First things first: HARRY POTTER. The day after we got back from Paris, some friends and I rode the overground train to The Making of Harry Potter at Warner Bros Studios in outer London. You can't quite see it in this pic, but I dressed for the occasion--white button-up shirt, maroon sweater (Gryffindor and proud), black skirt, knee-high socks, and black flats. Essentially, I was going for the Hogwarts student look. Here, I'm standing in front of the Gryffindor section of the Great Hall. My favorite parts of this were Harry's first set of robes on the left and the sweater Neville wore at the Battle of Hogwarts.
My friend Olivia and I at Number 4 Privet Drive. Thankfully, the Dursleys weren't present.
Between the two major sections of the tour, there's an outdoor courtyard with many of the huge props, including the famous purple Knight Bus. This sign on the side of it made me giggle. While there, I tried "butterbeer." I use quotations here because it really wasn't special. Basically, it was cream soda with this butterscotch foam on top. Starbucks has a butterbeer flavor on their secret menu, and I personally think that's how it's supposed to taste. Plus, I always imagined it was a warm drink, so more kudos to Starbucks. Still, the experience was worth it.
Welcome to Diagon Alley! My first though upon walking in here was some unintelligible expression of excitement, but my second thought was, "Man. I wish this was actually Diagon Alley." Realizing it wasn't real saddened me! Despite that, I still enjoyed walking down the cobbled "street" and looking in all the shop windows. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the Quidditch shop were probably my favorites. If only I could have gone in them...
I forgot to mention--this tour was immense. There were so many cool props, costumes, recreated sets, and other filming paraphernalia. If I had time, I would lay it all out for you; since I don't, I'm showing some of my favorite parts. Like this painting, for example. One of the last things on the tour was a hallway decorated with dozens of Harry Potter-inspired artwork. This one depicts Harry's Quidditch match during his third year when the Dementors came on the field. I think the artist captured the moment rather well.
This one portrays Hogsmeade in wintertime. Oh, what it would have been like to go!
They really did save the best for last in the tour. From the paintings and models room, you turn a corner and come nearly face-to-face with Hogwarts itself. What a powerful moment. It was such a touching surprise that I had to pause a moment and just stare.
Here's another shot. Have you noticed the change in lighting? That's because the lights alternate between "night" and "day" so you can see what Hogwarts looks like during either. At this point, I was at the bottom of the huge model and very nearly emotionally overwrought. Hidden speakers played songs from the films' soundtracks, and for the past few minutes they'd been playing one of my favorites--Hogwart's Hymn. The experience truly was bittersweet--it was amazing to be there and see all the workings of the films, but it was sad to remember I'm not a witch studying at Hogwarts.
I'm not sure I've ever seen such a vast gift shop. They had everything! In the end, though, I bought a chocolate frog and a Gryffindor keychain. My frog came in the exact style of packaging as the movies, and would you look at how huge it is? Get this--it was SOLID and the chocolate was actually high-quality. Mmm.
Say hello to the adorable town of Ely! One of my dearest friends excitedly recommended I visit this place while I'm in England. Happily, we took a trip as a program there last Tuesday! I like this shot of it best. Although we only saw a small portion of it, I appreciated its sleepy charm.
Our next stop on Tuesday was Cambridge University. Wow. Walking around this close-knit university town, I could understand why my friend loved it so much.
Cambridge had an abundance of natural beauty, attractive people, good food, and stunning old architecture. Oh, and let's not overlook the fact that it is one of the greatest universities in the world. A lovely place indeed.
(On a side note with dubious relevance, my friends and I spent part of our time in Cambridge at the local Waterstones bookstore. I'd forgotten how much I love and miss being surrounded by books!)
Last Wednesday night, a bunch of us from the program went to Handel's Messiah in Westminster Cathedral. Unfortunately, we were so far back it was difficult to grasp the magnificence normally associated with this oratorio. Still, listening to the triumphant music, appreciating the unique interior of the cathedral (black-bricked ceiling and marble walls!), and simply enjoying the company of my thoughts made it a worthwhile experience. This picture was my view upon leaving the cathedral. Of course, pictures never do their realities justice, but I just had to capture how cool the nightlife looked.
That Friday night was a celebration. After an intense week of homework--some days I didn't even venture outside the Centre--my friends and I decided to spend the evening on the town. We attended the Christmas lights festival at Leadenhall Market. Tons of people milled about, many of them straight from work in business suits. Carolers superbly sang Christmas songs and hymns while smells of mulled wine and cologne filled the air. To make the night even better, we took a trip to Laduree for macaroons; lemon is a new favorite for sure.
These three pictures are from last Saturday when my program toured the Houses of Parliament. It was fascinating! They prohibited pictures past Saint Stephen's Hall, so that's as far as I can show you, but the rest of the building housed insanely decorated rooms. Two things in particular I liked/noted: 1) most of the stories and explanations I already knew; my history class here has taught me a great deal about the history of England's political workings. 2) There's a lot of pomp and circumstance in the proceedings! When I told my friend about it, she said it's to be expected--they're English! She has a point.
It's my goal to have a goofy photo of me in every post. I took this one while getting ready to go to afternoon tea at Kensington Gardens last Saturday, and I happen to like it a lot.
What a treat! I had the blackberry herbal tea along with all the other goodies they served--tiny sandwiches (yes, the famous cucumber-mint one included!), scones with clotted cream and jam, Victoria sponge cake, a mini chocolate tart, a lemon tart, a tiny cherry-almond cake, and an orange meringue tart. All of it was divine.
Here, you have a better idea of how classy this place is.
The china was gorgeous.
The actual building is called The Orangery, though it is in Kensington Gardens. Lovely, isn't it? I felt so posh to be able to walk in one of the nicest places in London--all dolled up--and order the whole tea shebang. What am I, some filthy rich kid? Some days, it really feels like it. Haha, how lucky I am.
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