Bridging Cultures Program

    My adventure began with the Bridging Cultures Program, a 3-day orientation set up by Globalinks that takes place in London.  I was joined by students from Swansea, Kent, Queen Mary, and one student from my school (Lancaster).

Hyde Park

 

The first notable area, Hyde Park, is ideal for a stroll or relaxing by the pond.  The waterfowl aren't afraid of humans, so we got up-close and personal with some geese and swans.  The queen owns all of the swans in Britian, and it is an offense to kill or eat any.  This power remains solely to the queen, yet I don't believe that she exercises that right often.

Big Ben

 I had my first experience using the tube on the way to Big Ben.  We were able to wander around and snap some photos of this beautiful clock our way to a tour.  From here, we also got a great view of the London Eye.  Some of us flirted with the idea of taking a ride on the 395 foot wheel, but were discouraged by the price.

   

Duck Tour

river portion of Duck Tour

Westminster Abbey

MI6

The Duck Tour's main draw is that the vessel you ride in is both a bus and a boat; we drove straight from the road into the river.  Main attractions seen here were Westminster Abbey (a famous gothic church), Buckingham Palace (workplace of British monarch), MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service), and a great view of the London Eye/Big Ben from the water.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend this tour, however; the commentary was a bit lackluster and it was difficult to get a decent view of some of the main sights. 

Tower of London

 

This was, by far, my favorite spot in London.  Founded in 1066, it was used primarily as a royal residence, but also as a prison.  Today, it holds the Crowned Jewels of the United Kingdom and is renowned for its bloody history of torture and executions.  It is the infamous spot of execution for King Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn, along with a few of his other wives.  The tower is huge, with the main barricade outlining the inner square of various buildings.  The White Tower, previously lodging for Lords, is now three floors full of artifacts.  Other main sights are St. John's Chapel, the Bloody Tower, and St. Peter ad Vincula.

Queen's Quarters

Anne Bolelyn Memorial

Tower Bridge

 Tower Bridge, built in 1866, is commonly mistaken as London Bridge, which is actually a bit upstream and much less impressive.  In fact, a legend exists that the man who bough London Bridge was under the impression that he bought Tower Bridge.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the bridge open, but apparently it's quite a sight to see.  The bridge has become one of the most popular iconic symbols of London.