Westminster Abbey

Elisabeth snapped a photo of me and Devin.  Parliament Square is so much nicer without the construction now!

My friends, Devin and Elisabeth, and I took a study break to head over to Westminster Abbey.  I'd walked by it many times before but hadn't gone in (it costs 13 pounds so you can't really just saunter in there hah).  It was quite a sight though.  I didn't really know what an "abbey" was per se.  I knew it meant people were burried there but I always just assumed they had a little courtyard where people were buried but actually, while they do have a tiny courtyard (where no one is burried), people are entombed indoors under the floor and in, what are essentially, statues.  I know that sounds strange but I'm not sure how to describe it.  The cathedral itself was incredibly brightly lit by the sunlight and very nicely decorated like most churches I've seen throughout Europe.  But as you walk around the perimeter you'll find small rooms to the side with one or two giant stone boxes with statues of a king or queen laying in the same position that I imagine the bodies were laid in.  There are small rooms for the royalty, a small room for the Royal Air Force, the poets corner, a place for prime ministers, etc.  Poets corner had writers such as Chaucer and Dickens with statues honoring people like Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde (who are not buried there).  The cathedral also had the place where the Knights of the Order of Bath (I hope I got that right) have their.... seats?  I don't know how to explain what they are because I'm not terribly aware myself but basically these special people, chosen by a committee that meets at Windsor Castle, have their own seats.........  Sorry I can't be more informative.  Any who, it was a really good time and I'm glad I had some friends to come along with me.  I suppose I should get back to studying... thanks for reading!

Some hail and rain was passing through so the sky was really dark on one side and quite blue on the other.  It was really cool looking...

The BT Tower is right outside my bedroom window so for the most part I stare at this all day while I study.  Not a bad view :)

Just one more week of exams!  But leaving London in 10 days :(

New Blog Style

I know that, at the very least, my parents will be confused when they see this new format so I thought I'd help out the less technologically advanced a bit.  I'm trying out this new blog style but if I decide I don't like it I may switch back to the old one.

So you're (probably) on the home page.  All the way to the right is a little tab and if you scroll over it, links to my blog description, "Cities," "Posts," and a subscribe button will appear.  I can't get the other sidebars back unfortunately.  If you're feeling really hopeless and are thinking, "Aww but now I can't read the posts, it only shows a preview..."  Well, Mom, you need to click on the post and it will pop up the whole post.  :)


Lastly, in the left top corner you should be able to choose other styles if you so desire to change the format yourself but the old style is not available.  Maybe I'll just change it back... Well, I'll give it a week and see how it goes I suppose.  Feel free to comment below on your thoughts.  I'm curious if you prefer the old version, or one of the styles in the left top corner.  Thanks!

By the way, I fly back to DC on May 27th!  Only two weeks left in London :(

Harry Potter

Me in Potions class witih Snape (that pot in the background actually stirs itself).

Brendan and I have been to quite a few Harry Potter spots over the year.  I still have yet to go to "platform 9 and 3/4" at King's Cross but for my birthday my parents got me tickets to the Harry Potter Warner Bro's Studio Tour!!!  It was amazing, absolutely amazing.  I would even return there a second time in the future because it was that cool.  It was basically a Harry Potter museum with all the sets and props.  You also get to learn all about the people who helped work on the set, design, script, etc.  For example, there were 20 make-up artists working each day, the film had it's own engineering team, and there are SO MANY PROPS that had to be made for these films.  You simply wouldn't believe how many things were not just computer generated.  My friend Elisabeth (from Austria) came with me to tour the studio.  We spent about six hours there so honestly, if you go, make it an all day event haha.  Well, if you like Harry Potter.  Anyways, hopefully you'll recognize the spots below.  I'd go into more detail about the studio but I don't want to completely spoil it for anyone who has yet to go and if you don't want to know how the magic of the films is created, then don't scroll down... :)

Courtyard at Oxford

Stairs at Oxford that were used for a few scenes inside the castle.

The infirmiry and the place where McGonagall teaches them to dance for the Yule ball. 

The infirmary / door that Harry and Hermione run through after using the time turner.

Me in the room that inspired the great hall and the tree in the courtyard where Moody turns Draco into a ferret.

The bridge that the death eaters destroy in London (the Millenium Bridge).

Harry Potter Warner Bro's Studio Tour

The cupboard under the stairs!

Gryffendor Table

professor's table

The Great Hall

from the Yule ball 

Dumbledore's hair and the jackets Daniel Radcliffe wears for the scene in the seventh film.  He had four jackets that got progessively more torn and burnt.

Umbridge's decrees

The common room and a hallway that wasn't actually a hallway.  The chair is only about five feet from where I was standing and far too small to fit a person.

The moving picture frames!

Hagrid's hut

A stair case, the entrance to the chamber of secrets, a Gringot's vault door, and a door to Hogwarts.

Hagrid's Hut

The Weasley's

Magic is Might and Umbridge's Office

Death Eaters and Voldemort

Chocolate Frog!  You could buy one--for 8 pounds...

Harry's Letters

The Hogwarts Letter

Plastic coins (from Harry's vault)

Marauder's Map

Ministry of Magic and Umbridge's Office

The thing with the hoarcrux in the 6th film.

Over 3000 Wands were made for the film!

Moody's trunk with a mirror showing a small photo of Moody in the bottom and the door to Hogwarts with a stair case (used for close ups).

Hoarcruxes!

Dumbledore's Office and Pensieve

The Snitch!

Step into my office... the stairs that come up are actually functional.  They had to have a 12 foot deep well under what you see.

The mirror of Erised

Gryffindor Common Room

The Black Family Wall Paper

Tom Riddle's Tombstone

The bridge!

The Potter's

The chess pieces!  Some of them actually move/explode.

Butterbeer!  So good--basically it's like butterscotch-y cream soda with whipped cream.

 Elisabeth with her butterbeer.

Elisabeth trying to flag haha.  The Knightbus!

Elisabeth infront of 4 Privet Drive

4 Privet Drive!  And then we entered the third stage with the animatronics/masks--this is fenrir greyback's mask.

Harry masks, Griphook, Voldemort/Quirrell, and Dumbledore's hands.

Hagrid's animatronic head!  This was only used when they needed Hagrid to be walking somewhere or something.

Engineering!!  If only I could've helped build these things... they actually had engineer's on site to work on these things--even Scabbers was animatronic!  For the werewolves they had someone wearing that head and those feet.

More animatronic items.

Grawp's head.

Buckbeak was animatronic too!

More models.

Diagon Alley!!  So cool.

Shops in Diagon Alley

Owls in Diagon Alley

Models of The Three Broomsticks and The Burrow

The castle!  The lights changed the "time of day".  A day was probably two minutes long.

More of the castle grounds.

Sunset?

Daytime?

The entrance to the studio.

 The gift shop.

That's all!  Thanks for reading :)