[P] London. August 2nd - August 13th.

During my last two weeks in London I: climbed to the very top of St. Paul's Cathedral,

saw the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London,

visited and attended a service at Westminister Abbey,

took a daytrip to Oxford,

explored Kew Gardens,

had tea at Kensington Palace,

and visited Abbey Road.

Thanks for everything London! I miss you already.

[P] Edinburgh. July 31st - August 1st.

We took an early morning train from King’s Cross to Edinburgh, Scotland for a jam packed two days. 

Our first day we walked the Royal Mile, visited St. Gile’s Cathedral, climbed Arthur’s Seat, and climbed Calton Hill to visit the National and Nelson’s monuments. 

We divided the next day between visiting Edinburgh Castle, which houses the Scottish Crown Jewels or the Honours of Scotland, and Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the monarch of Scotland. Unfortunately, we never saw any Highland cows but we had a great view of sheep and the sea from our train windows.

[P] London. July 23rd - July 30th.

The first session of class has ended bringing much celebration. The night after our final we made reservations at the the Absolut Ice Bar. A bar that is kept below freezing where the bar, cups, and other items are all made of ice. You're also given poncho with a furry hood and gloves to keep warm. A free drink is included in the price and I got the one that glows in the dark - it tasted like gummy worms.

The next day I went to the Tate, a museum of contemporary art, by way of the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames. It is definitely my favorite so far. That night we went to the much talked about Ministry of Sound, famous for being the first club in London dedicated to house music and ranked in the top 10 in the world. I was pleasantly surprised to find Bob Sinclair in one of the rooms, who I recognized from a song a friend put on a mixtape for me (see video below).

Bob Sinclar - World Hold On video clip

The second session then began and I started my Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development class. It is much easier and enjoyable. During the first week I slipped away after and between classes to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.