Greenwich

I went on a day trip to Greenwich, accessible from the Tube. You do have to take the overground, so it takes about 40-50 minutes to get there. Greenwich is right on the River  Thames and home to the Old Royal Navy College. Theres' a National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Greenwich Observatory. It has a huge park, a market, and a beautiful view of the city. They had the best make your own trail mix here: honey cashews, walnuts, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and dried bannanas=delicious!Part of the Old Royal Naval College, currently University of Greenwich and part of Trinity College of MusicLittle bit of a hike...The Time Ball!So so prettyThis was one of the earliest electrically driven public clocks and was installed in 1852The red time ball on top of Flamsteed House was one of the world's first visual time signals. It was installed to enable navigators on ships in the Thames to check their marine chronometers.

Definitely making another trip back here, it's so pretty!

My Fair Lady

I am really fortunate that one of professors that I have for two of my classes, Robin, likes to take us to museums and markets instead of sitting in class. Something that would NEVER happen at URI. Not that Rhode Island offers much, other than Slater Mill :| Also, I forgot my camera battery charger in the States, so I do apologize for the picture quality from my iPod. My mother was so kind as to mail me my battery, so soon enough I'll be able to take more pictures :)

Markets to check out:

Portobello Market:

I recommend going on Friday morning. There’s a lot of great vintage finds here, from fur coats to unique rings. There’s shops nearby, and a Starbucks :) There’s a big price range here, so depending on what you’re looking for, there’s something for everyone.



Camden Market

This is my favorite market thus far. I have been during the week, and on the weekend. And even though I’m not one for big crowds, I highly recommend going on a Sunday. There is SO much to see here. There’s vendors and shops everywhere. This market is quite popular, and it’s more modern than the others. This is not where you come to find vintage pieces, but there’s some amazing jewelry here...and I fell in love with too much:)



Covent Gardens

Oh I do love this area, it’s hard not to. There’s cobble stones everywhere, and you feel like you’re in a movie. Maybe that’s because you’ve seen My Fair Lady, and recognize this market as the market where Eliza Doolittle bought her flowers. She sold them on the steps of the modern day Opera House. Check this out on Monday morning! There’s loads of vendors selling vintage items at very cheap prices! I came here to look for a couple pieces to shoot for a still life in my styling class, and left satisfied. I also left very cold, because even though this an outdoor market, there’s a river that runs underneath it making it even colder. They use to store the flowers here, because it’s practically a refrigerator!





I still need to check out Brick Lane, Spitalfield, and Greenwich Market :)

I've been to London to see the Queen

Once again, Tony took us out on a Monumental London Walk. We got to see Buckingham Palace, and although it was probably the most tourist-like thing that I have done (minus the telephone picture...I had to.), I really truly enjoyed it! I did not get to go inside, because the Queen is living there right now and tours are only offered in the summer when she isn’t there, but the atmosphere was great! I really do want to see the inside, but I guess that’s only a reason to come back ;) 

London Bridge is Falling Down

Tony is the director of international student affairs for AIU, and he takes us out on many of the tours that this school offers. He's the best! He knows everything about everything, and gives us all the historical information everywhere we go! We did so much on the Scenic London Walk. I think these pictures say it better than I can :) But we saw St. Paul's Cathedral, the new millennium bridge (aka: the wibbly wobbly bridge), the entrance to the LEAKY CAULDRON, the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Borrough market, and Harrods!

Keep Calm and Carry On

I can't believe three weeks have already gone by since I boarded the plane in Boston on New Year's Day and arrived in London on January 2, 2012. I also can't believe all that I've done and all that I've seen in that short amount of time. I already love London, because I don't think a lifetime here would be enough time to do everything, but I'm sure going to try :)

My very first day here went by in a blur, it took be over two hours to get through customs, and by that time my driver that was supposed to take me to Bloomfield Court, my housing, was long gone. I randomly selected a man holding a sign to pick someone else up to ask him if he knew the driving company I was looking for. And to my surprise, and luck, he worked for the company! So I waited just a few minutes before I was picked up! It was my first time driving (as a passenger of course!) on the left (wrong) side of the road. I arrived at my housing sometime around noon and we had a welcome dinner around 6 p.m. I ran around trying to gather everything I needed from shampoo to a cell phone. And after lasting at the dinner for no more than an hour, my social skills were at an all time low, I went to bed at 8 p.m.

Amusingly, I woke up at 1:30 p.m. London time the next day, meaning I slept 17 hours. This small coma that I took made me miss my orientation and first class at AIU. I woke up very confused at what time it could possibly be, and then realized that I missed the last group that left at 12 noon to head to school. My class started at 2 p.m. and goes until 6:45 p.m., so I knew that I should probably still try and make the second half at least. Strangely I didn't really panic, but instead got ready, and ran out of my apartment. I had no idea what bus I was supposed to take to the tube, so I just power walked there. Not really sure where it was, I hoped that I didn't walk by it, but at last I came across Holloway Road tube station. I asked the worker where Marylebone High Street was. He told me I needed to get on the central line, and get off at Marylebone station. This was not right.

I ended up getting off there, walking around quite a bit, hoping on a bus, and walking around even more. I was wondering on Weymouth Street, and then asked a door man where Marylebone High Street was, and he pointed me in the right direction. I finally found my school! I caught the group of girls in this class on break, and was so thankful I did because we apparently had switched classrooms.

Needless to say, I haven't traveled by myself to school since.

Here's my room!