London III: Two Palaces and a Pub

My study abroad program sets up two weekends of excursions. This weekend we went to Hampton Court Palace, Oxford, and Windsor Palace. When we went to Hampton Court Palace on Friday, it was raining and in the 40s (basically miserable), but on Saturday and Sunday it was sunny and reached the 60s. It was perfect, but I can tell we’re becoming a bit more like the locals because we complained about the sun ruining some of our pictures. British pessimism. 

Hampton Court Palace is gigantic. I only saw the kitchens (where we huddled next to a massive fire), some of the apartments, the grand hall, the chapel, and the maze. We missed about six other major sections. Henry VIII is perhaps the most well-known occupant of the palace. I opted for the theatrical audio tour, so I got to pretend I was visiting the palace during Henry VIII's reign as I walked the halls wearing a cloak. (Yes, a cloak. It helped me stay warm.) My guide showed me where they forgot to remove a decoration with Henry and Anne's initials intertwined. I felt privy to their secrets.

My first look at Hampton Court Palace

My this-place-looks-like-Pemberly moment and my places-like-this-exist moment. 

Unicorns are fierce palace guards.

The next morning we awoke to sunshine and the promise of 60+ degree weather. We didn't think anything could bring us down until we realized that the refectory didn't serve breakfast that day until after we had to leave to catch our train. That was a bit of a downer. But Oxford awaited.

Oxford is an amazing city. Our tour guide constantly threw out things like "Oh, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien loved that pub (The Eagle and Child)," "Lewis Carroll got most of his inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from people in this town," and "Samuel Johnson went to school here." No big deal, guys. They all walked these streets, but it's not a big deal. He also mentioned that the bicyclists are known as "the whispering death."

After touring the city, we visited The Eagle and Child (where I discovered that I do not, in fact, enjoy smoked salmon), an exhibit at the library with original drawings by Lewis and Tolkien (the rest of the library was closed by time we got there), and Christ Church (where we pretended to be sorted into houses in the hall that inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall).

I need everyone to pause and appreciate the sun for a moment.

Part of Christ Church          The Inklings' Pub

We stumbled upon a choir singing at Christ Church. 

This video is worth your time.

It was still gorgeous on Sunday when we visited Windsor Castle. I even had to wear sunglasses. I didn't realize how old the castle is. According to The Official Website of the British Monarchy, it's the "oldest and largest occupied castle in the world." It notes that William the Conquerer originally chose the area in the 1070s. Kings and queens have altered and added on to the castle ever since, so it is a beautiful mesh of styles and time periods. The ceilings are especially beautiful. One of the workers told us that if we don't finish the tour with a crick in our necks, then we haven't done it right. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the castle, but if you google "Windsor Castle ceilings" and/or "Windsor Castle painted ceilings," you'll understand.

Shakespeare visited for a while, and our guide likes
to think that this window inspired his balcony scene
in Romeo and Juliet. I like to think that, too.

Basically this weekend I walked where many of my heroes have walked and ate where many of my heroes have eaten. (Henry VIII isn't exactly my hero, but we did get Elizabeth I because of him. You get what I mean.) I spent a large part of the weekend in a sort of happy bubble. And then I realized I actually had homework... which brought me back to reality.

Cheers!

London II: Magic

I'm honestly not sure how the rest of my time in London can compare with the last couple of days. I'm in love with this city, my classes are fantastic, and my friends and I have done so many once-in-a-life-time things. We all still have the we-just-got-to-London glow.

Both of my classes (The Making of London and Short Stories in London) went to the Museum of London this week. We focused on Roman Britain in the Making of London and WWII in Short Stories (two of my favorite topics).

This is part of the remains of a Roman fort/wall. The Romans started it and people living in the 1300-1400s and the 1800s (?) (and probably others) added on. The Blitz of WWII destroyed most of it. This is probably my favorite piece from the Roman London section.

We've also...

 Explored London at night

We also tried MacDonald's milkshakes. They really do taste better here.

Fangirled at the set of Sherlock

If you like Sherlock Holmes, you HAVE to check out Sherlock.

Fed a demon duck (bird?)

Please look at his red eyes and reptilian feet.

Visited the Roman/Greek gallery in the British Museum

And watched Les Mis at the Queen's Theatre in West End

Les Mis is one of my absolute favorite books. Don't be afraid of its size.
Also, we only paid 20 pounds because we opted for a seat with a "very restricted view."
Totally worth it. I lost maybe 5% of the show, and it was only when people went off to the side
to have a little conversation.

