Our weekend in London was wonderful. Though it rained the entire first day for our walking tour, we were able to see all of the sights on our list in the morning. The largest shock that I had during this excurison was how many statues I recognized from my history classes that I am taking here and the amount of information I already knew about London that our tour guide was telling me. It is a great feeling to see monuments/statues and actually understand the importance and meaning behind them.. especially since the last time I visited London i was fairly clueless. The fun fact that I took from the tour was that London used to use coal for everything that involved heat and in 1950 there was less wind than usual and all of the buildings and city became covered in soot. Everything turned grey and 3000 people died from the heavy soot in the air. In 1990 (so recent!), the city powerwashed everything and that is why the buildings are no longer grey. I am not sure why I found the thought of people power washing a city so amusing or if you will as well, but there you go!
I had never heard of Borough Market before this trip, but I am so happy that we were able to explore and try all that it had to offer. Basically, it was a giant market with countless stands selling food items. From cheeses to falafel and granola to cannolis, there was something for everyone. Almost every stand had samples, which we took full advantage off and had delicious greek food for lunch. After, we wandered the city and then went to see the Crown Jewels, which were more beautiful in person than I can even explain. There were dozens of signs and guards to stop people from taking any photos so I do not have many to show you all how unreal the items were, but if you are ever in London it is certainly worth the trip to see the sparkles for yourself! It quickly brought me back to my childhood dream of being a princess and the realization that it is still 100% a life goal of mine.
At night we explored Camden Market in a different area of town which was completely different from Borough. This was mostly crafts stands. Jewelry, scarves, home decor, paintings, etc. These items were all very unique and beautifully made. We spent a while admiring all of the pieces and amazing craftsmanship and then grabbed dinner at a closeby, questionable Mexican restaurant. However, where the food lacked.. the beer, tequila and lime margaritas made up. Following a few cocktails and odd looking meals we hopped back on the tube (this was actually very easy to figure out and we used it several times without issues through the weekend) and returned to our hotel. That second night we went out to a nightclub in the Camden area called Propaganda which my friend Bryan from high school, who is currently studying in London, told us would be a good time. This was easily the largest club that we had been to since being abroad, but it felt like a must-do while we were here since London is so known for it's nightlife.
We woke up and visited Buckingham Palace and then spent almost the entire day at afternoon tea or "High Tea". Let me just say here that the exchange rate is BLOODY AWFUL.!! 1.6 US dollars is equal to 1 pound.. therefore, this was not a cheap afternoon. However, it was one of the most memorable experiences that I have had yet while abroad. I don't know if it was the hour and a half of bottomless champagne, countless varieties of tea, delicious tiny pastries or modern harp player, but I was smiling ear to ear the whole day. Pat, Sarah and I arrived in the late morning to Conrad St. James Hotel for our reserved tea time. The waiter was easy to talk to and explained how the day would go and then popped the first bottle. Next, he showed us the menu for finger food and tea. Once selecting our teas, he filled our glasses and we cheered to a soon to be delightful afternoon. The harp player showed up a few minutes later and sat down playing an extremely familiar tune.. Hello by Adele. We loved him all ready! He continued to play modern hits from artists like Britney Spears, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran and older ones like Hey Jude and American Pie.
As the day went on, we chatted about all of our favorite memories since being abroad, coming to a sudden realization of how close of friends we have all truly become during this experience (which seems to happen after a few glasses of any alcoholic substance lol).. but this was different. When people say that the friends you make while studying abroad will be some of the closest friends you ever make, they are not kidding. I am not sure if it is our love for our home at Bryant, our new home at Cork, or simply being thrown into this adventure and having to rely on one another from the start.. but my friends here I hope to have for a lifetime.
We ended the day in a mad dash to the hotel just in time to grab our suitcases and board the plane to Dublin with our API group. Sarah then misplaced her passport before we went through security.. LOL she was so distraught and as you can imagine after free flowing champagne (and a random round of Bloody Mary's .. *cough *cough,Pat's fault) we found this hilarious at the time and were not the most helpful. I eventually found the passport somehow, thank god, and we are able to laugh at the situation now.
Overall, it was a splendid weekend in London and I will surely be an avid appreciator of High Tea for as long as I live (as long as it involves endless champagne).
Bye for now!
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