The Magic of London

April 2
      After an energizing week of traveling around Ireland I decided to take the next week off to focus on the few upcoming papers and tests that were lurking in the next two weeks before the Easter break. With a week and a half of no traveling, but relaxing and studying I was ready to have an adventure over Easter week. I decided to fulfill my dreams of going to London and Cardiff. Sooner than I expected I had planes, buses and hostels booked and my bags packed. I was Britain bound by April 2. When I arrived at the airport, I already had my ticket in hand so I went into the security line, where I didn’t have to take off my shoes, and waited to board. Except I didn’t notice that I had to get my ticket stamped as proof of my passport, so I almost did not get let on the plane, but due to some quick thinking on my part I was allowed to board. As soon as I boarded the plane, I was asleep and didn’t wake up until we landed in London. When I walked out into the airport there was no customs check to stamp my passport or anything, so quite confused I went and boarded my bus into the city. I had specific instructions on my phone of how to get to my hostel, so I managed to walk to the tube station, board the tube, and then walk to my hostel with no problem. When I arrived at my hostel I was forced to wait half an hour because the party in front of me was having difficulties changing their reservation. By the time I got checked in and went to drop off my luggage in my room the door would not open, thus dwindling  my time to eat lunch before my Harry Potter tour of London started. Basically I was forced to skip lunch in order to make my 2 p.m. tour on time; however it was worth it.

I miss the jet bridge! I don't like going outside to get on the plane. 

The inside of the tour bus

I boarded the coach bus along with a few other families and couples, but I was the only girl around my age, and by far the most enthusiastic person on the tour. We were taken to many filming locations throughout the city, reenacting scenes from the films and taking pictures of the spots. Some of my favorites were the alley that inspired Diagon Alley, the Millennium Bridge that gets destroyed by Death Eaters, Grimmuald Place, and of course Platform 9 ¾. Throughout the tour, our tour guide who I think was a self-proclaimed Harry Potter know-it-all, quizzed us with trivia. I of course answered most of the questions, correctly I might add! I don’t know what it was about London, but it brought out my Harry Potter A game. At the final destination, King’s Cross Station, we were left to take pictures going into Platform 9 ¾, and even though the line was long and I was starving, it was worth the picture.

Two gingers, same place

Millennium Bridge

A blue Leaky Cauldron

Diagon Alley inspiration

Winguardium Leviosa

Grimmauld Place

Off to Hogwarts!

Immediately after, I bee-lined to the nearest McDonald’s for some quick food because I was desperate for some substance at this point. Being as it was Holy Thursday, I knew I had to go to church, and luckily I had already located a Catholic church not too far of a walk, so I set off for St. Patrick’s Church. I navigated my way through the London streets for the first time pretty well, taking in the sights and smells of the new city. However, after walking for a bit too long, I realized that something was wrong; I should have arrived at the church by then. The city of London thankfully has these handy map signs that show where you are, the neighboring streets, nearby attractions, and how long it takes to walk there, so I consulted some of these and they helped me get back on track, or at least that’s what I thought. I arrived at St. Peter’s Church, not St. Patrick’s like I intended, but did not realize this until after I stayed for the service. The church was filled with older people and when the minister started preaching about Lord of the Rings and we never did the sign of the cross I figured out that I was not in a Catholic church. At that point it was too late and obvious to leave since I was the only person under thirty, and the old woman next to me was announcing to the world whenever someone came in late, so I sat and listened to two sermons both about Tolkien and how the quest to find the ring is like Jesus being a servant to his disciples. If I did not already feel out of my element enough, all of the sudden everyone whipped out their hand towels got bowls of water and started washing each other’s feet. Obviously, I did not get the memo to bring my towel, so I awkwardly was the only one to not get my feet washed. By the time communion came around everything had been awkward and different that I wasn’t even that surprised when the body of Christ was a Wheat Thin. After a two hour service I was so relieved to leave the weirdest church experience I ever had behind me. I made the long trek back to my hostel and was so exhausted sleep came quickly to me, even though I was squished under a chunky man who was pushing his mattress down from the bunk above me.

Oh Saint Peter's Church