London: Greenwich and South Kensington

Well, let’s get started, then! I live in the borough of South Kensington, which is part of London, but not the City of London. (Confusing, right?) It’s a very posh area of the city, and I’m really lucky to live here. It’s also right next to Imperial College, and I’m hoping to join a choir and even, maybe, an a cappella group.

Gloucester Road Station

Gloucester Road is the closest Tube station to my dorm. The walk there is about the length of the Wheaton campus. Everyone walks here, so I’m going to have to get used to that.

I also live near three big museums: the Natural History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum. My goal is to explore all of them. I’ve already gone to the Natural History Museum. It’s beautiful, and so big. I talked to snakes while I was there and there was a great, humongous dinosaur as we walked in. Definitely going back to see the other parts of the museum.

This is what happens after you reread all the Harry Potter books before coming to London.

The head of the dinosaur at the Natural History Museum.

I also live near Royal Albert Hall. I plan to do a lot while I’m here, from clubbing to operas. So far, the arts events I’ve signed up for are the opera, “La Boheme” and the play, “War Horse.”

Royal Albert Hall

I also went on a boat trip on the Thames River and saw all the historic sights of London, learning a lot about the era of Charles Dickens. I appreciate the history of London, and I think I’ll be learning more about that in my Journalism classes.

The boat trip led us to Greenwich, where we journeyed to the Prime Meridian, or the switch between time zones. France wanted the Prime Meridian, but it lost in a vote so England got it. It’s now a tourist attraction (of course) and costs 7 pounds to see. Luckily, we found a slice for free somewhere else!

Me on the Prime Meridian. One foot in one time zone and one in the other!

The Prime Meridian was at The Royal Observatory, where dukes and yorks studied the skies. The Observatory was a scary building on top of a long, winding hill. Luckily, the view of the London skyline from the top of the hill was amazing.

Lastly, I ventured to a speakeasy or cocktail bar here in London. It had a great atmosphere and a great menu; the drinks were set up by era, such as “Prohibition” and “Second World War.” I had a cup cake cocktail and enjoyed talking to new people and listening to live jazz piano and trumpet.

That’s all for now! For more pictures, and if you know me personally, friend me on Facebook. Otherwise, I’ll be updating my journey with some of my favorite visits here!

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