London

I’ve come to realize that one of the many perks of living in Europe is how easily one can travel between countries. And by easily, I mean for cheap. Even flying around America can get pricey, let alone from America to Europe. With that in mind, I decided to make sure that while I am here, I see as much as Europe as my wallet allows. With only my weekends completely free, I began looking into some weekend getaways to other parts of Europe. My host parents have been so generous allowing me either Friday or Monday off to allow this travel.

The first flight I booked (for $50) was to London, where I spent this past weekend. Arriving Friday afternoon and leaving Sunday morning, I didn’t have much time to explore the city, but I made sure to see as much as possible with the little time I had. I flew with (the lovely) Ryanair about two hours from Barcelona to the London Stansted airport. When I arrived on Friday, I took the train from the airport to the city and begun my tourist adventures at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. From there I took a river cruise down the Thames, trying to get a glimpse of many attractions in a short period of time. On the cruise I was able to see a myriad of bridges, the London Eye, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theater among other things. After departing from the boat I walked to Soho for dinner with a friend who has been studying at culinary school in London. It was great to catch up and talk with someone else who had decided to take a gap year. We got dessert, and I headed back to my hostel. Both nights I stayed in a hostel about 20 min from the city center by the underground. I stayed in an all female dorm room of 14 girls, including myself. I got to meet some really cool people in my hostel from all over the world!

Saturday began around nine in the morning in the beautiful Hyde Park. I walked from one end to the other, seeing Kensington Palace, the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and making my way back to Speakers’ Corner. This is where I realized a Brexit protest was taking place on Saturday. I later read articles stating that at least 700,000 to a million people participated, and I can definitely attest to that. The streets were packed full of people the entire day, decked out in EU attire and clever posters. Weaving through the crowds, I ended up at the British Museum, where I spent about an hour wandering the halls, trying to take in as much as possible of the massive museum. After the museum and some lunch, I headed back to the hostel for a bit for some much needed rest. After resting up, I headed back out, visiting Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Park, and Westminster Abbey. Finally, after the train I was supposed to take stopped running and my phone wouldn’t work, I found my way to dinner with another friend who happened to be in town as well. After walking a total of 22 miles between Friday and Saturday, I fell asleep Saturday night with much ease.

Sunday was basically all travel, from underground, to train, to plane, to metro. I am so glad I got to explore such a cool city with so much history. This was my first time I’ve ever travelled from one foreign country to another and returned back to a country that was not America, and it was definitely weird. It made me realize though how much more Barcelona has become my second home and how comfortable I am coming back here after a weekend away. Tomorrow marks the halfway point of my time here, and it has gone by so quickly. I’m heading to Paris in two weeks, and I can’t wait to explore another European city!

Thanks for reading and much love,

Hannah