See? I love this city. I'm pretty sure there's magic here. I mean, one of my teachers accidentally ran into the premier of The Hangover III and saw Bradley Cooper on the screen. Some others accidentally ran into a (royal?) parade.

Of course, after walking around the city for awhile, you soon learn that scarves, good shoes, and warm jackets are your best friends. I've also learned that carbonated water is revolting and that London will make me poor.

London I: Hello, London!

Quick note: I'm still exhausted. Hopefully this post makes sense.

I have kind of spent two days in London. I say “kind of” because I spent 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. getting through customs and waiting with four of my classmates at the airport for the rest of the group. Heathrow really is a lovely airport.

Traveling itself isn’t too bad. I had a book and a personal entertainment system, which was essentially a touchscreen in front of me with games, movies, TV shows, and the weather. My screen had technical issues and often didn’t work when I pressed the buttons, but it fascinated me, so I kept pressing the buttons. It had to eventually work, right? I felt like a lab rat. You know, the kind that presses buttons and randomly gets a treat? That’s how I felt. I knew a movie wasn’t necessary to survival, but I couldn’t resist. It rewarded me with The Hobbit. Besides having two screaming children behind me, the trip was lovely.

Once the whole group got together, we lugged our baggage on the tube, up several flights of stairs, and through a section of London to Regent’s College. We found our rooms, bought cheap international cell phones, and ate dinner in the park and explored. We made friends with Marvin. He fancies fruit.

Meet Marvin

Marvin's home

We had orientation today, where they told us not to hop the fence because several people have accidently impaled themselves. Because that’s normal.

After orientation, a few of us went on a bus tour of London. Might as well be as touristy as possible at the start, right? We sat on the top of a double decker bus and took hundreds of pictures, squealing with delight when we saw icons like Big Ben, the London Eye, and the bank that inspired Gringotts. Basically we saw every iconic London circle, street, square, building, etc.

Here are some glimpses from the tour:

Okay, I'm fading, and I have class tomorrow, so I best be off.

London: Pre-Departure

My Bank Account Says This Is Real

Right now, London looks like a hodgepodge of mental pictures built from novels, pictures from the internet and history books, and scenes from movies and TV shows. Google maps and 360-degree online photographs—no matter how breathtaking they are—can only get me so far. So I’m going on an adventure. It's nearly midnight on Wednesday, and according to my countdown app, my first plane takes off in 1 day, 15 hours, 19 minutes, and 30 seconds. Which is crazy.

Part of me feels like I’m planning an imaginary trip. I keep buying things for the time I’ll supposedly spend in the far off, magical, and mysterious land of England, but it just feels like talk. Someone on our London 2013 Facebook group will say, “Who’s interested in going to Paris for a weekend?” and someone else will say, “Ireland, anyone?” I’ll reply, “ME. I’M SO VERY INTERESTED. I mean, um, that’s pretty cool, I guess. Sure, I’m interested. Just let me know.” Does that sound real to you? Because I’m still trying to convince myself that this is happening. I feel like that YouTube sensation “Dan After Dentist,” when he confusedly fumbles around and says, “Is this real life?” I am that child. (Or I will be after traveling for a day and arriving in a foreign country.)

Buying a new camera and exchanging dollars for pounds (which is one of the most depressing things I’ve ever done) felt very, very real, though. My bank account is already building a moat and putting booby traps into place to protect its treasure. I can feel it.

Talking about my goals will ease the pain of spending so much money. So, here are a few of my goals:

1. Find the Peter Pan statue and pretend to fly
2. Make pilgrimages to Shakespeare's Globe and the pub where the Inklings (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, etc.) met and ask (or beg) their ghosts to teach me their ways
3. Follow Harry, Ron, and Hermione's footsteps and discover my magical abilities that have obviously remained doormat throughout the years because England has yet to awaken them

Oh, and visit all of the museums, the WWII bunker, the London Eye at sunset, the Roman baths (where I’ll pretend to be either Roman or a Jane Austen character), and all of the other normal London attractions. My list could fill a couple of pages. 

Of course, if I want to get there, I have to pack. What I wouldn't trade for a Mary Poppins bag... Packing is the worst. Then again, I do get to use this lovely luggage accessory that Auburn gave me:

Because simply saying "Happy Travels!" or "War Damn Travels!" isn't good enough.

Maybe staring at it will inspire me to finish packing.

See you in London!

Haley