Getting sorted!
On Monday, I went to my first club meeting for the Harry Potter Society! Everyone is a huge fan of HP, so I’ll definitely go to some of the activities! I don’t think I’ll be a religious attendee (the meetings are by campus at nights – too late and too cold to walk!), but I’ll definitely be a part of it! I got sorted into Hufflepuff (not my top choice, but we picked slips of paper), and I’ll be representing Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament we’ll be having this term!
I attended my first West End musical on Tuesday night! I have class from 9-10 then a four hour break until my next class at 2 – so I decided to wander around the West End/Soho and get day-of theatre tickets for Jersey Boys! I ended up with £65 seats located in the perfect place – for only £25. Paired with the amazing show, I found it to be a very successful night! I’ve had Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons stuck in my head since… I’m definitely not complaining!
Thursday night was spent on a Jack the Ripper tour! Though it was interesting, it was also a bit eerie to stand amongst modern buildings, knowing that brutal murders had occurred in those very spots. Our tour guide was very animated and exciting, so that kept things entertaining!
Outside of Westminster Abbey
Friday was spent in Westminster Abbey followed by Harrods – from pious to opulent! I’m definitely glad I went to Westminster. The number of famous British people buried there is actually ridiculous! I personally LOVED the Lady Chapel; with its intricately detailed ceiling to huge windows with light streaming through, I could have stood in there for quite some time! The rest of the abbey was almost overwhelming with the number of tombs to look and names to read, so the brightness of the Chapel was refreshing! We couldn’t take pictures inside, but I recommend Googling the Westminster Lady Chapel.
Afterward, my trip to Harrods was definitely an experience. My favorite finds? A £198,000 three-part display of the US Presidents, complete with hand-drawn images of them as well as originals of their signatures. A television that doubled as a mirror (yes, it looked like a mirror, then would magically become a tv!). And of course, the entire Harry Potter section! My friends actually left me there because I was taking so long – but there was so much to see! I spent a fair amount of time reading a book detailing the process of converting the books to movies. So fascinating – and only £50! (After seeing the ridiculously high prices of everything else, this price seemed entirely reasonable). I definitely need to go back to Harrods – if for no other reason than to read more from the book!
Best part of the day? Feeling like a local. I was standing at a newspaper stand, and a man came up to ask directions. The man working there ignored him, so I jumped in and properly told him the way to go. The newspaperman seemed impressed – though I was a girl with an American accent buying postcards, I wasn’t just any tourist!
View from Primrose Hill
This afternoon, I walked to Primrose Hill in Regents Park. This might be one of my new favorite spots in London! I walked up the hill with a slope similar to Fryman Canyon, with my back was to the city. But as I got to the top and turned around, I audibly gasped. Such an amazing view of the entire city! I just stood there in awe for a few minutes before snapping photos like crazy. Only a 20-minute walk, and I’m on top of the world. If you need to find me during the next five months, I’ll probably be on Primrose Hill!