Back to London

During a week when just about everyone is traveling the Continent, yesterday, the few of us left in Cambridge decided to venture to London for the day. We got up early and made our way down to the train station, and in less than an hour, we were pulling into King’s Cross. It still amazes me how easy it is to get places around here. There’s always a bus, train, or taxi going the places you want to go.

My favorite part of the day came first, when we stopped in at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Admission was free, which is always an added bonus for a college student. This museum, first of all, is absolutely huge. It has lots of big columns and marble floors and high ceilings with interesting looking chandeliers. I saw a bunch of marble statues, some from ancient times, a lot that tried to mimic Renaissance style statues. I also really enjoyed a section of paintings, where there were a lot of landscapes that reminded me of the plains and the mountains in Colorado.

The jewelry section was by far the most fascinating section. There were so many pretty pieces of jewelry in that room. As I am fascinated with royalty, it was especially cool to be able to see several different tiaras and crowns. It makes me wonder what it would have been like to wear a crown. I know that there’s a responsibility that comes with wearing a crown, but I also think that it would be really fun to get dressed up and wear a crown for an event every once in awhile. I wish we had spent more time at the museum, because there were so many more things besides what I saw.

After the museum, we went to Hyde Park. Earlier in the morning, it was rainy and cloudy in true London fashion. When we got to Hyde Park, the sun suddenly burst through the clouds, and we got to see a little blue sky and sunshine before it began to rain again. I love nature, and I think it is wonderful that there is a big park like that inside such a large city like London. It gave me a little taste of the country inside the city, and I loved that. I loved the big trees and the little hills, and that we could walk by the water for a little while. I didn’t even mind the geese :).

In the afternoon, we went shopping at Harrod’s and on Oxford Street. For me, window browsing was enough of an experience without busting my bank account. I wonder how much Harrod’s and everything in it is worth, because literally every big name is housed there. Gucci, Prada, Coach, Dior, Louis Vuitton. You name it; they were there. It is interesting to see just what people will spend hundreds of dollars on because it’s designer.

Traveling while abroad is important, because you get the chance to see different historical things and visit places you’ve always heard about, but never seen. But it is also important to explore and get to know the place you are living. I would encourage anyone who comes to Cambridge to take the time to get to know the city of Cambridge, and take whatever opportunities you have to go into London for the day. It is so nice to have that kind of big city so close and accessible, and you should absolutely take advantage of it if you can.

 Helen of Troy