Submitted by Meghan Henry on the 2018 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Theater…
After my first week in London, I have found that it would take far more than a month to discover all that the city has to offer. Over the past few days, a few of my classmates and I have made a point to go out and explore a new area, sometimes accidentally finding quaint pubs, shops and cafes along the way. While London is a city similar in some ways to those that we have in the U.S., there are glaring differences as well, one of them being the architecture and the rich history that it offers. A few days ago, my friend and I did an evening tour of Buckingham Palace, where we saw countless royal portraits, thrones of monarchs past and present and lots of gold. I found it so interesting to trace the almost celebrity-like royal family of today that are constantly in the public eye back to relatives that lived hundreds of years ago, some of them living in the same palace today. This history is definitely not something we have in the United States.
You simply can’t talk about London fully without at least commenting on the unbelievable shops and department stores here, which I have made a point to see a fair amount of. We were lucky enough to experience Harrod’s for the first time the other day, a truly overwhelming experience. With floors spanning an entire city block and multiple restaurants on every floor, it is enough to make one’s head spin. So for anyone planning to take a trip to Harrod’s, I would definitely recommend to the shopping enthusiasts to block out most of the day in order to truly experience everything Harrod’s has to offer.
This weekend, I’ll be doing a lot more sightseeing, including a trip to the Warner Bros Studio for the Harry Potter tour, which I am very excited about. I am sure I will have many more stories of culture shock and amazement at this wonderful city to come!