Westminster Walk

On Friday morning, Laura, Sydney, and I set out to do the Westminster walk. It was absolutely breathtaking to step out of the Westminster tube stop and see Big Ben up close and personal. It was a dream come true for me. We went on the first half of the walk before going on the Globe theatre tour, and it was really fun. We saw most of the government buildings, and we saw the horse guards. We walked through St. James' Square, and wished would have had lunch on the grass. After the tour, we did the second half of the walk. I was fascinated by the Gentlemen's Club area, with all of the extremely ritzy millineries, bars, clubs, and barbershops. I was also intrigued by St. James Palace. It seems deserted, and that makes sense, seeing as it has not been used as a royal residence for quite some time. I got to see  Buckingham Palace up close for the first time, which was amazing. We asked a woman to take our picture,  and after asking us where we were from, she told us she is from Park City. Then, a man walked past and made fun of our excitement, and then laughed and said, "I'm a BYU graduate." It was crazy. There was a group of six of us in front of Buckingham, all with ties to Utah. He even quoted Daniel, saying, "The stone cut out of the mountain, rolling forth..." It was pretty funny. After Buckingham, we finally made it to Westminster. I realized that many of my heroes and heroines are buried there. I certainly hope that I get to take a tour while here. It was really amazing to see it up close. Then, we got some amazing up close view of Parliament. All in all, the walk was a complete success. I really enjoyed being up close to such icon buildings in London.

Bankside and Southwark Walk- My Third London Walk

 This was a crazy but incredible walk for me. I led this walk on Sunday evening, and I really feel like I could not have picked a better walk to lead. I read up on all of the history on the Tube as we went, so I was really able to contribute to the sites we discovered. A personal favorite of mine is tucked away to the left of the reconstructed Globe. It is a house with a small plaque indicating that Sir Christopher Wren lived here while he built St. Paul's Cathedral. While it cannot be proven, it was certainly worth the find. I loved Shakespeare's Globe, and I had already been there before to view All's Well that Ends Well. It is certainly one of my favorite places in London. Do not judge me, but I think I may have to go to at least three Shakespeare productions while I am here. There is no better place on earth to see them. We then wandered through the streets that were known as the "naughty district" in a royal proclamation in the 1500s. The nobility did not want to live near the rabble of the commoners, so they sectioned off this part of the city for low-class entertainment. Therefore, this district became known for brothels, bear and bull baiting, and theatres. In later additions, several debtors prisons were also located in this area. It was a fascinating walk, as many of these locations have now been cleaned up and have become tourist attractions. The Clink Prison Museum is one such example. We then discovered some heavy construction, so we had to be creative. Amazingly, we managed to find our way through all of the walk, including the Royal Hospital. Health officials in the city live right in that area. We then saw the HMS Belfast, one of the largest gun-carrying ships in the world. It was taken out of commission in 1963 and turned into a museum in 1971. It was quite the site. We also saw the unique design of city hall. It does not seem to fit with its surroundings, as the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are so nearby. It is very modern, however, and reflects the changing city.

And then we made it to the Tower Bridge. I must admit, I have been waiting the entire trip just to cross this bridge. It was the most amazing experience, and it was very personal for me. I have dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to study in London, what I consider to be the most incredible city on earth. Since visiting for a short while when I was 12, London has been a dream for me. Walking across the Tower Bridge was that dream realized. I love London, plain and simple. It was also quite nostalgic for me to see the Tower of London so close. When I visited before, I celebrated my twelfth birthday while I was in London. My parents let me pick the place I wanted to visit most, and since I loved the history of the Tudors, I chose the Tower of London. With my twentieth birthday quickly approaching, it was really quite incredible to realize that I have made it back to this city I love so much. I will treasure the memory of this walk forever. It was beautiful to see the city lit up at night, and I honestly believe that I will not be able to top this walk. But London always seems to prove me wrong...:)

