{day 11}

Today we took a coach to Stratford-upon-Avon! It took us about 3 hours to get there with traffic and everything. Our group was split into several B&Bs in Stratford (which were all really cute), I was in Woodstock House with a group of girls. It was such a nice change from the dorm: the beds were more comfortable, the bathrooms weren't old (although my shower still had pink tile), there was a hot breakfast cooked each morning (which I never ate because I slept in). It was rainy and cold in the afternoon and everyone was tired. I did nothing exciting except watch weird British soap operas and go to bed early!

The front of our B&B - Woodstock House

My room - you can see it's nice, it could DEFINITELY use some updates in the decorating department, very 80's

{day 10}

Today was a pretty low key day since we were all getting ready to leave for our weekend trip to Stratford the next day. I went with a friend to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, which was really cool because it is set up like his "house" and you go through each room and there are candles burning and fires in the fireplace and it looks like someone really is living there. The top floor of the "house" is almost creepy because there are wax figure scenes from different plot lines of the Sherlock Holmes stories. After the museum I had to do laundry because we have been here for almost two weeks! I'll be gone for the weekend but I'll catch up when we get back!

Holmes' Desk

Holmes' famous accessories

A bust of Mr. Holmes

A fake glass of brandy and a fake "lit" cigarette I thought were hilarious because they looked so real! I was very close to buying them both just to sit them out and trick people!

{day 9}

Rain rain go away... Today it rained all day long. We didn't have anything on our itinerary so a few of us decided to check out the London Aquarium. I was pretty cool - maybe not worth £9 but it was nice to get out of the dorm.

Cool fish tank with strings of clams

Stingray

We found Nemo!! He was so cute!

And Dori!!

After the aquarium we all went to the oldest pub in London called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese which was built in the 13th century, burned down in the London Fire of 1666 and rebuilt the next year in 1667. However, the cellar (which was where we were hanging out) is still original and has a rustic little bar with huge tables and benches on either side. It was a really cool atmosphere. We all agreed that Cheshire Cheese would be "our bar" while in London.

There used to be a Gentlemen's Only area of the bar!

{day 8}

Today was a very rainy, sleepy day. I was still tired after my morning classes so I took a nap until we needed to leave for our tour of Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is the most beautiful and historically rich church I have ever set foot in. It was gorgeous! I could take very many pictures because they don't allow photography in most parts of the Abbey being as you must be invited to take pictures. After Westminster I went back to TopShop with a few girls, but didn't find anything that I had to have. All in all it was a pretty low key day.

{day 7}

Today was a day full of culture and great works of art! After classes, I went with a small group, to the Tate Modern, which houses beautiful (and some not so beautiful) works of art by artists such as Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and many other wonderful artists. Our visit to the Tate fit in perfectly with our schedule because we had a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre at 4:30pm right next door!

The tour of The Globe was really short because there is not much to see. The Globe, which is the third Globe to be built in London, was built so as to keep with the original theatre as much as possible. It is really neat to be there and imagine how it might have been in the days of Shakespearean England! After the tour we had about and hour and a half for dinner before we were seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream!

I walked with a few friends down the street to grab some dinner at a really yummy Greek restaurant called, The Real Greek. It is so delicious!! Their hummus and Greek flatbread is AMAZING and they serve lots ice with their drinks! I was so excited about the ice because I love a nice ICE cold beverage - the waitress probably thought I was insane because I took a picture of my first ice filled glass in London. ha!

After dinner we walked back to The Globe to see Midsummer. It was so funny! I loved the costumes and the way they barely had any props at all but you still got the feel of everything! It was really cool to be in an open air theatre, minus the rains that fell the entire show. The "groundlings" were pretty wet by the end (we were in the "Gentlemen's Box" - which is off to the side and is where nobility would sit during performances) but you could tell everyone was still having an amazing time and really enjoying the show. I would love to go see Romeo & Juilet while I am here because I've heard it is also unforgettable. Until tomorrow...

{day 6}

A FREE DAY!!! I woke up late today and decided to go to Covent Garden Market! It was really fun... tons of boutiques... lots of local artists... yummy food carts! I found two really wonderful London souvenirs at the Apple Market (a little confusing until you see it - the Apple Market is inside Covent Garden Market and it's just what the individual booth vendors are called).

This is a picture of the London street scene watercolor I purchased, I was able to take a picture of it because it didn't come wrapped in plastic like the other watercolor, which is of four baby ballerinas (I plan on giving that one as a gift) - I am trying to find really unique things to bring back as gifts and not just your generic tacky tourist garb. Besides the wonderful artists booths I finally went to several London stores I have read about!

Hope and Greenwood Purveyors of Splendid Confectionery really is as charming as it looks! They have an entire wall of penny candy, an incredible truffle and bonbon selection and tons of other trinkets and goodies you could spend all day there!

