Day 31: While exploring I had the most beautiful find! I’ve read about these walls for years so you can imagine how excited I was to find one on my own! Before I Die walls exist all over the world, inspiring people to live each day.
I can’t tell you what I wrote but hopefully one day you’ll know!
Day 30: Happy Chinese New Year! London is home to the world’s second largest New Year’s celebration. Makenna and I headed to Chinatown and found it filled with food, fireworks, decor and people. Hopefully we will all prosper in the year of the horse!
Day 29: Saturdays are always so exhausting because everyones just itching to travel. This weekend was no exception as we took a day excursion to Canterbury and Dover.
Canterbury is a medieval town known for its beautiful Cathedral, the home of the arch Bishop of England. The church was absolutely stunning with color stained glass windows dating back to the 12th Century! As you can see, I went a litttttle overboard with my pictures.
Next stop was Dover. We visited the Dover castle which sits upon the city on some very steep white cliffs. The city is located at the southern-most tip of England making it the closest port to France (we could even see it across the way). The cliffs home a system of military tunnels which have been strategic tools for the british in both World Wars. Although all the sites were fascinating, the CRAZY strong winds were the most fun!
Day 28: This scrumptious meringue stole my heart sitting in a warm bakery window. After a long day of walking in the freezing rain, it seemed like a great reward for my roommate and I. While out, I also found some more neat street art. Off to Dover and Canterbury tomorrow!
Day 27: I did a very dangerous thing today. I started the addicting book called Gone Girl. The trouble is, I can’t seem to put it down. Thanks to my handy Kindle I can read on the tube, at the grocery store, I even got caught reading in a pub (whoops). I’m 90% done but now my roommates are forcing me to put down the book and socialize (ah the torture!).
In other news, my class went to the National Gallery today. It’s one of London’s most famous art museums and features the works of Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Raphael and many many more. I could’ve stayed for hours if I wasn’t so hungry—for food and my book.
Day 26: Oh my goodness today is a joyous day. And for no reason remotely related to London! Today, my roommates and I furnished our kitchen. When we moved in, our flat came with some plates and pots but nothing helpful to really cook food. We bought a crockpot, pots, pans, drying rack, tea kettle, actual cooking utensils, and I’m just getting started! If you can’t tell, I’m over the moon. So now, I’m going to cook a real meal while sipping a cup of non-microwaved tea. Cheers!
Day 25: Laundry, groceries and homework, oh my! Although my day was mostly filled with chores, I strolled through Regent’s Park for a bit before class. The park was stunning, decorated in elegant fountains and colorful flowers and topiaries. Truly a great way to spend a sunny afternoon!
Day 24: One of my roommates had a photo assignment that took us into Camden for the afternoon. Although it was rainy and (very) cold, we still made the most of the day and took some cool photos. We stumbled upon Chin Chin Labs, a liquid nitrogen ice cream bar known for their eccentric flavors. We split a Rhubarb Custard with white chocolate toppings. Mmmmhmmmmm
Day 23: Meet Lauren, Jami and Kirby, three of the most delightful people I’ve met so far. They’re exchange students from the States but are studying for a full year and have already been living in London for a few months. They’re always down for a city adventure, silly pictures and to dance like no one’s watching. Most of all they’ve helped show me the ropes to living like a Brit!
Day 22: WHAT A DAY! My study abroad program took us on an day trip to Startford-Upon-Avon and Warwick Castle. Although the 7 am start time was mighty intimidating for a Saturday morning, It ended up being a wonderful day!
Stratford-Upon-Avon was William Shakespeare’s residence is the 1500’s. In fact many of his plays are said to be inspired by places in and around the town. As we toured his house there were even actors dressed up, ready to perform Shakespeare on command!
After exploring the town we headed down the road to Warwick Castle. Now, I’ve been to a lot of castles but this one takes the cake as the most medieval AND spookiest. The castle is over 1,000 years old, complete with a moat, dungeon AND princess tower. The spookiest part of the day (and my personal favorite) was going on a ghost tour of the grounds ad learning about some of the castle’s infamous legends.
Savor Away 