Fish 'n Chips and a Pint Please!

       Thanks to Ryanair, a friend and I were able to purchase some cheap tickets to London, and off we went! We arrived on Wednesday and departed the following Monday, a whole six days of adventure. We started out touring off at Buckingham Palace and made out way to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, all of which were amazing sites, breathtaking. Especially Westminster Abbey, it is my new goal in life to get married there... but it looks like my only option of making that happen is marring the little Prince Harry. Hmm... Anyways, the abbey was amazing, the architecture and style reminded me of the art history class I took last quarter. Unfortunately we didn't go into the church, but I was plenty satisfied with what we did get to see! We walked along the River Thames and then went to the Tower of London. Little did I know, just how much I was going to enjoy that tour. We got a tour from the "Beefeaters", the guards of the Tower. Which as funny as it sounds, they don't know the real reason that they were called Beefeaters! The common idea is that back in the day the King would serve the guards meat every night and because meat was so expensive and valuable they were named this by the peasants living nearby. Very interesting tour, full of history, especially of Anne Boleyn and her execution.

     Piccadilly Circus, Camden Market, Covent Garden, all wonderful shopping areas! Going to London was like going home. First off there was the rain, then the fact that we saw so many familiar stores, which by the way I got to eat a Cinnabon :) sooo yummy! But the pubs were very cool, they themselves were full of history! And not to mention the beer was good, expensive, but good! At one point we went to Notting Hill and walked through the shops and markets, where I surprisingly found lots of cupcake teapots and cups! (Kesley, sorry I am now regretting not buying one for you...) Notting Hill was where I had my first fish and chips, which I am missing already and I have only been back in Estonia for a few days! The Lion King had ticket left for their Friday night show and so we signed right up and I am so happy we did because it was amazing! The costume designer gets two thumbs up from me! They were so cool, detailed and extravagant.
    The museums we went to were very interesting! One was more focused on how humans began and other species, like dinosaurs, bugs, birds, and apes. But the British Museum was my favorite as many of its exhibits were based upon Greek and Egyptian history! My favorite areas of history to study. I got to see the Elgin Marbles, which Lord Elgin took from the Parthenon under permission from the Ottomans ruling Greece at the time. He donated them to the British museum and today they stand there, under constant debate as to whether or not they should be returned to Greece where they belong. Very interesting story behind them which I learned about while I was in Greece, so it completed the whole picture when I got to see them in England!
     We signed up for a pub crawl Saturday and had fun there! I met a lot of people from America, mainly the midwest and east coast. We were taken to five pubs and were able to get into a club for free. The club itself was actually really cool, it used to be a horse barn, so it had 6 large horse stalls which were now used for either private party sections or bars. The idea was really neat and the inside of the club was so fun!
    Our last full day In London, we actually went on a tour to Stonehenge and the city of Bath. Of course it was the only day that it rained and so at Stonehenge we faced sideways rain... not ideal. But it was beautiful nonetheless. When we got too Bath I immediately fell in love. The city is situated in a valley, surrounded by grassy hills and trees. Home of the Roman Baths, the city had very old structures and architecture. Although it went from rain to hail to sun and then back to hail, I was still able to take in the beauty of the city. Here I purchased my very first tea cup :) It was expensive, but was made for a special event, the Queen's anniversary of gaining the throne. It has 22 carat gold painted on it and the crest of the United Kingdom, one side a lion, representing England and the other a unicorn, representing Scotland. It is gorgeous and I can't wait to use it! We are having a tea party as soon I get home! This is a picture of the Roman Baths museum:

   So our last night in England and we didn't feel right paying to stay in a hostel for only sleeping three hours and then having to leave for the airport. So we went spent the night in the airport and left for Tallinn at 7 in the morning. It was a magnificent trip and on I will never forget. Although next time I go I am going to make sure that someone I know is there! Of course out of the three people I know in England, none of them were actually there the weekend I was! But the trip was awesome and I fully enjoyed myself, I can't wait to go back! Someday soon!