London!

Well, I just got back from an incredible 5 days in London! Last week was my reading week, which means I didn't have many classes. I was finished with class for the week on Tuesday, so Alli and I decided to head out for London Tuesday night. We got to our hostel around 9:30pm and were able to get settled in and to sleep relatively early. Our schedule was SO crazy that whatever sleep we could get was cherished! 

On Wednesday, we woke up early and went down to breakfast, which consisted of toast, jam, and cereal - I should mention now that this happened daily. I didn't mind the simple breakfast though because they had nutella to put on the toast! :) Anyways, Wednesday we ended up seeing so much more than we had originally planned. Our first stop was Madame Tussaud's. It was incredible! Some of the wax figures were so realistic that it was actually pretty creepy. Whoever designs these figures has an amazing amount of talent! The picture below is David & Victoria Beckham at Madame Tussaud's. 

After that, we took the tube (which we mastered by the end of the week) to Baker Street and went to the Sherlock Holmes museum. It was really cool! I don't know much about Sherlock Holmes, but it was still really interesting to see the "Sherlock Holmes house." We also visited Westminster Abbey which was amazing, walked down to Abbey Road, went on the London Eye, and went on a Jack the Ripper tour. This was all in one day! 

Thursday was our first day trip away from London. We went to Bath, Stonehenge, and Salisbury Cathedral. Bath was a REALLY awesome city! I'd love to go back there sometime. The architecture is beautiful, and the Roman baths are just awesome. It really took me back to what it must have been like when the Romans occupied that area. 

Stonehenge was our second stop. I have to say that this is definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me! It's breathtaking and so mysterious. I think it's something everyone should try and see at least once in their lifetime! It's just another example of something that pictures can't do justice to. 

Our final stop was to Salisbury Cathedral. It was so beautiful! I particularly loved this fountain:

What made this fountain so awesome for me was the writing on all 4 sides:

"I have called you by name you are mine"

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you."

"And through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you."

"Do not fear for I have redeemed you."

Friday was another day trip out of London - this time to Warwick Castle, Stratford upon Avon, and Oxford, with a scenic drive through the Cotswolds. Warwick Castle was probably the most awesome castle I've seen yet; and I've seen a lot of cool castles! It was just beautiful, and the peacocks scattered throughout the castle made it even better. It was awesome! The peacock garden was my favorite part of the castle. It was gorgeous!

The peacock garden

Stratford upon Avon was a really cool city too, but really there wasn't much to see there besides Shakespeare's house. After we finished walking around through the house, we just kind of wandered aimlessly through the city looking for something to eat. There are plenty of good places for that too, even though we ended up choosing Subway. ;) 

Shakespeare's birthplace

After a scenic drive through the Cotswolds, we ended up in Oxford. We toured Christ Church College - including the famous dining hall - and wandered around the town for a while. Oxford is another really awesome city that I'd love to go back to sometime. 

Saturday, we woke up early (again) and got to the Tower of London before 9am, when it opened. We were literally the first ones there! It was great having the whole place practically to ourselves, if only for a short time. It was awesome getting to see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, two things I have always wanted to see in London. There is such fascinating history there, and it's so exciting to actually be there learning all about it firsthand. We ate lunch at a cool little pub where I had fish & chips and tried the British dessert spotted dick for the first time. It was so good! We also went to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre before heading back to the hostel to get ready for MAMMA MIA live on the West End! I'm pretty sure this was definitely a big highlight for me. I was in disbelief that I was seeing Mamma Mia in London - something I have dreamed of doing! It didn't disappoint either, that's for sure! It was even better than I expected. There is just so much incredible talent! It's one musical that will make you forget any worry in the world and take you to a whole new place. To say it was amazing is an understatement! 

Sunday was our final day in London. We kicked it off at the famous Camden Market, which was awesome! They had great clothes (and accessories!) for pretty good prices. I probably could have spent a lot of time and money in there, so it's a good thing we got out when we did. ;) We then met up with Alli's friend and got to see a more residential area of London. It was a really nice change! We ended our day at Oxford Street - another place I could have spent a LOT of time and money at! The shopping is phenomenal there! Overall, Sunday was a much more relaxed day than the previous days had been, and I was thankful for it. After that whirlwind tour of London, we needed it! There's a lot more I could write about everything I saw and experienced in London over the past 5 days, but I'd be here all night. Let's just say it was absolutely incredible, and I'm so happy I got to take some time out and experience all that I did. Next up is Ireland! Bring it on! :)