Fleet Street and St. Paul's Walk- My Second London Walk

While looking out for Sweeney Todd, we ventured down Fleet Street last Friday. It contains some of the most tucked away and hidden spots. It was really neat to wander through the streets and discover Samuel Johnson's home. He was so true in saying, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." It was also quite quirky to find a statue of his cat Hodge by his home with the inscription "a very fine cat indeed." We also discovered Ye Old Chesire Cheese, a pub that Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens used to frequent. Every day in London is a reminder that this city is teeming with history. It is incredible to think that I was walking where these great men once lived. And of course, my favorite part of the walk was St. Paul's Cathedral. It gives me such a thrill every time I see it. I have loved Mary Poppins since I was a little girl, and each time I see the massive monument I have "Feed the Birds" stuck in my head. My favorite line, "All around the cathedral the Saints and Apostles look down as she sells her wares, and although you can't see it you know they are smiling each time some shows that he cares." I found the Saints and Apostles that are spoken of, and I feel a little bit safer when I am standing in the shadow of this incredible cathedral. This was a beautiful walk, and it showed me a side of London that I had never known existed.

First London Walk

My first London Walk took place right after we walked along Regent's Canal as a group and then hiked to the top of Primrose Hill, which provided the most incredible view. We also visited Camden Markets, and that was an experience I will never forget. My first walk was Regent's Park. Our group had some awesome leaders, which we affectionately referred to as "dictators." I believe that good leaders can really make a difference in the success of a London walk, and they were certainly wonderful. We made our way from Primrose Hill past the London Zoo, and I must say that this part of London is quite beautiful. It has a smaller and more quaint feeling than the area of Bayswater and Queensway. I think it has to do with it being a more residential area. Anyways, we made some small stops along the way, including stopping at this gorgeous water fountain that took awhile to figure out how to turn on. It reminded all of us of the Chamber of Secrets, which made for a fun connection to Harry Potter. We took pictures in front of it as a group, as seen below. Regent's Park is absolutely beautiful, and we took a moment to stop and rest underneath some trees by the Boating Lake. It was serene, and I loved being able to stop and soak up the surroundings. We also saw a wedding in the Park, and it was beautiful. All in all, my first walk was a success. I hope to do all of my future walks in a similar manner.

First Pictures in London

This is a picture of me on the flight to Houston, psyched for London. Emily took it for me. 

This is a Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry. Man, these are amazing. Oh, and check out the Monopoly advertisement on it. I also picked up a Monopoly board because the squares are all of the places in London!

This is Emily, me and Amberlee on the Tube for the first time. Man, was it crazy!

These are just a couple of quick photos of my amazing trip so far. Stay posted because I will post whatever shots I can get from the wedding. There are people who have camped out for 5+ days, so don't expect amazing shots from me. We are going straight for TV's, just like the rest of the world, as soon as they enter the chapel. What good would it do to stand outside and miss the whole thing? lol I am very excited, though. This whole thing has been a dream, and I can't wait to share more. 

Thoughts on My First Day Across the Pond

Here is a short summary of some of the stuff that has happened during the trip/upon arrival:

British people are not very nice, carrying my luggage up four flights of tight stairs in the tube was horrible, I am physically exhausted but extremely excited, what in the world is a busker? (I know now...do you?), Cadbury vending machines will be in my Heaven, finding a friend from the trip at the airport was super cool, buying my first tube ticket= awesome, hearing the words "Please mind the gap" made me giggle with excitement, missing getting off the tube because I couldn't get my luggage through the aisle and watching Emily wave goodbye on the stop I needed was the worst feeling in the world, wandering through the streets of Kensington is exhilarating, but then falling asleep while walking in London is dangerous (especially on busy streets), a bloody and broken toenail from heavy luggage, and succumbing to a nap in desperation.

 I will post pictures later. I am not sure if I can do that in the Centre without pulling down on the wireless too much.

Ciao for now!

Two Days to Flight

So, I fly out on Tuesday, and I must admit: I am absolutely terrified. I really do not think it has sunk in yet. I have not realized that I am going to be living in a foreign country for a month and a half. I finished a crazy semester at BYU. It was the most amazing semester I have ever had, but it was still a lot of work. I just wish I had a longer break between classes. It would be nice to catch up on some sleep. :) But there is no way I am not going. I am just a little nervous, especially since I have had several people ask me if I have seen the movie Taken when I tell them I am going as a study abroad student. That is not the most reassuring thing I wanted to hear. Anyone have any good advice about living outside the country? Please share your ideas. Goodnight, and God bless.