Submitted by Haley Cohen on the 2014 spring semester study abroad program in London, England…
As our time in London is swiftly and sadly coming to an end, we have been making the most of each and every day. It has been a bit difficult to manage writing final papers, and working on final presentations while trying to do everything we want to do, but we have been working hard so we have been rewarding ourselves with fun day trips and activities. On Friday, we ventured about an hour away to Greenwich which is home to the Prime Meridian that divides the eastern and western hemispheres. We took a cable car to get to Greenwich which was really cool even though it wasn’t the sunniest day; we still got to see pretty views of the London docklands. Once we got to Greenwich, we headed over to the famous O2 Arena and spontaneously bought tickets to see the Backstreet Boys who just happened to be performing there later that night! The concert was amazing; it was a blast from the past and we had the best time. Also, it was interesting seeing our favorite American boy band from our childhood all the way in London. During the day, we headed over to Greenwich Park to see even more amazing views of the city skyline.
Saturday, one of my roommates and I woke up bright and early to take part in one of CAPA’s pre-planned day trips for us to Stratford-upon-Avon. We went to Kenilworth Castle, an ancient castle ruins and then to the charming town of Stratford-upon-Avon, home to Shakespeare. We strolled through the streets admiring the quaint town and its rich history. And we took a tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace which was really interesting!
Sunday was another great day because I went to the place where my favorite movie and book series of all time was filmed: Harry Potter! It was so cool to be able to see the set where it was filmed. All of you Harry Potter fans out there have to go to this place at some point in your life. We saw the Great Hall, the costumes, Hogwart’s Gates, Dumbledore’s Office, Hagrid’s Hut, the Gryffindor Common Room, the Knight Bus, Diagon Alley, and so much more! It really was an incredible experience. It truly is astonishing how much time and dedication went into creating all of the sets and costumes. Overall, I had an awesome weekend at Greenwich, Stratford- upon -Avon, and the Harry Potter Studios!
