England

For our first international travel experience, we went on a three week adventure in northwestern Europe with Patrick and Jordan. Our first stop was the United Kingdom.

Oxford (June 11-15)

Our travel to England lasted about 24 hours, so we were naturally exhausted by the time we got to Oxford. Jordan showed us where she had been living and learning for the past year. We were introduced to the best cider in the world, a proper pitcher of Pimm's, and plenty of cobblestone streets. We had a difficult time getting on our new schedule, but we managed. We also ate from a nearby food truck called Hassan's that I will never forget, because it opened my eyes to truth, beauty, and garlic mayo.

We took a nice tour of Oxford where we saw the beautiful colleges and went punting, which basically means that Patrick used a long pole to push us down a river while we relaxed and got attacked by ducks. It's a really cool place, and it was neat to see all of the history in the city. Also, the pubs were cool.


London (June 12)

For our first real day in London, we did all the touristy things. We saw Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etcetera. We went to Harrod's where my heart stopped a thousand times, because I couldn't understand how a single store could contain so much perfection. We ate at a delicious Belgian place called Belgo. The highlight of this first day in London was the Globe Theatre, where we saw A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Bath (June 14)

Our day trip to Bath was just a relaxing day away from the city. We saw the Roman baths, which are interesting, but that only lasts a couple of hours. We wandered around the shops in the town a little, and we ended up spending the afternoon in a park. There were some great dogs, and it was a nice time to chill.

Leavesden (June 15)

The peak of my life was when I walked on the same hallowed grounds as the cast members from the Harry Potter films. If you are a fan of HP, you'll want to add this Warner Bros. studio tour to your list of life goals immediately. It was actually everything I could have ever wanted. It's full of props, sets, and every other thing glorious in this world. I could talk about Leavesden forever, because it changed my life. I never wanted to leave.


London (July 1-2)

At the end of our travels, we spent a couple of days in London. I was quite sick for the first one, but the second one was awesome. Shelby and I had a great day finding Platform 9¾, finishing up souvenir shopping, and taking pictures of all the things we missed.



Bryce :)