Here Comes the Sun

We took a train from Paris to London. I loved being able to see some of the French and British countryside along the way.

When we left the train station in London, we were surprised to step into sunshine. Adrienne had been telling me how gloomy and rainy England always was, but all three days we were in London, we saw the sun. After dropping our bags at her flat, we got lunch at a nearby "Gourmet Burger Kitchen." I had my first hamburger in 2 months since I'd been in Europe. It was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Big Ben (St. Stephen's Tower)

After lunch, we took the Underground to the center of London to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We strolled around the area for a while, looking up and down the Thames, witnessing the changing of the horse guard, and enjoying the generally sunny weather.

The London Eye from a bridge over the Thames

After a week and a half of travelling, it was nice to just casually stroll around London and let Adrienne show me around without an itinerary. She took me to many places she was familiar with, like Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, and St. James's Park.

The Lake at St. James's Park

The rest of the trip was just as relaxing. Adrienne showed me around the areas where her classes and internship are, and we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the British Museum. Before we went there, I had no idea that the British Museum housed about half of the ruins of the Acropolis, including many sculptures from the Parthenon!

Caryatid, from the Erechtheum at the Acropolis

On my last day in London, we went to Westminster Abbey. I wish they had allowed us to take photos of the inside, because there were so many interesting and lovely spaces in the cathedral. I especially enjoyed the Lady Chapel behind the altar. The lighting from the accordianlike windows and the airy vaulting gave the space a delicate appearance.

Westminster Abbey

Afterwards, we took the Underground out of the city center to Primrose Hill, which had a nice view downtown. From there we walked through some very pretty English neighborhoods until we reached Abbey Road. Adrienne and I are both big Beatles fans, so we were really excited to see their studio and the famous crosswalk from the album cover.

Abbey Road Studios

As I traveled from Roma to Paris and Paris to London over Spring Break, I noticed that the further west I went, the closer I felt to the U.S. In Roma, I see very few American brands and chains, but in Paris I saw so many Starbucks, McDonald's, Gap, etc., and even more in London (TJMaxx, Ben and Jerry's, even a Chipotle (which we walked by after dinner--it was torture)). Also, in London especially, the locals moved much faster, reminding me of being back home in the Northeast. It made me really happy that I chose to study in Roma, where people take the time to stroll, drink coffee at a bar, and really enjoy the city with all of its charm.