94 more views and this blog will hit the 2000 mark! Help me do it! Today is the day I LEAVE London, and so end my life-changing journey abroad. This will probably also be the last day I update this journal. SAD NEWS 😦
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
EnglandI slept in today and it was glorious. Then I went to Victoria to window shop and ended up in the dressing rooms… who was I kidding? THEN I paid to tour Westminster Abbey by myself, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had here, I think. Having the freedom to listen to the whole tour, and sitting when I wanted to and looking for as long or as little as I liked and sneaking through the back gardens unnoticed and staying in the nave for like 20 minutes replaying the choir song a billion times (200 on the audio tour keypad! And 2 for the altar commentary by Jeremy Irons and the singing accompaniment).
British Library, abbey, & pub crawl
EnglandToday was a full day! In the morning Melissa and I went to the British Library, where we saw the original manuscripts by Austen, Brontë, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Eliot, and the Beatles. We also saw the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Magna Carta! Whoo! Thanks Dad for the recommendation.
First days, boat cruise, walkabout
EnglandThe first few days in London! Not really eloquent, but will probably re-edit tomorrow when I have more time.
Yesterday, sitting in JFK, my view out the window. Not much to see here.
Yesterday, the view from my apartment window: The Natural History Museum. Pretty beautiful looking. We even have a balcony, but are banned from using it. What a SHAME.
We had a boat cruise on the Thames today, and after walking out of the Westminster Tube station, I walked up the steps to see this.
The eye! It moves reeeaaalllyyyyyy slowly.
The bridge that collapsed in HP6! It wobbles really badly in reality.
Tower of London: Place of Beheadings.
Tower Bridge.
The weather could not have been any more perfect.
And when we got off the boat, it was still waiting for me 🙂
HAD to do it. While we were eating lunch on the steps, it drove right behind Parliament. In my future lies King’s Cross.
Me and Melissa ❤ Roommates!
Westminster Abbey. And oh yeah. Zach Ranger was here.
Saint James Park. In the distance, Buckingham Palace. We had a group shot here, but it wasn’t on my camera.
The other side. A palace and the London Eye.
Us again in the park!
The flag flew above the Palace, which means the Queen was currently in residence. HOW EXCITING.
Afterwards, we headed to Notting Hill to see the Carnival 2009, apparently something REALLY HUGE that takes place in London every year. Too much of a story to tell, but let’s just say there were more people at that parade than the population of the United States.
But there were really cool costumes.
Really cool.
And then we headed to the Imperial College pub for a pint. Hooray beer!
Lindsey Olander 