Week #6

This week was a wonderful one. I look back through my pictures and can't believe all of the things that I have done. 

This past Saturday a group of us decided to go and watch the changing of the guard and Buckingham Palace. It was so crowded. I couldn't believe it. There were hundreds of people there scattered all along the streets. Fortunately for us, we were slowly able to make it towards the front.

Our lovely group. It was so much fun going with this bunch.

After changing of the guard we went to the Dale Chihuly exhibit. For those of you who don't know who he is, he is a famous glass blower from Tacoma, Washington. His work is known worldwide. Some of you may have seen his big glass sculpture in Salt Lake City at Abravanel Hall.

This is his work in Abravanel Hall in
Salt Lake City. Pretty Amazing.

              
       

       

Isn't his work amazing? I can't believe the things that he can create with glass. It almost didn't seem real. 

Tuesday was a really fun day. My roommates and Andrew decided to go to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. I let my inner Harry Potter nerd come out. I was dying. We got to see the actual sets and wardrobe that they used in the films along with thousands of other props. It was so much fun.

Entrance to Dumbledor's office

The trunk Mad Eye Moody was trapped in

The Burrow

Magic is Might

The Marauder's Map

The Ministry of Magic

Serious Black's family tree tapestry 

Just chilling on Harry's front porch drinking butter beer

Diagon Alley

J.K. Rowling even has her own wand box

The Great Hall

Gryfindor Robes (Can you see Nevill's sweater?)

Harry's first year robe

Mcgonagall, Dumbledor, Snape

Remember this at the Yule Ball? 

Dress Robes 

Makeup Station

Fleur's shows, hat, and gloves 

The many jackets of Harry Potter

Gryffindor Common Room

Ron's Bed

Harry's Bed 

Potion's Room 

Dumbledor's Office

Hermione, Ron, and Harry wardrobe

The Talking Portraits 

Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets

Bridge at Hogwarts

Voldemort....gross

Hogwarts

Found my name!

Harry's Cuboard

Greetings from Privet Drive

The Harry Potter Studio Tour was loads of fun. It was awesome being able to see all of the stuff in real life. 

Wednesday we had a free day since our day trip was changed to Saturday. A group of us decided to take the day and go to the National Portrait Gallery.

Afterwords we made our way to a pub to try bangers and mash. It was pretty tasty.

Then we went to Harrods. This is the night that I ate a piece of heaven. It is called a Cronut. And let me tell you, it tastes as good as it sounds. So it is a croissant donut. Hmmm...I could eat one everyday.

Thursday we journeyed to the famous Abbey Road. There was almost a whole block of graffiti by fans of The Beatles. It was really neat. Lots of them had written their favorite Beatle lyric and then signed their name. 

I even left my mark 

Pretty close. To make our picture as close to The Beatles I took off my shoes. I think Paul would be proud.

Friday we went to Westminster Cathedral. It was so beautiful. I loved seeing all of the graves of famous people, especially Charles Dickens and Sir. Isaac Newton. It was weird thinking that's where there body is. 

Us outside of Westminster. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside.

After Westminster we walked to the Tate Museum. It rained the entire time.

Happy Valentines from London!

There were so many beautiful paintings, especially those done by JMW Turner. My favorite though was a self portrait by Rose-Finn Kelcey called, The Restless Image.

Isn't it cool. I love her shoes.

 Saturday was our day trip. We went to two beautiful places. The first was Blenheim Palace. It was seriously straight out of a Jane Austen novel.

Can you believe it? The grounds were beautiful.

So was the building itself.

The artwork was insane.

I loved the gardens.

This is the room where Winston Churchill was born. 

After Blenheim it was off to Oxford. Home to so much history and beautiful buildings. Not to mention my two favorite authors, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. 

The lamp that inspired CS Lewis for
The Lion, The Witch,  and The Wardrobe

This staircase was filmed in Harry Potter. If you remember the first
film when the students go up the staircase to ender the
Great Hall, well, these are those stairs.

This is another place that was filmed in Harry Potter. It was the Hospital Wing.

Students celebrating the middle of there term.

The Eagle and Child. JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis would come here with their literary group the Inklings. 

They would sit right here. Kinna fun. 

You could say this was a packed week, because it was. I can't believe all that I did. This next week we are going to the southwest of England. I am really excited. We are going to be able to see the coast. It is going to be beautiful!