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Our entire group went on a trip to Stratford and Warwick Castle this weekend. We saw a very compelling production of "Richard III" and toured homes where Shakespeare and his family lived. Every bit as importantly, we also made the acquaintance of a beautiful barn owl named Banquo! We also saw precious little pigs...and the house where Shakespeare was born.























































At Warwick Castle, there was much to behold, such as a stained glass window inscribed with "Dudley," a dungeon (see Rebecca checking out some kind of torture device). We also climbed a dark, uneven spiral staircase for what seemed like an eternity, though the view was worth it!

Tower of London

This man is our extremely expressive tour guide. He is a "Beefeater"! This is sadly not one of his more expressive moments; you'll just have to trust me
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Here is a horse statue, also at the Tower.

These figures are Gin and Beer, I believe.

touristy delights

The London Eye! Last Friday was a day full of touristy things.
It was the perfect day to ride the Eye. Overcast, but clear enough to see the buildings plainly--and without glare from the sun.

You can see the pod that was a little farther along on its journey than ours, and the Houses of Parliament are visible too.











Rebecca, Kathryn, Jenny, and Stephanie! High in the air! I love this picture.












Buckingham Palace. The tiny flag on top signifies that the Queen was in fact home while we were there. I think that's hilarious.

We went to see "The Queen" that night (I hope Helen Mirren wins the Oscar!) and found out a bit more about that flag--namely, the controversy over whether or not to fly it at half mast when Princess Diana died.

the beginning

This is Rebecca (L) and Jenny (R) during our long wait at the O'Hare Airport. Arriving incredibly early put our minds at ease, and left us with plenty of time to eat overpriced snack food, read trashy celebrity gossip, and take pictures of each other.

Bob Johnstone + Winston Churchill!
This picture represents what is quite possibly the greatest moment of my life, or at the very least one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip so far. Without warning, during a walking tour of some important historical and political landmarks in central London, our professor and program leader Bob provided us with an amazing photo op. Bob does an excellent Churchill impression in general, but he went above and beyond when faced with the man himself.












I kind of liked the look of this random wall in Muswell Hill, which is essentially the neighborhood where I live. The house is technically very nearby in another neighborhood, but we do our grocery shopping, errands, and much of our socializing in Muswell Hill.