London Calling - Day 6

So sad! We have come to our final day in London. :( Today was just as busy as the rest. (Technically, we woke up the next morning in London but only went to the airport and flew home.)

We started today by going to King's Cross Station to visit Platform 9 3/4 (where Harry Potter left for Hogwarts). After the previous day's Harry Potter overload, this was even more special. 

After King's Cross Station, we went to the Charles Dickens Museum. I have always loved Dickens. When I was a child, my mom gave me a copy of A Christmas Carol with an inscription in it. I read this novel for the first time that year and have read it every year since. Without a doubt, it is my favorite novel (if I had to choose). I am also a lover of A Tale of Two Cities, even if it hurts a bit at the end. 

Again, I was excited and encouraged to learn that Charles Dickens wrote at the same time every day! He lived by routine and could not do anything else worthwhile in a day if he didn't get his writing done. :) Yay for great writers! 

I should also mention I drank a LOT of coffee in London. After every meal, coffee or tea was served, and I opted for coffee nearly every time. This definitely fed my coffee addiction but also helped keep me alert as I was dog-tired most of the time. 

After the Charles Dickens museum, we made a quick pitstop to see Peter Pan! 

Our final stop was the Tower of London! Again, I don't feel we had enough time, but it was fun nonetheless. We got to see where people were beheaded (creepy!), tour a castle set up as it would have been in the 1200s, and toured the White Tower which has historical significance in England. The Tower of London was built as a protector of London, but was used for a lot of killings. The Crown Jewels are also housed here! 

The next morning we hopped on a plane and came home! :) 

London Calling - Day 5

Without a doubt, this was my FAVORITE day of the trip. I had no idea this would be my favorite or just how much a certain adventure would mean to me. I was pleasantly surprised.

Today, we went to the Warner Bros Studios where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. How special! In 1998 when the first book was released, I was 11-years-old, same age as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I literally grew up with these books. I was a junior in college when the last book was released. For each new book release, I was waiting in line at midnight to purchase it and would spend the week after doing nothing but reading. 

I had no idea I would love the Harry Potter studios so much. They have converted the the studios into a tour that includes mini-films about how the movies were made, green screens, and the sets from the movie. You feel as if you are walking through Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and experiencing magic. I thought this experience would ruin the movies for me, but I watched the first movie upon returning from London and loved it more (if that was possible). This was a highlight of the trip! :) 

We only got to spend 3-hours at this stop, which was not nearly enough time. If I return, I will plan an entire day here. It was superb. I even got to fly an enchanted car and ride a broomstick! 

After Harry Potter, we traveled to the tiny village of Missenden for the Roald Dahl museum and to see Roald Dahl's grave. This was the most adorable little village I have ever seen! Perfect English countryside with a precious row of houses. The museum was small but provided a lot of information about Roald Dahl's life, including the fact that he was a routine writer who wrote every day at a set time (just like me!). The museum hosted storytelling which the future teachers in my group loved. It was a busy, fun day!

London Calling - Day 4

Overall, Day 4 was one of my favorites (though, they all were). This was one of the busiest days we had. The morning was free time and the rest of the day was packed!

During the free time, I went to the Churchill War Rooms which are the location Churchill fought World War II from. An entire museum was set up to Winston Churchill and the rooms were kept the way they looked when Churchill used them. The rooms were in constant use for six years during the war. In fact, the map room (where most of the planning took place) did not turn out it's lights for six straight years! 

After the War Rooms, I visited the National Portrait Gallery. This is a free museum that includes portraits of all the monarchs in order of their reign. Very cool! The portraits of famous philosophers, clergymen, academics, and even mistresses were also included in the museum. 

After the museum-morning, the girls got a special treat. Our tour guide just happens to be married to a famous children's book author in the United Kingdom, Chris Wormell. We were lucky enough to have him come do an author talk with the girls. He talked about his inspiration and how he writes his books. Hearing about the author process was very special for me. We also treated both our tour guide and Chris to dinner that night, so I talked his ear off about creative writing. How wonderful! :) 

This night was also extra special because we went to a fancy dinner and the theater! We saw Matilda the Musical to continue the children's literature theme. I have never seen a musical with a cast of children. It was precious and magnificent! I downloaded the iTunes as soon as I got back to the states and have been listening to those precious children non-stop. 

What a day!