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Submitted by Cassandra Simons on the 2012 summer session program in London sponsored by the Department of English…
On our last week in London, we enjoyed beautiful sunny 70 degree weather and saw some of the best sites of the City. My favorite final excursions were seeing the Tower of London, going to high tea, and riding the London Eye. It was the perfect ending to the greatest travel experience of my life thus far.
At the Tower of London, we were able to view the Crown Jewels and the ornate armor of every English king. I was shocked at how beautiful the Crown Jewels were up close. The diamonds and gemstones used in each set of beautiful jewelry were larger than life. The sheer value of each stone used in the sets must be astronomical. I was even more impressed with the armor of each king than I was with the Crown Jewels. It was really cool to be able to see the detail put in to each weapon and set of armor for each individual king. A mixture of silver and gold designs covered each protective item, reflecting the style and time of each royal warrior. There was a matching set of horse armor for every king, which I thought was even more beautiful than the human attire.
High tea at the Royal Palace Hotel was an amazing experience. We were served a traditional Kensington afternoon tea with hot chocolate truffle flavored tea, a selection of delicious and beautiful desserts, and stylishly crafted finger sandwiches. Cinnamon scones with strawberries and clotted cream served as the base of the tower of treats. Everything was so delicious that I found myself dreading my return to the United States, where the pastries could surely never reach English standards.
The London Eye was the last excursion on our list. We waited out the dreary London rain, and were overjoyed when the weather took a beautiful turn on our last week. I was shocked at how huge the London Eye actually is. It is not a huge ferris wheel bucket, but a giant floating room. You can walk around freely as the giant glass globe moves around the ferris wheel base. Twenty to thirty people could easily fit inside and take pictures of the entire city and the Thames River.
It was difficult to focus on writing our final essays while we frantically tried to visit every last location on our list of
excursions. Although five weeks seems like enough time to see the main attractions of a city, I found myself wishing for another two months to explore London. I am determined to go back to England at some point in my life because it was the most beautiful place that I have ever visited. I am truly thankful for my study abroad experience, and I think that it is an essential part of each student’s education.