Saturday: Going backwards in Time

So I left the flat at 7 am and I got to Las Vegas at 1:10 pm, but I spent 10 hours in flight.
Then I waited for 5 hours for my connecting flight, which finally left at 6:15 pm and I arrived home close to 9 pm, but it was only an hour flight with a thirty minute drive home. HUH?! Disregarding all of that - I'm home after a fantastic learning abroad trip.

Friday: Finals!

Friday, the 17th of June. We had our finals and then the rest of the day to pack and say good-bye. I was saying good-bye to London more than my classmates. I'll see them again, we do go to the same school at home, but London, that's a different story.

Here are some pictures of my final hours in this city:

Door Knocker and Handle to School Building

Walking to and from class I pass this garden entry

And this is the house opposite that garden door - doesn't look like a place in the center of the city

A few steps away from #6 (see above) is this charming square, with a small park in the center. This is directly behind the embassy which is next door to our flat.

After walking back to the flat after finals, I finished packing and organizing. Toward the end of the day I walked around the neighborhood and in Kensington Park. That was the closest I came to crying and the thought of leaving this city. This experience has been truly wonderful.

Statue of Prince Albert facing the Queens Gate of Kensington Gardens

Seal on the Queens Gate to Kensington Gardens

The Albert Memorial as seen from the Royal Albert Hall

Royal Geographical Society - I was just passing on the street and I saw this amazing brick building

Same Building

Mile Marker in the wall of the Geographical Society's Building

It's always nice to know where you are!

The following are all from Kensington Park and in front of Kensington Palace. I never went inside the palace, but I enjoyed the grounds whenever I could.

This is an exhibit at The Serpentine Gallery in the park. It is all steel, wow!

During the walk I found myself walking on a lawn that had an entire city of these guys. It is very easy to believe in fairies when such wonderful houses are beneath your feet.

Thursday: Last class day

So I finally stopped on the way to class and snapped a pic of a beautiful side mew I pass every week:

Cornwall Mews

A history lesson - Pre-motor vehicle age people used horse power or feet to get from place to place. Mews were the stabling areas behind the large houses and mansions in  European cities, most especially in London. Now the horses and carriages are no longer housed in these areas, but they make cut little houses for people persons. This is one of the more picturesque mews I pass. 

The rest of the day I spent getting ready to leave, boohoo, packing and cleaning, ect.

Wednesday: Free Day, the last...

Wednesday was a free day that I took the opportunity to visit Holmes Museum on Baker Street and see more of the city.

No, I din't take the underground to get here, but the signage is perfect, don't you think? This is just a few yards from the Museum entrance.

And here is the street sign 

I took the bus to get here, but my camera was running out of battery so I only got a picture or two of the journey. I like travelling in the double-deckers!

The Wellington Arch at the west corner of Green Park

On the nice days the skies are beautiful!, even sometimes on the cloudy days.

I only visited the Homes Museum shop, although I heard the Museum itself is fun.

Selfie again, that's what you get when you travel alone! But look, blue scarf!

Jesica asked me to get a picture in front of the museum, (or was it 221b Baker Street?) well, I went to the Museum!

Later that day I went to a little shop on Strand Street that sells coins, stamps, and other collectables. It also has:

There was an entire rack, but only about 15 names from my family lines, so I got 9 little crests. Amazingly they didn't have Sloan or Lyons, but I'm happy with the selection I did get.

On the way back to the flat, again in the front top level of the bus, I caught this picture. 

I love how London is such a large layering of styles and cultures and times. Look at that old Victorian era brickwork and right under is a modern store. It is very easy to fall in love with this city. 

Sunday: Warner Brother's Studio Tour in Leavesden

 Okay, one of the best nights ever! I got to tour the studio where they made Harry Potter! A lot of pictures to follow, and it's only a portion of the pictures I took. And it can't do justice to everything I saw....ohhh so exciting!

About a thirty minute train ride west from London is Watford Junction, where we got on a shuttle for another fifteen or twenty minute ride

The front doors to a highly anticipated and totally tourist attraction

In line to start the tour, you just happen to have the cupboard under the stairs

The guardians of Hogwarts, there are more on the other side of the door.

The front doors of Hogwarts, so much detail!

Now for the Great Hall:

Yes, it is full of people and cameras, but still, look at the size. It is modeled after Middle Temple Hall, remember that?

A house table along the side of the hall

Lantern holder

Lantern holder

Great Fireplace in Hall

A Ravenclaw student outfit and the House seal

The sorting hat is a necessity  for the first dinner of the school year!

Introductions are in order - these will be your teachers for the year!

Dumbledore's welcoming speech is always interesting.

And the Props and sets for over 10 years! Have fun identifying the sets and props for which movies. They weren't set out in any order, so every step you took you got a surprise! Fun!!!

That's a lot of sets, I get excited just looking at the pictures, I had so much fun! As some of my classmates would say - I'm totally geeking out!!!!

As I left this warehouse area, I came to Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express:

It is so fascinating all the detail created for this world! I did go into the train car and viewed all the compartments, but the lighting was terrible for pictures. They had set up five or six compartments each with key scenes from the movies - with the luggage and snacks and such - but this panorama was the only one open and well enough lit to get a good picture. Still cool!

Then head to a dining area (modern and contemporary) where butterbeer's are sold and leading to an outdoor area for more fun stuff!

exterior lot sets

Privet Drive set, only opened for a short time - containing only the stairs and the million letters sitting room.

The Potters Cottage - was the evening light beautiful! Highlighting a nice big hole in the roof!

Chess Knight

Full size chess pieces

 No, it's not done yet! The creature shop was next on the tour. And they call it a tour, but really you are let free to wander to your hearts content for as long as you want!

Really, how amazing is all this stuff! An animatronic of Hagrid's head, a bowing Buckbeak, dragons, spiders, snakes and thestrals...ohhhhh so cool!!! And we must never forget Luna's roaring Gryffindor Lion hat!

And turn another corner, Diagon Alley!  It felt so real, and now that I've been in London for a bit I appreciate all the detail and realism they invested in this place. I am so glad I went!

McMullpeppers Apothecary

Ollivanders Wands

Slug & Juggers Apothecary

Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment

Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour

Eyelops Owl Emporium

Flourish and Blotts Books

Quidditch Supplies

Weasley's Wizarding Whizzes

Madame Malkins Robes

Animal Shop

I hope I got most of the names right, but I very well could have got them incorrect. but just walking down that street was fantastic!

 Now for a breather...

Drafting and Design Room, beautiful!

Conceptual Art, this is only a quarter of the art on display.

Bet you were wondering who this was, but imagine it; this was created because it added another touch of realism to this world!

Would you believe me if I said we were nearing the end? I wouldn't! But now for the crowning glory of the tour: ( Have you ever imagined that you could enter the Hogwarts Castle from the movies and books? Well this is as close as possible, and so beautiful.)

This minuture took up the space of a small house and was at least two stories tall. The walk started at the top and slowly wended around the perimeter in a circular path. The detail was amazing and so fine. I could zoom in on my camera up to 20x's and the detail was still just as fine as before the zoom. I would love to work on something like this! I get excited just thinking about it!!

Now we come to the end:

That is a lot of wands! And a lot of names!

 The only souvenirs I got from the store:

A hard copy guide book of the entire experience

A drawing pad

And a wand - it is magical because it disappeared within 24 hours. Yum!

The experience was amazing! I  would love to go back and spend another 3 to 6 hours exploring, but as I only had this one time, I tried to make the most of it. It was a terrific experience, much better than I expected!!!