Last Days

After Berlin, I returned to London as a tourist and not as a student/resident. I no longer lived in the uni residence hall, most of my uni friends had already left, and now I was with my family visiting the sites and museums. It did not feel like a return to the city I had lived in as much as a visit to a place from my memory.

Of course, I returned to some of my favorite places - Camden Markets, the churches in the City, Regents Park, the National Gallery, to name a few. There were also some new things on the agenda: a carol service at St Pauls, the Victoria and Albert museum, Christmas Eve service at Westminster Abbey, and much of southeast London that I'd never been in before.

Trafalgar Square at twilight
Twining's is the oldest shop in the world to be on the same location and owned by the same family since its foundation (in this case, in 1706).

St Paul's before the carol service
Tower Bridge and the reflection of lights in the Thames, on Christmas Eve
Then it was off to Bath (again) and the Cotswolds to get a sense of English life outside the capital. This area is gorgeous - completely lovely. We took a fantastic bus tour of the area that took us to prehistoric sites (Stonehenge, Avebury) as well as beautiful villages (Lacock, Castle Combe). Let me show you - a picture's worth a thousand words, right?

Pig and photograph exhibit outside Bath Abbey


It was a lovely day for a walk along the canal that runs through Bath
Houseboat with teapots serving as flowerpots (very English), the canal in Bath
First stop on the tour: Stonehenge. Early morning, before the tour buses arrive, and when the light and mist make it look even more magical.
Avebury: Stonehenge's lesser known sister site, perhaps even more impressive since it is many times larger and more elaborately constructed.
You're not allowed to touch the stones at Stonehenge, but at Avebury they don't mind. So we made the most of this opportunity to hug a stone put in place by prehistoric Englishmen.
Lacock, filming site for both Hogsmeade and Meryton (Pride and Prejudice).
Castle Combe, another adorable English village. Filming site of Wall (Stardust).
The newest house in Castle Combe is this one, built in the 18th century. I'm not sure what the oldest one is.
Brighton, not the best place to visit on a rainy December day.
Back to London... Last night before flying home, we went to a pantomime of Aladdin. Christmas pantos are known for their audience participation, ridiculous humor, and cross-dressing actors and actresses.
Good night, London, and goodbye!
Until we meet again...