London

Ah, London. A place I have wanted to go to ever since I was little. It may have been Harry Potter or Sherlock Holmes. It may have been the attraction of such a proper place. It may have been that it was the only place I knew of as a 5 year old. Needless to say, I have wanted to see London for a long time. I was fortunate enough to be able to squeeze in a trip. Even better, two of the first friends I met at UNH are studying there: Katie and Kristine. They were kind enough to give me a place to stay and show me around the city. It was great catching up with them, and they made my time in London the trip of a lifetime.

This was the first time traveling by myself in Europe. How exciting (and scary)! With only a few mishaps, I made it to London in one piece! After catching up with Katie and Kristine and getting some lunch, we headed to a typical London destination: Big Ben and Westminster Palace!

But on the way I happened to stumble upon the Tardis and I had to get a picture (you will only understand if you're a Doctor Who fan. If not, continue on).

I also found a Statue of the one and only Sherlock Holmes! Katie and Kristine live very close to Baker Street. How cool is that? My mom freaked out knowing this. I think she was a bit jealous, but I hope she'd be okay getting this picture instead.

After getting sidetracked after fangirling over Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes, I saw it. It did not disappoint. Finally saw Big Ben! Bucket List, check. 

We also took a look at the London Eye. Now unfortunately I did not go up because it was damn expensive. I settled for looking instead, and that was okay with me!

Westminster Palace and Big Ben along the Thames. A beautiful sight! 

Pretty proud of these next two photos. I can't tell which one I like more so I decided to post both of them: 

Also managed to get this cool shot. Yay for artsy photos in London!

I know it's kind of hard to see, but all you Harry Potter fans should recognize this bridge from the sixth movie. 

Globe Theatre: the theatre associated with the works of Shakespeare! Unfortunately the original burnt down in 1613. A second was built and then closed in 1642. A modern reconstruction opened in 1997, which is what you see below. It is very similar to the original. 

221 Baker Street! All you Sherlock Holmes fans out there should recognize the address. 

I even got the chance to have my very own Oyster Card. I'm practically a London native now. 

Thus concluded Day 1 in London. We had a great day walking around and a better evening followed with Breakfast for Dinner. Yum. 

Our first destination for day 2 was the Borough Market, established in 1756! Here they had stands filled with delicious food to try. We enjoyed some cupcakes and smoothies. There was so much to try and see, we could have stayed there all day! 

After the Borough Market we headed to the Tower of London. Right now they have poppies lined along outside to commemorate those who lost their lives during World War I. It was a beautiful sight to see!

For those of you who do not know, the Tower was built in 1078 and used for various purposes, from a prison to the royal residence. The Tower is probably most famously known for its use as a prison, and even held Elizabeth I before she became Queen. 

Below you will see the London Bridge, located in close proximity to the Tower of London.

Next was one of the destinations I was looking forward to the most, Abbey Road! Now for you non-Beatles fans out there (if such a thing even exists), let me give you a run down of how awesome this is. Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the Beatles and was the last album all four members recorded together. Abbey Road Studios is located nearby and is known for recording artists such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Needless to say, this place is awesome. I stood in the very spot where the Beatles did. Bucket List item, check. 

My Mother was also very jealous of this excursion. I promise to take you there one day when I become rich and famous, Mum. I'll bring you too, Andy. 

Street Art on the wall near Abbey Road Studios:

Me too, Ana from Spain. Me too.

I wrote a quote from my favorite Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby.

Thus concluded my second day in London! We managed to pack in some serious sightseeing in the first two days alone. The first stop for my third and final day? Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station of course! Now if you don't know what this is, it means you are not a Harry Potter Fan. And that's just not okay. 

This is the building they show in the movies, but is actually a hotel located next door. 

This is the actual King's Cross Station

Katie, Kristine and I had a fun time having a little photo shoot at the platform. Such a fun activity. I wore the Slytherin scarf, of course. We're not all bad, you know. Just misunderstood. Except for Voldemort. He was pretty bad. 

I love these ladies:

 I am obsessed with these photos. I will cherish them for the rest of my life.

This should also look familiar to you Harry Potter fans. At least the ones who have seen the movies. 

After Platform 9 3/4, I bought some Harry Potter books in London (something I have always wanted to do) and a little Christmas gift for my Mom (whatever could it be??). Then we found a red phonebooth so I could get a stereotypical tourist pic. 

The final thing I had to do before I left London was get some tea! Yum!

And thus concludes my trip to London. I had such a great time. I got to do so many things I have always wanted to do and see, and catching up with Katie and Kristine made the trip that much more special. Again, a HUGE thank you to these ladies for showing me around. I had such a great weekend and it was one of my favorite trips thus far. 

xoxo, Taylor.