5/26 – London Day 3

Long post incoming!!! This has been my busiest day yet, and it was so much fun! It started once again with Starbucks to wake me up, and shortly after I met up with our group to head over to the Tower of London. I was especially excited to visit the Tower of London because of everything I would be able to learn. I had been there before when I was much younger, and at the time, I didn’t appreciate its vast history as I do now. Just walking up to the architecture was an experience in and of itself I think the design of the building was especially interesting to me because you can see its age. On our usual walks around London, we see buildings lined with ornate carvings and inlays; however, with the Tower of London, the building seemed less delicate and more sturdy in comparison. While outside of the tower, I got the chance to read about one historical figure that caught my interest in the worst way: King Edward I. I learned that King Edward I had the Jewish population pay for the majority of construction of the Tower of London, and afterwards he enacted the Edict of Expulsion. The Edict of Expulsion was a royal decree that expelled the Jewish population from England. Currently, King Edward I is accredited with constructing much of the current appearance of the Tower of London, albeit his own lack of funding.

Once inside the Tower of London, we had the opportunity to view the crown jewels. I think what surprised me most about this exhibit was just how intricate each piece was, and that there were more than one of each garment for a single person. For example, King Charles the II had different maces made, even though all were in good condition with designs that had only slight differences.

Despite my love for the crown jewels, my favorite part of the Tower of London would have to be the White Tower. There were so many different parts of the White Tower that made it unique! I loved how there were areas that showed the original foundation and flooring of the tower, that we were able to see the varieties of armor for both horses and man, and that we could see everyday items as they were (like a fireplace and toilet). Looking into the development of equipment during this part of history was captivating. I learned things I wouldn’t even think of– like how there were very realistic busts made to help artisans craft armor for those in power, and that these artisans were severely underpaid. There was also one of the earliest known wall fireplaces called the Norman Fireplace. The Norman Fireplace allowed for the escape of smoke from the White Tower (which was a big improvement from when they would just set a fire in the middle of the tower’s flooring).

Of course, after my hour and a half of roaming and learning in the Tower of London, I made my way to get some ice cream. I think ice cream will have to be a daily tradition for me while in London! Today I had the salted caramel flavor, and I will probably have it tomorrow and the day after as well.

After my ice cream, I left to go on the tube (which I am now a self-proclaimed pro at) to meet up with my mom who just flew into London yesterday! We had a wonderful time in Chinatown and Soho. In Chinatown, we stopped to eat dim sum and get boba. For dim sum we went to Orient London which was well priced and delicious, and for boba we went to Cha Time, a staple chain for boba in both the UK and US. We ended up walking around Chinatown and taking in all of what it had to offer, being mainly beautiful ambiances and good smells.

We then made our way to Soho to do some window shopping, and I had to take a moment to appreciate all of the interesting garments the stores had to offer. My favorite part of Soho, however, were the Harry Potter related stores. The first of these stores we visited was MinaLima. MinaLima is the design studio that is behind the graphic design of props and logos you see in the Harry Potter films! Their shop had a lot of posters, and one that stood out to me was a prop replica of a poster from Fantastic Beasts and the Crimes of Grindelwald. I caved and bought it- which was my last purchase of the day! I thought it was perfect for me since I love movie props. After MinaLima, we went to the Noble Collection, which had an array of movie and TV prop replicas. Sadly, all of the Harry Potter replicas I was interested in were out of stock and put out as display only, but it was still cool to be able to see them in person.

After Soho, we went to a chain takeaway sushi spot called Wasabi. Wasabi is affordable and delicious! I will definitely be getting it again, and recommend it to those in a rush. It is also right around the corner from Russell Square station– so convenient!! My mom and I scrambled from Wasabi to the beautiful Adelphi theatre to see Back to the Future. Before I get into talking about this show, I would like to warn those who are sensitive to light and sound to not see it. It is filled with flashing lights and a very loud (but very talented) pit orchestra.

Back to the Future was easily one of the most fun and light hearted musicals I have seen. I had my doubts as many people do when they hear the words, “Back to the Future... but a musical”. Don’t be afraid! It was wonderful! At a certain point during the show, I couldn’t stop smiling at all of the references to lines from the original Back to the Future, and even references to other pop culture icons like Star Wars and Doctor Who. The set design was also spectacular, and there were effects that left me speechless. There was even a part of the show where I thought I was just watching the movie on the screen! Another stand out part of the show was the pit orchestra. They were loud and proud, and I was jealous of the fact that they were getting paid to play such emblematic music. What made the music so amazing were the subtle (and overt) nods to the original Back to the Future theme song, as well as how well each piece was executed by the pit. If you do end up going to see this show, I hope you are able to see the same cast as me. Each member of the cast was top notch, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else in their roles. Please go see this show if you like letting loose, or if you love nostalgia, or even if you just like breathing! Go see the show!

That just about wraps up my Day 3 in London. Sleep is calling and I’m going to answer. I’ll check back in for Day 4 tomorrow!