Although Spring Break had technically ended already, I still had one more adventure in the books: a weekend in Manchester and London. Around midday Thursday, Megan, Mackenzie and I grabbed our bags and headed back to the train station to catch our train to Bristol. Because of a delay, we missed our initial train to Machester, but we were able to grab the next train, getting us into Manchester at around 4:30. A bus took us to our hostel, where we dropped our bags, and then back into the city center.
We ate dinner a few blocks away from the concert hall we would be sitting in later that night at a cute little Italian restaurant. I managed to find a dish that was mostly kosher for Passover - no pasta or breading on the chicken - which was a welcome surprise. We ate quickly, knowing we only had a limited amount of time before we had to be out. From the restaurant, we walked to the main feature of our visit: a Piano Guys concert! Although Mackenzie isn't as big of a fan, Megan and I were ecstatic to be there. We bounced giddily in our seats as they played our favorite pieces - "Secrets" for me, "Titanium" for Megan - and even Mackenzie jammed along when they closed the show with "What Makes you Beautiful." We returned to the hostel after the show and went straight to sleep, excited for the rest of our weekend to begin.
I spent Friday morning doing some important shopping in Manchester while Megan and Mackenzie found a cafe to do some work, where I met them in time to catch our midday train into London. Once we got into London, we decided that we needed to drop off our bags and then find something to eat (Megan's response to Mackenzie's complaint of hunger became the title of this blog), so we hopped on the tube to our hostel to check in. Once we had left our things, we took the tube back in and grabbed a late lunch (this time I found Passover-friendly salmon), followed by a quick scoop of ice cream.
We decided to buy tickets for one of those hop on-hop off buses and spent the rest of the afternoon seeing the landmarks of London from the top of a double-decker bus. Although it got a bit chilly on the top deck, we had a fantastic time seeing the city from a whole new perspective. After dinner at a normal time, we finally headed back to the hostel to plan our Saturday adventures.
My Saturday started a bit earlier than my roommate's. As part of our tour bus ticket, we could watch the changing of the guard ceremony with the tour company. Although Megan and Mackenzie weren't interested, I certainly was, so I headed into the city early and agreed to meet them afterwards for lunch. The tour left from Trafalgar Square and traveled to the oldest residence of the palace complex, the soldier's barracks, Buckingham Palace, and finally the Clarendon residence. Getting to watch the changing of the guard was fantastically fun, and I was glad to have taken the opportunity.
After the ceremony ended, I took the tube to King's Cross Station, where Megan, Mackenzie and I took our pictures at platform 9 3/4. We waited in line, growing increasingly excited each time we got closer to the front. When our turn finally arrived, I went first, announcing "Slytherin" when asked for my house. One of the women working there had wrapped the Slytherin scarf around her neck to demonstrate how to avoid crushing your fingers, and she had to be called over so that I could wear it for my photo. When she heard that I was a Slytherin, she cheered and gave me a high-five before handing over the scarf. While I posed, she chatted with Mackenzie. When I went to return the scarf, she asked me what I was doing hanging out with a Gryffindor. I joked that I was really friends with her sister the Ravenclaw, and all was forgiven.
After we took our pictures at King's Cross Station, we rode the tube to Westminster Station for a London Walk to see some of the locations used for filming the Harry Potter. The guide asked trivia questions, and we were proud to answer some of the more difficult questions. Our answers regularly earned stickers not just for us but for some of the younger participants. Unfortunately, we had to duck out early so that we could make it to London Euston Station and take our train to Watford Junction. From there, we caught a bus to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
The Studio Tour was incredible. We walked through the Great Hall and marveled at the costumes and still-standing sets. We gaped at the various books and potions, amazed by the number of props that had been created for the film series. Outside, we met a pair of owls, who had played Hedwig and Pigwidgeon in the films. We climbed aboard the night bus and rode on Hagrid's motorcycle. We crossed the bridge that exploded in the last film ("BOOM!"). The second half of the tour brought us through the creation of many of the monsters, followed by a stroll down Diagon Alley. Finally, we reached the exhibit on model building and concept art, which led to the model of Hogwarts built for the last film. The moment of seeing that was overwhelming, as if for a moment, the fiction became reality, and every instant of the tour had led to it.
We explored the gift shop and grabbed a bite at the cafe after the tour before heading back into London, where we took the tube back to our hostel for the night. We had to be up early the next morning to get to Paddington. I waited there while Megan brought her sister back to Heathrow, and then we hopped on the train back to Bath. Back home.
No comments:
Post a Comment