A Weekend in London

Hello!

Sorry it’s been awhile since my last post. Sometimes life just really hits you hard and by life I mean books. Not like I’m counting, but I somehow built a library of 20 books in my room. This past week has been busier than usual because I did not do week for three days! I took a long weekend and traveled to London with my fellow Mason students. Let me tell you, I’ve never felt more guilty about not doing work than here at Oxford. But, I keep reminding myself that studying abroad does not mean you only have to study. After all, I am already finishing week 3 of my 8 week long tutorials. This weekend trip to London reminded me of my long travel list that I want to shorten.

My housemate Alex and I got on a 2:00 pm bus to London last Friday and arrived at the Marble Arch around 4:00. After checking into the hotel, we met up with fellow students to take the underground to Piccadilly Circus to get food and then go see a show.

We saw The Comedy about a Bank Robbery which had me laughing SO HARD. This musical/play adheres to mischief theatre making for very funny moments on stage. Between the car chase with a swivel chair motorcycle and laundry bin car and the random seagull attacks, it was a night of laughter.

(Below is a picture of the beginning of the show- a jail break)

Saturday was a brand new day with a long schedule awaiting me. I began the day with a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral which has served as a church for 1,400 years. Granted, this exact church has not existed in London for that long, but the land always housed a church. The cathedral we see today was built post-Reformation by Christopher Wren. Interestingly, the cathedral actually is more Catholic in design using Renaissance architecture than Protestant design which used the Gothic style.

Inside the Cathedral, you realize how massive it is. It’s size is overwhelming.

I toured the Cathedral for 2 hours with my audio set and I still did not view every possible exhibit. I did make sure to take the time to make a wish and to light candles for loved ones. In the basement of the Cathedral are memorials and the resting place of some important individuals. I took a picture of the Florence Nightingale memorial just to make my Mom and Alexis happy #NursingPower

After we were down touring the inside of the Cathedral, Alex, Yeonah, and I started our walk towards the Museum of London. We got a little sidetracked taking pictures along the way though…

After we stopped taking photos, we found ourselves at the museum of London. It is in interesting museum which tells the history of London from 450,000 BC to modern day. At the end of the museum, there are even images and videos showing possibilities for what London will look like in the future. Overall, it was an interesting museum which reminded me of how extended the history of British culture is compared the the short lifespan of the United States.

After the museum I headed towards the London Eye where we had a 2:00 pm time slot. With my luck, it began to rain as soon as we entered the queue. Having already ridden the London Eye before, I was not terribly disappointed in the rainy view or the restoration work on Parliament and Big Ben. The main benefit of going on the London Eye a second time is that you know where you can take the best photos.

After our ride on the London Eye, Alex and I ventured towards the underground to travel towards food and the mecca of shopping, Harrods. As we walked across the bridge the rain and wind were more intense. I think the photo below encapsulates the weather in London on Saturday.

I do have to give a shout out to my Switzerland Sisters, Gracie and Farheen, for training me in the art of taking photos and looking for great photo opportunities. With their lessons, I found some cool shots of London which make it look beautiful on a rainy day.

Once we actually got on the underground, our severe hunger began to set in. After a long day filled with tourist activities, a break in a pub was just what I needed. In the picture below you can see a photo of my food before I devoured it.

After we ate, we made a pilgrimage to one of the most outrageous shopping destinations, Harrods. For those who do not know, Harrods is more like a museum of beautiful jewelry, clothes, shoes, and purses because it seems unthinkable that anyone could actually afford these items. I have to say, I did enjoy my trip to Harrods more than the Museum of London, so if you ever have to make the choice between the two, Harrods is the way to go. Plus, both of them have free entry!

I made the journey back home to Oxford Sunday afternoon and was very excited to sleep in my room and my big bed. It is crazy how quickly one can find comfort in a room or city that they have only been in for a few weeks. I can already tell that leaving this city is going to be a very difficult thing to do.

Anyways, I have been writing this for awhile as I sit in Christ Church library with four more books that I need to read for next week. With that being said, I’m going to wrap this blog up for today. I’m hoping to post about my membership in the Oxford Union in the next few days and share some pictures of famous Harry Potter sites here in Oxford.

Thanks for reading!

…Alicia