I'm sorry I haven't posted in a little while, but I've been spending a lot of time working on my essays, which I'm trying to have completed by the time my family gets here (which is only about 10 days away!).
To play catch up for a minute: last Saturday I went to Covent Garden, a major shopping district near Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. It reminded me a lot of the Quincy Market area in Boston, full of restaurants and shops, as well as smaller carts and food stands selling pretty much everything. One of the coolest things, though, was the street performers. I swear, I had never seen anything like it!
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| How is this man doing this? I have no idea. |
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| Fantastic string group performing in Covent Garden |
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| Covent Garden! |
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| Inside halls of Covent Garden |
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Jubilee Market Hall to the side of Covent Garden - I got a great
deal on a couple of scarves! |
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| Artwork by the British Heart Foundation outside Covent Garden |
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| People watching street performers on a Covent Garden balcony |
Yesterday, although I didn't have any classes, I spent the day working on my essays. I have to admit, I definitely fell out of the routine of doing school work on a regular basis, and it's been difficult to get back into it. But, I'm making good progress, and am still finding time to have some fun sightseeing in London!
Today was a wonderful day. Eric and I went to Big Chill House, a local pub/bar/cafe just 2 blocks from our dorm, for our first ever full English breakfast. I can't believe it took me 2 months to finally get around to having a this famous meal, but it was absolutely delicious!
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| Full English Breakfast! |
This afternoon, Eric and I visited The National Gallery, which is right in Trafalgar Square. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the gallery, but the building is absolutely stunning. I'm not a huge art fan, but it was really amazing to see some of the most famous paintings in the world, especially those painted by Vincent Van Gogh, up close.
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| Fantastic view of Big Ben from Trafalgar Square |
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| The National Gallery |
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| Standing on the steps of the National Gallery |
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| Standing in Trafalgar Square |
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| "Sunflowers" by Vincent Van Gogh in the National Gallery |
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| "Van Gogh's Chair" in the National Gallery |
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Probably my favorite painting of all: "Crab on its Back" by
Vincent Van Gogh |
After visiting the National Gallery, Eric and I went to 2 iconic English pubs, recommended by Eric's great uncle. The first, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, first opened in London in 1538, and was rebuilt after the Great Fire in 1667. The pub has numerous different rooms, with low ceilings and narrow stair-wells. Eric and I sat in the Cellar Bar, which is in the basement.
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| Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese |
We then moved on to dinner at
The Blackfriar. Even though we went at a typically busy time (7pm on a Saturday), we were able to get a table in their small dining room. We had wings and burgers, and an apple crumble cake for dessert - everything was so delicious!
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| The Blackfriar |
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| Enjoying a half-pint of the recommended ale! |
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| The Blackfriar dining room |
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| Spectacular apple crumb cake! |
Today, I was able to visit some of the most famous places in London, and it was a great experience. I can't believe I've already been here for more than 2 months; the time is flying by! In 10 days, my family will finally arrive, and after that, I'll be off on the trip of a lifetime for Spring Break!
