Harry Potter & High Ponytails

Date 25/07/2017 ~ 01/08/2017 

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The last stop of 2017 summer Europe trip was the United Kingdom. Luckily, there was no language barrier anymore. The cities were so beautiful, it did not felt like I was in the 21 century. The people were so patient and all offered as much help as they could. The architectures and sculpture inside and outside the buildings were astonishing. I especially enjoyed the red, double decker bus, it was extremely fun to sit on the first seats on the upper deck and observe the city as the bus drove by. Unfortunately, it rained quite a lot, causing some traffics and delays, but keeping a positive mood, the trip was still very pleasant.

London was a must visit on the list. The West Minister was an absolute masterpiece. Every monument carved their own meanings with extreme details. The Big Ben was sadly in construction, I did not get to see its full beauty. The London Tower Bridge was well preserved and looked as amazing as I imagined it would. I also made it on time to witness the famous "Changing of the Guards" at the Buckingham Palace. Every guard was so focused and professional, the process felt powerful. Covent Garden and Borough Market made me felt connected to London as a person, then a tourist. Since I am a drama student, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre was a must. It felt surreal and the tour was amazing, I have learnt a lot. One of the most unforgettable parts of this trip was watching "Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre. It was extremely powerful and remarkable. Everything was executed so exquisitely I love it so much. 

A few days later, Oxford was the next stop. It was very crowded with lots of tourists and summer schools. With a university that holds such good reputation, many students would want to visit there. All the churches and the academic buildings looked stunning. The Bodleian Library and Church of St Mary the Virgin were on the list too. And of course, as a huge Harry Potter fan, I did not miss the Hall in Christ Church that Hogwarts's cafeteria was inspired and based on. Walking in there was surreal I am jealous of the students there.

After Oxford, Cambridge, another university that holds an amazing reputation in the world. To me what made Cambridge very pleasant was punting. The boat ride was very relaxing and the King's College student told us many historical events and people that were involved in Cambridge University and its own history. There were many interesting stories and facts I remembered most of them. I saw King's College, Clare College and Trinity College...

The United Kingdom was one the most friendly and lovely country I have visited. The trip was very, very special. I could not be more thankful to visit all these places. The food, people and sites were amazing and I shall hold on to these moments forever. I can not wait to go there again, but hopefully not as a tourist but as something else. 

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[Places visited: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Sr. Martin church, Covent Garden, Borough Market, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London Tower Bridge, Leicester square, Her Majesty's Theatre, British Museum, Oxford, Cambridge]