Walking tour of Kensington and Bus Tour (Panoramic View of London)

One of the first days we got settled, we went for a walking tour of the area that we will call home for the next 3 1/2 months and then got on a bus to take a guided tour around the heart of London.

Although I was just following the group, and was very interested in the things that we were being shown, I had no sense of direction. The streets are windy and confusing, and I was thinking that I would never be able to get around these small streets. On the walking tour we learned about how the houses in Kensington were usually 5 levels, with the maids living in the top quarters, and the basement being the wash room, ect (so basically, in relation to where I’m living, I’m in the maids cleaning quarters, haha). The house in the area are absolutely gorgeous. And did I mention where our house is located, there are 2 embassy’s next door! We also went throuh a Mews which back in time of horse and carriage, horses were kept and have since been changed into small little cute houses, that may look small, but the price tag is HUGE! We also walked by the residence of T.S. Elliot. It has a blue plaque on the building, which signifies  that a historic Brit lived there. They are all over London, so while I explore the city, I randomly find the former houses of these historic figures.

We later went on a bus tour of the city. Our guide was named Duncan (just a tiny fact I remembered). We drove all around London. We drove past Picadilly Circus (London’s version of Times Square) and had stops at St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were wed) and at Westminster (where we could take photos by Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey) While at that second stop, I got the clever idea to take self-photos (many people in my era call them the “myspace photo”) of myself in front of these places. The reason behind this is that I can take pictures of buildings and historic monuments, but i can find better pictures on the internet, but being in front of them, or with them in a photo, makes the picture more personally significant. The bus tour was overall an intro to London, and showing us places to go and places to see within our time here.

From North Philly, to…LONDON!

Packing for this 3 1/2-month adventure was not an easy task. You always here about the bad weather you must prepare for, wear layers, pack lightly…but with all of that advice, I still was able to pack two large suitcases a duffel bag and a suitcase full of stuff. Each suitcase hit the 50 pound (weight, not currency, I was still in the US!!) mark, but i got away with not paying.

After saying my goodbyes to my mother and father, i met up with my fellow Temple U students, which we then met up with even more Temple U students, so the crew on my plane were Zac, Yrcanis, Natasha, Kristen, and myself, and we later found out Kate was on our plane too.

The plane ride was relaxing, and somewhat surreal. Was I really heading to London?! After so much talk and planning, the day was finally here! I was extremely pleased with the entertainment Continental Airlines provided. Many movies to choose from, games to play, television shows to watch, and music to listen to. I watched an array of programs. Food wasn’t too good, I won’t lie, but it was enough to keep my tummy satisfied for the trip.

After 6 hours in the air, we landed….I MADE IT TO LONDON!!! Right off the plane, it was still surreal, until I got to the immigration officer and I heard that British accent, and went a little further and saw the pound symbol rather than the common $$$.

So all of us Temple students, after getting all of our luggage, began the journey to our house. We hopped on our first ever tube ride to Gloucester Road station. When getting to our stop, a very long train ride, especially being jetlagged with many huge bags, we hit our first roadblock…STAIRS. We had to climb a huge flight of stairs which wouldn’t seem hard, but with all of our bags it was a challenge. Our next issue was finding Metrogate to check in. London streets are very winding and curved rather than grid-like as it often is in the US. After circling the area that would soon by our new neighborhood, we finally found the place, got our keys and walked to our house.

Settling in my room, located on the basement flat, I wasn’t too pleased at first to be in a room with two bunk beds, and what seemed to be not as cool as the main Temple floor. But after getting to know my roommates and seeing how we have a pretty awesome deal with our own little area here away from the big Temple floor, i’ve grown to really enjoy it.

Where is this house? Well when I heard we would live in a great area, and didnt expect to live across the street from A PALACE…and more specifically where PRINCESS DIANA LIVED!! I still can;t believe when I go for jogs, I run by this palace on my left, and on my right is Royal Albert Hall

I think the only photo taken from the jounrey to London...me, natasha and zac waiting to board the planeKensington Palace

One of the first days in front of Kensington Palace

Welcome!

Only London-related picture I have BEFORE i came to London

Greetings from London!!!

My name is Andrew and I have embarked on what I am told is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; study abroad! I am a senior at Temple University, and I am studying at the Foundation for International Education in the Royal Burrough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Most of you who will read this (family, friends, and well, me in the near future) probably already know this info about me, so I will get started….

I have now been here for about a month, and although I have started a journal, and have tried blogs, I thought that now that I feel settled here and have embarked on many journeys and experiences already, I could sit down and reflect on the major things I have done. I wish I could do a day by day track of my time here, but lets be honest, sometimes I get lazy or i’m too busy with school stuff, or its the choice between writing in my blog or getting some much needed rest so I can go out and experience even more of this wonderful city.

So this is my intro blog. Let me explain how I want to format or organize this (well, how I hope to structure this..)

I am going to go back and recollect my thoughts on the big things that stick out in my mind. You will see these things below. I forgot to mention that my class schedule gves me off on Thursdays and Fridays. While many other Temple students are going to their internships, I wanted to make good use of my extra time…

So as I was taking a jog in Hyde park, observing all the people in the park while breaking a sweat, and also watching buses pass by along the street beside me (driving on the OTHER SIDE of the road!!), I thought of trying to take a new numbered bus one day a week, most likely a thursday or friday, and just taking it for about 20 minutes, then getting off, finding a park or open area, and just spend the day there. Afterwards, i’ll come back, with some pictures of the area, and just write in here, based on inspiration from these places.

To end this intro, I must say how this past month has made me so grateful. This experience to explore a new country and culture is just remarkable, and I am just so grateful and thankful that I am able to do so.

-AWG