Travel Adventures

Today was nice, but also very bittersweet. Noelle and I went over to. Buckingham to see the changing of the guard ceremony and got there 45 minutes early this time around. We got a really good spot and were able to really see a lot more this time around. After the ceremony was over went to the Kings Cross Station to take photos at Platform 9 and 3/4. Then we did a little shopping at Covent Garden before going to our matinee show, which was One Man, Two Guvnors. Then we grabbed dinner, and a Krispy Kreame donut from Tesco...before heading over to the theatre to see Matilda.

Today, well yesterday we went up to Stratford and saw Anne Hathaway's cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace, toured the town and saw Bring Up The Bodies at The Swan Theatre. It was a nice day and the town is adorable. I also had dinner with some of the other girls so it was nice to keep branching out and getting to know the others on the trip better.

Today was awesome! Taylor, Alyssa, Tina and I went up to the Harry Potter Studios and it was simply amazing and breathtaking. To be able to see what I grew up reading and watching was incredible and so worthwhile. All the sets, props, costumes, make up, wigs and costumes were so amazing. After spending most of the day at the studios we headed back to the hotel for a little rest before seeing Henry V. It was also neat to travel on London's Overground train...I love experiencing new and different things.

Today was nice though the weather was a little colder than it has been. We had another show free day so we headed over to the markets in Camden Town. They were great and had so many cute shops with lots of great items. I got a couple of things for myself, as well as a couple of things to bring home for friends and family. We spent a few hours at the market before heading back over to the Lechiester Square area to go to the giant sporting good store whose name I can't remember and to get dinner. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and then after dinner we walked around some more before taking one of the double decker buses to the Victoria station where we took the tube back to the hotel. The bus was cool because we sat in the first row on the second level. 

Today was kind of a low key day. We had breakfast and then headed over to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard ceremony. We got there only a few minutes before it started and it was super packed, so we didn't really get to see too much of the ceremony. After that we walked around the area by parliament and Big Ben before walking back over to Trafaglar Square and Covent Garden. We stopped in a few stores, and then we grabbed a snack from Tesco market. They have Krispy Kreame doughnuts here! Yum! After Tesco we walked over the Waterloo Bridge to The National Theatre where we saw From Morning to Midnight. It was quite interesting to watch especially since we saw a show in the same theatre earlier this week. And then after the show was over we walked back to the other side of the river over the Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridge to find someplace for dinner. Tonight we settled on The Globe another little pub place where I had fried calamari and chips.

Today was a theatre free day...I thought about rushing a show, but there wasn't anything in particular that I wanted to see badly enough to get up super early. So I slept in until about 9:30 and then got up and went to breakfast before going with Sarah to met Jess and Noelle at Buckingham Palace. The palace is absolutely gorgeous and incredible to be able to see in person. We didn't see the changing of guard ceremony because it currently only happens on odd days, so we are thinking of going back tomorrow or Wednesday to see that. After the palace we walked over to Big Ben and Parliament, which were quite the sight to see. After we finished in that area we headed to the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge and the London Bridge. No surprise, it was absolutely breathtaking. We also so The Monument, which was this pretty statue right by one of the underground stops.

Today was yet another long, and exciting day! We started off the morning with a trip over to The Globe Theatre, which we walked over the Southwark Bridge after getting off the tube. It was of course a beautiful view. The theatre was awesome, and was recreated exactly how I thought the original would have looked. It was interesting to see how the theatre was constructed from oak, and hear all the little fun facts our guide had to share with us. There was also a Shakespeare exhibit which was really cool to walk around and see costumes and such. 

It was yet another long and exciting day...it's hard to believe we've only been here for two days. Today was better for navigating the tube system because we used it a lot. It's super easy to use, it reminds me a lot of the metro in Washington, D.C. Although we navigated the tube easily that was not so much the case when we got out of the station. We walked the wrong way multiple times today, but it's all good because we saw cute things and I found a store to get a bell for my collection.

Today was a long day! We got up around 8 and were down at breakfast around 9:30. After breakfast we headed with the group for a walking tour of the Covent Garden area of London. After which Jess, Noelle and I went to The Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, and walked around the Covent Garden area and then walked down to the Thames River, all before dinner at 5. We ate the Marquess of Anglesey before going to see Fortune's Fool at The Old Vic.

I've been counting down for weeks, and now it's finally here! In just a few hours I'll be on my way to London.