BY SAVANNAH SHAPIRO
LONDON
Before I came on this study abroad trip, I knew I wanted to do everything I could possibly do within the time I would be spending in London. Our class doesn’t start in the mid-afternoons and varies day-to-day so I try to do as much as I possibly can during the morning.
Our class didn’t start until 2:00PM on our third day in London so five of us, myself included, decided to explore London and go see the London Eye, Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We started our morning at 9:00 and took the Underground straight to the London Eye. We purchased tickets which cost £25 to take the 30 minute loop on the ferris wheel. I am not the biggest fan of ferris wheels, but this was one ferris wheel that I did like. You could see the entire city of London and get an entire aerial and panoramic view of the city. Our pod was air-conditioned (which as you know, is something I really appreciate when it’s so rare to come by here) and it inches along so slowly that it gives you just enough time to see everything. I would highly recommend to leave early in the morning to go to the London Eye to avoid long lines and a congested area. Later in the evening the line grows longer and longer as opposed to the morinngs where the lines aren’t as bad.
After we got off the eye, we walked along Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben which was surreal. The area was busy, but because we went in the morning, it wasn’t as bad as it normally gets in the afternoon. We walked to Westminster Abbey and looked upon the intricate details of the front of the church.
During our walking tour for class, we walked down Monmouth Street and to Seven Dials. We were able to see one of Nicholas Hawksmoor’s Churches which was featured in one of Hogarth’s print. I remember looking at the same print in class at UCLA and I was able to see the same church that was in the picture. We walked down further all the way down to Saffron Hill to conclude our day. There is a pub down the way called “The One Ton” which was mentioned in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist as “The Three Cripples.”
It was a long day in London for us, but one of the best days! We were very tired but excited for the next day of adventures.
Savannah Shapiro studied abroad in England on the 2017 Summer Travel Study program “London and the Age of Revolution:” https://ieo.ucla.edu/travelstudy/English-London/
