London

Today, we took a train to Watford to enjoy the Harry Potter experience. This is located at the same studio as the movies we’re filmed and included lots of the original sets, costumes, props, etc. It was very interesting to learn more about how some of the props were made and how they brought the magic to life. We also couldn’t miss the butterbeer at a cafe halfway through the tour! It was very interesting to learn how much thought and time went into every detail. For example, we learned that it can take a full day for them to create the eyebrows for one goblin! 
After making our way back to London, we spend some time gathering our belongings and doing laundry before heading to dinner with two new friends from the hostel. We went to a pub nearby which was, unfortunately, out of fish and chips. Regardless, we had a very nice time getting to know each other and ended up back at the hostel’s bar for one more drink. Out of no where, the dj started singing karaoke and passing the mic to other people in the bar. We sang along (from our seats) and cheered on the singers. It was a great way to spend our last evening in London, tomorrow afternoon, we will be heading to Paris! 

We started off today with coffee and pastries before heading down toward the river. Our goal was to enjoy as much as we could from the list of included attractions on the London pass. The first stop was Westminster Abbey where our tickets included an audioguide to learn more about the history of the church. I found it very ironic that they hold the coronations in the same building as so many grave sites.
Next we hopped on an uber boat which took us down the Thames to the tower of London. As luck would have it, we happened to arrive right as a tour was starting (and the guide was hilarious). He told us all about the castle’s history, the prisoners it housed, and his experience living there. When the tour ended we wander around some more, saw the ravens, saw the crown of jewels, and climbed the tower for a beautiful view of our next stop, Tower Bridge.
After climbing 206 steps, we reached the top of Tower Bridge and were eager to see the view! We were very excited that this view also came with a glass floor to see the bridge and water below. Shortly after we arrived, we were surprised to find out that we were about to experience the drawbridge opening for a ship. We learned that boats passing through the river do not have to pay to open the bridge, they are simply required to provide 24 hour notice for when they will arrive. We sat at the edge of the glass floor and watched the bridge open for the boat and close behind it.
At this point, it was already 3:30 and we hadn’t had lunch. We headed out and immediately noticed a restaurant that we had heard good things about. It was an Italian restaurant that serves handmade pasta. All I can say is that it was delicious and I wish it existed in the US.
Our next stop was to the London Bridge Experience which we had read was an interactive experience. That was an understatement. It was advertised as a history show with some scares, but it was actually a haunted house with a bit of history. It was definitely not for the faint of heart and they even had to warn people with epilepsy, severe asthma, and pregnancies against participating in the second part. It was definitely very well done and we had fun, but we probably would’ve had more fun if we were expecting the fact that it was a haunted house.
After the “show” we hopped back on an uber boat to take a rest and got off on a hunt for dinner. We ended up at an authentic Japanese restaurant where we sampled a variety of sushi rolls and appetizers from an all you can eat menu. It was delicious! With full bellies, we made our way back to the hostel to enjoy a hot shower before getting ready for bed

We made it to London!! After an hour long delay to our flight, we finally boarded and then departed on our journey. Upon arrival, following a sleepless flight, we dropped our bags at our hostel and set off to explore. First things first, we had to find coffee and ended up at a cute cafe around the corner from the hostel. We dodged rain storms but were also able to enjoy a walk through Green park, meet the lions in Trafalgar Square, explore the national gallery, and wander around Piccadilly Circus. We stopped for sandwiches at a deli before heading back to the hostel to check in and retrieve our bags. This evening, we will be going on the London Eye and exploring more of London before getting an early night sleep.