London

I finally got to see more of the world than just Ireland!  While I am glad that I got to know Ireland incredibly well, it would have been disappointed if I hadn't gotten the chance to go anywhere else during my time here.  Luckily, my finals went off without a hitch and I got to cram London and Edinburgh into a four day trip before I head back to the States in TWO DAYS! 

London was great, and I was pretty much excited about everything I saw because it was all so new.  I have never been to NYC so London is the largest city I've ever been in and it was overwhelming to have so much going on around you at all times. (Fun fact: technically the "City of London" is only about a square mile, but London is used to describe the surrounding area that includes other cities like Westminster, which counts as "Greater London.") My friend Rachel and I met up with one of my childhood friends who has been studying there and she showed us around at night before we braved it on our own the next day.  Another thing we figured out is that every city has at least one Christmas Market this time of year and they all have the exact same types of food and drink.  And they are great! 

Trafalgar Square

Harrod's aka The Land of Dreams because I don't even think I could afford to breathe the air inside. 

Harrod's Toy Land

SO many toy displays!

Yet another Christmas market in London

Buckingham Palace

The London Underground ("the tube")

At M&M World, where they had DARK chocolate PEANUT M&M's

Ready to see Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre

All ready to go climb aboard the Hogwarts Express

The Tower of London

Tower Bridge

London Fog! The buildings were disappearing eerily into the sky

"The Monument" -- not sure why it wasn't given a more specific name

London Bridge

Millennium Bridge-- the one that breaks in Harry Potter for all you nerds out there

I think this is St. Paul's Cathedral but I forgot

Obligatory picture with a phone booth

The London Eye

Big Ben!

Big Ben and Parliament

Westminster Abbey from a distance

Downing St, home of the Prime Minister (like our White House)

Horse Guard Parade

Some double decker buses

The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square

Next to a lion statue at Trafalgar Square

An interesting blue chicken...I don't think I'll ever quite understand modern art

Street performer "levitating" as Yoda

M&M's do Abbey Road

Picadilly Circus

The Novello Theatre