October 2-3: London

Friday, October 2

     Friday morning, I finished class at 10am, and my roommate and I took the bus to Leuchars Train Station, nearby St Andrews. From there, we took a five and a half hour train ride to London. I enjoyed seeing the countryside, and I also found the built-in time to the trip helpful in keeping up with my studies.
     Before long, we arrived at London Kings Cross station. We were so excited! London - wow! We then took a half-hour train ride to East Croyden, south of the center of the city, where we would be staying. The trip was originally initiated because my roommate got a ticket to see a Don McLean (the artist who sings American Pie) concert, and the concert was in that area. We checked into a very nice hotel, and then I walked Weizhen to her concert. I spent the evening drinking tea, eating scones, and watching a new Doctor Who episode, so it's fair to say I was more than content.
     When Weizhen returned, she was beaming - the concert was fantastic, and we looked forward to another fantastic day Saturday.

Sporting my favorite Doctor Who wear on the train

Kings Cross

Kings Cross

Finally in London!

Tea, scones, and the Doctor in the hotel!

Saturday, October 3

     Exhausted from our travels, Weizhen and I decided to sleep in a bit before taking the train into the foggy, foggy city of London. London apparently brings out the nerd in me, so excuse the fact that I have pictures and anecdotes of Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Harry Potter, for these are the lens through which I see the city.

The Shard

     The Shard is the 92nd tallest building in the world, and though a recent structure, has already marked the world's impression of the city's skyline. 

We couldn't even see the top!

The Doctor and Clara across from the Shard as Miss Kizlet uploads people's minds into a cloud through the Shard. Nerd moment :)

London Bridge and the Tower of London

     Next we walked to London Bridge, humming the nursery rhyme as we smiled and took pictures. Across the river, you can see the Tower of London which houses the Crown Jewels.

London Bridge is falling down...

Through the fog, you can make out the Tower of London on the left!

South Bank and Waterloo Wanderings

     Then we continued down the South Bank of the Thames, passing churches, markets, and even the Clink - the prison to which the phrase alludes. There were street musicians and entertainers, beautiful views of the river, cute marketplaces, and tree-lined streets.

Lovely hidden market

The Clink!

This bubble show was really cool.

 

Cute little shopping center

Typical sludgey London tunnels

Beautiful tree-lined streets

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

     In honesty, what we saw is not Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - that one burned down. In fact, this reconstruction is not even in the same location as the original, but further down the river. Despite its perhaps inauthentic nature, we really enjoyed this attraction, and we learned a lot! It was cool to see how it would have been back then. We took a tour and learned all about the life of Shakespeare, which was a lot of fun.

Another Doctor Who moment! Takes place in Shakespeare's Globe :)

South Bank Book Fair

     Having done a good bit of research online before we went, I anticipated a very special moment of our trip down the South Bank - the South Bank Book Fair. This book fair is held under the Waterloo Bridge, and all I can say is that it was lovely. I 'm glad we found it. I bought a book of poetry as a souvenir.

London Eye

     Now we began to approach the more recognizable sights, first of which being the London Eye, which is a famous, large Ferris Wheel. At one time, it was the world's largest Ferris Wheel, but even now, it marks the city as an important feature.

Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster

     Westminster Bridge, which you cross to see the heart of the city, was packed with tourists and rather chaotic. However, we managed to appreciate these iconic sights with delight. The Palace of Westminster houses the House of Commons and the UK Parliament. And Big Ben is a classic sight. I refrained from accounting every episode in which it appears in Doctor Who.

Big Ben across the bridge, with Westminster Palace to its left!

Scotsman playing the bagpipes brought a nice touch of Scotland even down in London.

Roomies reach Big Ben!

Nice view from Westminster Abbey of both Big Ben and the London Eye in the background.

Don't be alarmed - this is only another Doctor Who picture :)

Westminster Abbey

     Unfortunately, Westminster Abbey was under construction, so we couldn't see it in all its glory, but we could glimpse its iconic upper stained glass window.

Parliament Square and the Supreme Court

     We were exciting to see these many government buildings, including the Churchill War Rooms. We did not find 10 Downing Street, but we were quite happy with the buildings we did see.

Churchill War Rooms

Horse Guards Parade, opposite of Downing Street.

St James's Park and Buckingham Palace

     This lovely park is the backyard of Buckingham Palace. It is known for its absolute beauty, and it did not disappoint. Buckingham Palace itself was quite nice, and it was cool to see the iconic guards in red parading outside.

The famous guards in red!

Piccadilly Circus

     We next walked through this famous area, passing a famous acting school, some lovely shops, and a sweet street market on the way. When we arrived at Piccadilly Circus, we took the tube up to London Kings Cross.

Royal Arts Academy

London Bookshop

Piccadilly Market

The Tube running from Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus statue

Performer inside the metro station... you follow your dreams girl! Haha

London Kings Cross

     Platform nine and three quarters was the first order of business here, obviously. We relaxed and ate lunch for about an hour before catching the train back up to Leuchars. This train ride was much less peaceful, as a rugby game had just finished, and people were riled, drunk, and packed in the car. It was actually pretty amusing, with all the singing - the Scotts are happy people! We had to switch trains in Edinburgh, and when we arrived in Leuchars, we took the bus back home - we were safe and sound, after a long day, before midnight. It was a lovely trip, and not at all stressful. I was so glad to have seen so many amazing places. What a blessing.

Platform 9 3/4!

Umm this is creepy. Automated helpers in Kings Cross.

Harry Potter wishes he had a creepy automated helper... Platform 9 3/4 is confusing!

On My Heart - Psalm 16:5-11

From church the next morning...

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.[d]
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being[e] rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.[f]

11 You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.