided to grab a bite to eat at Franco Manca. The pizza had a super thin crust and was really good, but more difficult to eat since they didn’t cut it before serving it to us. After dinner, we went back and listened to the gig for a little bit longer before we headed out. We had a fun time together, but ultimately I could’ve thought of better things to do on my last night in London.
Byron’s
Emily and I really wanted to see our friends Abby and Kaitlin before they left the next day, so we decided to meet up at Byron’s for a milkshake after their theatre show ended. It was a lot of fun just hanging out for one last time before we returned to the States. I enjoyed my chocolate milkshake with some really great company as we shared fun memories from our trip. After Byron’s I headed back to Lightfoot with Abby and Kaitlin to start packing for my early train ride to Scotland the following morning.
Emily and I met her family at Paddington station early in the morning so that we could spend a couple of hours in Notting Hill. Being fans of the Notting Hill movie, Emily and I enjoyed seeing the famous travel book company store and blue door. Unlike the movie, the store was filled with many touristy items instead of books. It was fun exploring Portobello Market and the cool antique items we hadn’t seen in the other markets. It was very crowded and hard to move around, but it was a cultural experience listening to people haggle over some really cool items. Emily and I enjoyed the multi-colored buildings that lined some of the streets the most.
Farm Girl Café
After spending some time exploring Notting Hill, we found a café that we had heard some great things about online called Farm Girl Café. This particular café had a unique style and demeanor to it. We had to wait at least 30 minutes to be seated and that itself should’ve hinted at our experience to come. The service itself wasn’t that great. Yes, they were crowded, but our waitress didn’t have much of a personality and it took forever to get little things we asked for like napkins and straws. The food was also average, which was disappointing because it was so expensive. The only thing enjoyable about the café was the really cool designs they did in their lattes.
Hoop and Toy Bar & Ben’s Cookies
After exploring Notting Hill, Emily and I left her family to head back towards South Kensington. We had decided to watch the Chelsea vs. Arsenal football (soccer in America) game at one of the local pubs with some of our classmates and professors from Study Abroad. The pub was very crowded and rowdy as locals enjoyed the game. It was cool to experience such a competitive atmosphere where everyone treated the game like it was life or death. After a couple of hours, we decided to part ways to get ready for going out tonight. On my way back to Lightfoot, I stopped to get a double chocolate chip cookie from Ben’s. It was delicious and I’m sorry I didn’t discover this gem of London sooner.
Franco Manca Sourdough Pizza
That night, Emily and I went out with some of our closest friends from Study Abroad. Our friend Amanda knew one of the guys playing guitar in a gig at a pub in the city and we all decided to go out and listen. The music was great and the lead singer had a really pretty voice. In-between songs, Emily and I decided to grab a bite to eat at Franco Manca. The pizza had a super thin crust and was really good, but more difficult to eat since they didn’t cut it before serving it to us. After dinner, we went back and listened to the gig for a little bit longer before we headed out. We had a fun time together, but ultimately I could’ve thought of better things to do on my last night in London.
Byron’s
Emily and I really wanted to see our friends Abby and Kaitlin before they left the next day, so we decided to meet up at Byron’s for a milkshake after their theatre show ended. It was a lot of fun just hanging out for one last time before we returned to the States. I enjoyed my chocolate milkshake with some really great company as we shared fun memories from our trip. After Byron’s I headed back to Lightfoot with Abby and Kaitlin to start packing for my early train ride to Scotland the following morning.