A Life Hiatus: 3/1/11

While we were in London, we took a few day trips. I don't remember where we went which day or what we saw on the same day... but here are the different places.

Stonehenge

Windsor Castle

One of the Queens official residences and where she spends Easter.

Warwick Castle

The Roman Baths

The house Shakespeare grew up in, in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare's backyard growing up.

Christ Church at Oxford University

The Dining Hall at Christ Church.
Look familiar? It didn't to me, but it
should to all you Harry Potter fans.

I thought the college I went to had strict visitation rules.
Oxford has them beat with the spikes, to make sure no one
uses those pipes to climb in or out of the windows.

We crammed a lot into a few days and it's all a blur, but we had so much fun! It was so neat to visit all of the places you learn about in school, but they seem so far away that it almost seems like they don't really exist when you're learning about them.

Next Destination: Backpacking through Italy, Switzerland and France!!

We had barely been home from Spain and Greece for 6 months and I was given the opportunity to once again study abroad, this time in London. I was planning on taking a Theatre Appreciation class to count towards my fine arts credits. When it came time to sign up, I realized that I already had enough hours and would be taking the class just to be able to go to London.

My dilemma: stay home - nope, go to London to take a class I already had credit for - ehhh, OR go with mom and travel all around England while my friends were in class, then meet up with them after to backpack around other parts of Eurpoe - DING! DING! DING!

Tough decision huh??

I never want to stay home if I have another option, I wasn't the best student so taking a class I didn't need was NOT going to happen, and mom and me had officially caught the travel bug. All it took was one trip over seas and we were hooked! So... off to London we went.

We stayed at The Royal Horseguards Hotel, which recently won London's Hotel of the Year 2010 - 2011. I don't think another hotel could have given us more of a feel of being in London. It was perfect.

A great view of our hotel across the River Thames, from The London Eye.

For those of you who have never heard of The London Eye, it is the best way to get an ariel view of London. What is it exactly?? A giant, enclosed Ferris Wheel.

I did mean GIANT!

This is what it looks like. Enough room for standing up

and walking around, and there is still plenty of room left.

Just to give you an idea of it's size.

View of Big Ben and Parliament.

Buckingham Palace. The quality is terrible because we had to zoom in so much.

We made it to the top! A 360° view of London.

I am not a huge fan of ferris wheels, so The Eye was a challenge for me, but totally worth it. Although looking at these pictures I'm starting to get that feeling again, so on to the rest of London.