Hello everyone!
Today we went to London! The bus was very strict about timing (leaving at 9 a.m. sharp), so I made sure to wake up early and give myself plenty of time to get ready. While waiting for breakfast in the Exeter dining hall, I sat outside and admired the view. When the bells struck 8, I headed in. I kept it simple with a croissant, banana, yogurt, and some freshly squeezed orange juice.
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| My view while waiting for breakfast |
After breakfast, I got on the bus and traveled to the Tower of London. Before heading inside, I grabbed an English coronation chicken sandwich with fresh cucumber. It was a great mix of sweet and savory, and the cucumbers added a cool, refreshing bite. Once inside, I joined the Beefeater (Yeoman Warders) tour, which took us around the fortress to places like the execution sites of various queens. Our Yeoman Warder, Terry Briggs, was witty and playful, which made it all the more fun. He even has his own exhibit inside, since more people have been to space than have become Yeoman Warders!
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| The White Tower |
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| London Tower Bridge |
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| The Tower of London (outside) |
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| Terry giving us info |
When the tour wrapped up, our group split off and I found Max, another student in my program. We spent the rest of the day exploring more of the Tower: the Crown Jewels (including the King’s Crown), the White Tower where monarchs lived for centuries, the dungeons, storerooms, the armory, and the Bloody Tower.
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| A dragon (named Keeper) |
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| 900 year old chapel inside the complex (still used today) |
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| Knights' armor |
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| King's Guard |
Once we finished the Tower of London, we walked along the Tower Bridge and took the London Underground to Westminster— because how can I go to London without seeing Big Ben? The London underground was very easy to use: you simply scan your card when you enter, then you scan it again when you leave, and the system will calculate the price for you. I was not expecting to walk out of the Westminster station and see Big Ben directly in front of me (super cool!). While we were there, we also took in the Parliament buildings, Westminster Abbey, and the Household Cavalry Museum.
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| Household Cavalry Museum |
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| Westminster Abbey |
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| Westminster Abbey (another perspective) |
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| Parliament buildings |
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| Big Ben |
From there, we strolled through St. James’s Park toward Buckingham Palace, just in time to watch the Changing of the Guard.
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| St James's Park |
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| Changing of the Guard |
Later on, we found a shady bench in The Green Park and grabbed a quick dinner. I picked up a chipotle chicken wrap from a nearby café and ate it while enjoying the breeze, the birds, and the leafy surroundings.
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| The Green Park |
After we’d rested, we explored more sights: the Duke of York Column, Piccadilly Circus (London’s version of Times Square), Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and even Chinatown.
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| Piccadilly Circus |
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| Telephone booth |
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| Chinatown |
The day wrapped up with a showing of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre. I’ll probably have those songs stuck in my head for days! Then we hopped back on the bus and returned home.
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| Sondheim Theatre |
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| London at night |
That’s it for today! (By the way, if you’re having trouble seeing the photos, you can click on them to expand.) See you next time!
