After an amazing weekend in Dublin, my two friends and I flew to London where one of them is studying for the semester. It was nice to be back on a college campus in a dorm room and it was my first time ever in London. While my friend was in class on Monday, I took the Tube – which was surprisingly easy – over to Westminster to see Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament. From there, I met up with another friend from BC and went to the Tate Modern Art Museum. Although I love art and I’m always eager to see different museums, I still can’t seem to make sense of modern art unless I’m given a specific description of what each piece is supposed to symbolize. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see.
That night, we went to the London Ice Bar with a group of other BC students. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a bar made of ice. It’s obviously freezing cold inside and we were each given warm capes with gloves to protect our hands against the ice glasses that the drinks came in. After taking at least sixty pictures over the course of the forty minutes that we were allowed in there, we were all ready to leave and warm up.
That night, we went to the London Ice Bar with a group of other BC students. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a bar made of ice. It’s obviously freezing cold inside and we were each given warm capes with gloves to protect our hands against the ice glasses that the drinks came in. After taking at least sixty pictures over the course of the forty minutes that we were allowed in there, we were all ready to leave and warm up.
On Tuesday, I was off for another day on my own. For breakfast, I found myself missing France enough to order a croissant for breakfast at a little café that I found. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the same as a French croissant, but at least I tried. Afterwards, I went over to see Buckingham Palace. It was stunning, of course. I missed the changing of the guards but I was happy to explore the park right next to the palace. I spent an hour or so walking through and looking at the different monuments placed throughout the park.
That night, we met up with some more BC friends. It struck me how much I missed being at school with friends that I had known for two years; however, at the same time I kept going on and on about the friends that I had made in France and the different places I had seen. We all swapped different stories about what we had been up to for the past two months and it was nice to hear that we were all having the time of our lives.
That night, we met up with some more BC friends. It struck me how much I missed being at school with friends that I had known for two years; however, at the same time I kept going on and on about the friends that I had made in France and the different places I had seen. We all swapped different stories about what we had been up to for the past two months and it was nice to hear that we were all having the time of our lives.
For the remainder of my week, I went to visit a high school friend in northern England. It was the first time we had seen each other since our high school graduation since she's from England, so naturally it was amazing to finally see her. She showed me around her college, Durham University, and gave me a little tour of the city. It seemed so old and quaint. The most exciting part was that some parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed in town. As soon as I stepped into one of the buildings that they used, I immediately recognized the courtyard and Professor McGonagall's office. After a few days in Durham, my friend and I went back to her hometown and spent a few days with her family. Since my family hosted her when she was living in the US, it was funny to have a bit of a role reversal and stay with her family instead. We sat around the fire, drank tea, and caught up - after several days of traveling, this was perfect. By the end of my week in England, although I loved sightseeing, spending time with friends, and relaxing, I found myself eager to get back to my apartment and my French family in Aix.