Family selfie on our walking tour of Westminster. You can tell dad’s really getting into the tourist spirit.
I had a few days between the last day of my internship and when I picked my parents up at Heathrow. I met them at the Heathrow tube station and we dragged all their stuff to their hotel as I navigated. It was really good to see them again after 4 months away – and its always fun when they both have to rely on me to get around. haha.
Gotta love how my parents get to the UK and I go from hostels to Hilton gold member executive lounges. That executive lounge sure came in handy with the free breakfast and dinner-time snacks. (I was particularly fond of the scrambled eggs & toast.)
My schedule of touristy things to do kept us occupied as I took them to see the V&A museum, the poppies at the Tower of London, St. Dunstan-in-the-East, and signed us up for Sandeman’s free walking tour of London (Westminster). It was the most walking I had done since my Italy adventure, and my chance to say goodbye to my temporary home.
We also got to meet up with Amie for a Westminster Abbey service. What a priceless last evening with a precious friend! Between the breathtaking Westminster choir and the incense that was breathtaking in an entirely different way (my scarf smelled of incense until I got back to the States), I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget that service.
It was a fun final few days, and I’m pretty sure I exhausted my parents. Oops? We didn’t get through everything I had planned, but I count it a success that mom and dad had the public transportation mostly figured out by the time we left.
I have been waiting to go on this studio tour since I realized they were opening it up to the public. I knew I had to come as soon as I was accepted into my intern abroad program. And as you might be able to guess, it definitely lived up to expectations! Seeing original sets, costumes, props, models, designs, and effects was amazing. There was an intro video recorded by the trio, of course, and we entered the tour through the great hall set. (Unfortunately, we could not see the sky in the ceiling.)
coordinator/coach. I had Hermione’s wand (since Ginny’s wasn’t available, and my favorite is a toss up between the two) and I’m pretty sure I could have taken the 12 year olds that went before me in a wizard’s duel. (That video is already up.)
and makeup prep was fascinating, too. And seeing all the paper set models was amazing. There is a lot of talent on display at the studio. The absolute BEST model was the giant Hogwarts castle they used with green screen for exterior shots during the movies. Music was playing, there was dramatic lighting, and it was so incredibly detailed.
The fact that I’m almost too busy traveling to update my travel blog is definitely a problem I am not complaining about. Europe is on my doorstep now – so traveling is an almost-every-weekend occurrence – but I’m also determined to explore as much of the UK as possible while I’m here. So far, I have seen Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, and the White Cliffs of Dover. I’m looking at going to Brighton as well as a few more of the royal historical palaces on the list before the end of July. I really do love the UK, and I’m glad I’m getting the chance to explore the country I’m temporarily living in.
these cliffs in person, DO IT. It’s only a 4 hour bus ride from London.
For my first solo international flight, things were pretty low-key. I was excited, of course, but it is hard to feel too excited while on a nine hour flight. And hey, AISLE SEATS the whole way. I also think I heard the hallelujah chorus when the line for the UK border was short, because I had already made my way through a good half mile of the London Heathrow labyrinth. Another happy event was when my suitcase rolled past me right as I walked up to the conveyor belt.
Recent Comments