I love London!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! A few weeks ago, the realization hit me that this is actually "study" abroad, and I decided it was time to start doing some serious studying before my first set of final exams! In between studying, however, I managed to salvage a little time to go to London for a long weekend! Just a little study break...:) (I passed my exam with flying colors, by the way!)

London--I hate playing favorites, but London was definitely right up at the top of my favorites I've visited so far. Although 3 days was hardly enough time to take in the full allure of London, it was just long enough to promise myself I will be returning there someday. I loved it. The history, the sights, the people, the atmosphere...I couldn't get enough.

After an hour and half flight delay (I hate cheap airlines), I arrived in London just after the metro closed for the night and was no where near my hostel. After spending an hour figuring out a new route to my hostel, walking to a bus stop, and riding to my hostel…I arrived there for check in after 2 am. Yikes! Oz was up and waiting for me when I arrived (and worried-oops should have called) but we got a few hours of sleep before the busy sightseeing the next day.

We started at the Tower of London, one of the most famous and historical landmarks of London. The free beefeater tour guides were entertaining and gave an accurate and interesting retelling of the history of the castle. We learned all about the prisoners of the past, conspiracy of the two boys that were killed there, the beheadings, and so much more. After the tour, we made our way to see the crown jewels which were also housed in the Tower of London--beautiful! We picniced outside the grounds of the Tower overlooking the river and the famous Tower Bridge:) (i took a million pictures of the bridge!—I was obsessed haha.)

The rainy British Weather wasn't cooperating so we headed to some museums for the rest of the afternoon—all free!!! We ate a late dinner in the hostel and then decided to venture out again to see London at night--Piccadilly circus!

Piccadilly Circus equates with New York's Time square, blitzed with neon lights and buzzing with nightlife. It's essentially just a famous road junction and open space in London's downtown, and has a lot of shopping, clubs, and entertainment nearby. The area serves as a recognizable meeting place and tourist attraction. We had an overpriced mug of pub beer, strolled the streets taking in the London nightlife, resisted the 3 pound (6 dollar!) delicious hot dog stands, and rode the top of the double decker bus back to our hostel. We learned that Londoners like to go out for there beer early, and many pubs close before midnight with only the clubbing scene offered for those who want to stay out later! We weren't quite up for that much of London nightlife on this vacation, so we opted to save the clubbing for a later date. :)

Sunday morning we headed to Camden Market—an affordable, colorful, open air market in London. It is really large and divided into different sections depending on what you are shopping for. They had some good bargains and some eccentric stands and shops. We spent a few hours there strolling, looking for some good steals, and tromping through the snow!! It cleared up after a few hours, but it made for a really cold walk through the market.

Next, we were off to the British Museum, with a stop at Platform 9 3/4 on the way! We had to stop and get a picture on our way to Hogwarts—we weren’t the only Harry Potter nerds with the same idea!

The British National Museum was gigantic and it was quite easy to feel overwhelmed by all the history surrounding us, so we just focused on a few sections of interest. I've noticed my attention span at museums, which not too long ago was that of a 4 year old, has drastically increased since I've been to Europe. I'm becoming so cultured :) I now see ancient Greece or Roman exhibit in a museum and am able to place it in reality and find a larger meaning or value in it after traveling to these places!

We needed some fresh air after all that history, and the beautiful St. James Park was the next destination. The park is bordered by Buckingham Palace and Parliament so we were able to get a good view of the royal palace from the park! The park was swarming with all sorts of ducks and birds, the sun was reflecting off the water and the flower gardens were in full bloom. It was wonderful. A perfect end to a busy day of sightseeing in London.

Monday was our last day there and we headed out early to watch the changing of the guards! It was quite procession and the crowds of tourists were outrageous and buzzing with the excitement of the royalty around them! We did some more sightseeing, but our major event for the day was Wicked!! The 15 pound tickets we were hoping to land were all sold out, but we ended up with quite the deal in the end—two 6th row tickets for 25 pounds each that were originally 60 pounds each! I’m going to flash my student ID card until I’m at least 30 if I continue to get deals like that…we saved $70 each! The show was captivating—quite the unforgettable experience seeing Wicked in London. We were so close to the stage—we could see every expression and feel every emotion in the play, it was spectacular. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the vacation.

It was hard heading to the airport that night and saying good bye, but I got a wonderful taste of London and am eager for more. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend and can’t wait to return some day :) Check out my pictures!