While I was feeling nostalgic I stumbled into the most adorable toyshop. It isn't at all what you think of when you think of a modern toy store, Pollock's Toyshop is mainly known as a toy theatre producer but they have so many other perfect little gifts and cards. I found the funniest cards that are essentially a kit for making ballon animals: a poodle and a weiner dog. Very fanicful and fun! You could easily do all of your small Christmas shopping there.

I also when to Lush which is completely handmade organic body care, from cut and weigh soap to bath bombs, they have something for everyone. I got a Tisty Toast Turkish rosebud infused bath bomb as a gift that is so cool - you drop it in the tub and when the bar fizzes away it leaves tiny rosebuds floating in the bath - they call it a bath time love spell!

I can't wait to explore more London markets!

{day 5}

This morning was pretty rough due to our 10:30am museum tour at the Victoria & Albert Museum. I really hate getting up before noon on a Saturday especially for a museum tour but it was really a wonderful museum! There is almost too much to look at - I will definitely go back before the end of my trip. They have a huge fashion exhibition going on right now - which is totally amazing. Being a fashion major I really appreciate how fashion has transformed into what we have today. We weren't allowed to take any pictures because the flashes could damage the materials so I don't really have any photos to share. After we finished the museum tour and had some lunch in the museum cafe (which is REALLY yummy), I decided to venture off around Nottinghill and stumbled across a few cool finds. Of course I went into one of the millions of tacky tourist souvenirs (which sometimes can have the occasional quirky-in-a-good-way gift to bring back home) and bought my baby brother a bright red toy London bus - very cute and he will LOVE it!

I also went to a tiny little boutique and found gifts for my two younger sisters who are in high school but still love silly girly things. I bought them the most adorable coloring books by Rosie Flo! They are fanciful little paperback coloring books with sweet little line drawings of paperdoll style dresses, playthings, etc! So fun!

{White Horn Box} - {Nguni Hide Coaster} - {Set of 4 Seagrass Cushions}

I am also offically in love with LOM BOK and they do have a website - but no stores in the US. Check them out and you'll love it! The best part is: everything is such a great price for how cute and stylish it is!

{day 4}

Today we went on a tour of the Tower of London! It was so incredible! It is the oldest building I have ever been in. They call the whole thing the Tower of London when actually only one small tower inside of it is the real Tower of London. The Tower of London is were the Crown Jewels are held so I got to see all of the beautiful jewels, crowns, swords, ceremonial dress worn by Queen Elizabeth at her coronation ceremony and other solid gold and jeweled ceremonial pieces owned by the royal family.

Outside the Tower of London

Another view outside the Tower of London

Another view outside the Tower of London

Canons inside the Tower of London

The watergate entrance for the Tower of London which is no longer in use

The Tower of London ravens - legend states that if the ravens flee the Monarchy and the entire kingdom will fall

The offical Tower of London

Tower Bridge - what everyone thinks in London Bridge but I was told by our guide it is in fact Tower Bridge

After our tower we all went back to Nottinghill and grabbed dinner before heading out to celebrate the 4th at Waxy O'Connor's Pub because they were having an Independence Day party! You have no idea how many Brits asked me what Independence Day was for!? I hope they were kidding... Waxy's was really fun and the drinks weren't terribly expensive so it made for a fun 4th of July!

{happy 4th of july america}

Happy 4th of July!!

I can't believe that I am not even in the country on the 4th of July!! But I (and all the other students here) plan on celebrating big! We'll try not to be too embarrassing!

{day 3}

Day 3 = jet lag FREE! I started my day out as usual with classes. Then took a painfully long shower because my shower head doesn't really have water pressure - unless you think mist counts as pressure. Oh well... when in... London! Then I walked to Tesco (grocery store), which I know I will miss already because of the individual servings of mango and other fruits they have for .88! After my lunch of yogurt, fruit and a square of evil Cadburry chocolate (sure we have Cadburry in the States but it doesn't compare) our group was leaving for our coach tour (they take offense to the word bus, bus driver, etc.) at 2pm. It was so amazing! We saw so many wonderful things! It was difficult for me to take a lot of pictures because #1 I was on a bus & #2 it started to rain really hard about half way through the tour (which lasted 4 hours). I did get pictures of:

London swan with two little "ugly ducklings"

The memorial for the British lost in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks

The original Buckingham Palace entrance arch that has since been replaced by something much larger

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Gates

Buckingham Palace Guard (which I got a picture with - not this one though, this guy was behind the giant gates)

After our tour a small group of girls and I jumped on the tube to go see Les Miserables!

Before the show we grabbed a quick dinner at Pret a Manger (which I will also miss) it is so yummy! They have ready-made gourmet salads, sandwiches, soups, fresh fruit, cool juices and soft drinks and delicious desserts. Everything is healthy and free of "nasties" (meaning preservatives, trans fat, high calorie content, excess sugar, etc.) - I am in LOVE! They do have Pret a Manger all over NYC - so I am very jealous! We need one in Atlanta ASAP!