Experiencing London
When Maya Ferris (’21, CAS’23) learned that she would have the opportunity to go to London with the College of General Studies, two years after the Covid-19 pandemic caused her first-year summer semester to be held online, she immediately jumped at the opportunity.
“I was so excited that I would finally be able to experience studying in London with BU after I had thought I would never get this opportunity again,” she said. “I am so thankful and appreciative for Dean McKnight in making this trip possible! She made sure that we got the taste of London that every CGS student gets to experience!”
Ferris and approximately 400 other students from the CGS ’21 and CGS ’22 classes spent a week this May exploring London alongside CGS faculty. The one-week London Experience gave students whose study abroad trips were canceled due to the pandemic the opportunity to see London through a week of excursions in and around the city.
The weeklong trip fulfilled one HUB unit in Creativity. For an assignment associated with the trip, Ferris kept a journal of each day she spent in London, documenting her experiences from the Tower of London to Stonehenge.
Sunday, Day 1: Bus Tour and Tower of London
Today felt like a fever dream! After sleeping about an hour on the plane I was so tired during today’s excursion, but I still had so much fun! The double decker bus ride gave me an overview of all the major landmarks, museums, and attractions that London has to offer. From the bus I saw Big Ben, the London Eye, the National Gallery, Tower Bridge, and The Albert Memorial, to name a few. I have to admit I was a little sleepy on the bus because I was awake for over 24 hours, but I did my best to take in the views.
Once we got to the Tower of London, I felt more awake, and I was excited to explore. I visited London in 2018 and I did get to tour the Tower of London before, so it was fun to be back again. This time it was much less crowded, and it gave me a different perspective of the location. I saw the Crown Jewels, the torture chamber, explored the big arms building (this was quite the leg workout with all the stairs), and I even saw Tower Bridge open to let a boat go through. Once we got back to the hotel, I walked around the Kensington area and took in the view. Overall, today felt like a dream, but I had so much fun and am excited for the rest of the trip!
Monday, Day 2: Thames River Cruise and Greenwich
Today we started the day off by learning how to use the Tube in London. When I traveled here before I used it with my family, but it was exciting to learn how to use it on my own. It was way easier to use than I remembered! We took the Tube to the wharf dock to depart on our River Thames Cruise. We had some extra time before we left, so I took some photos in front of the London Eye.
On the cruise I got great photos and learned some cool facts about London. I learned that wharf stands for “warehouse at riverfront.” We also got to pass under the London Bridge and Tower Bridge, which was amazing. Our cruise took us to Greenwich, and I was excited because I had never been there before.
In Greenwich I had lunch at Bill’s, went to the Greenwich Market, saw the Bridgerton family home filming site, hiked to the Royal Observatory, and stood on the Prime Meridian. It was fun to stand in the Eastern and Western hemispheres at the same time! The view from the observatory was beautiful. I loved how you could see how the city skyline meets the old historic sites. Greenwich was filled with cute shops, streets, greenery, and historic sites. I think this is one of my favorite places I have been to in London so far! Today was a relaxing and fun day filled with cool sites and history.
Tuesday, Day 3: National Gallery and Westminster Abbey
Today we had an early start, but it was so worth it. We started the day by taking the Tube to the National Gallery. It was very quiet, calm, and not crowded when we first got there. I really appreciated the quietness and lack of people to view the pieces of art. It was very peaceful and gave me some time to reflect and think about the art. I enjoy looking at artwork, so this was a lot of fun for me. It was amazing to see some of the Van Gogh and Monet pieces that we learned about in class! I cannot believe I saw Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
After the National Gallery, I went to Soho to grab a bite to eat and a coffee at this cute little place called Cutter and Squidge. After this I took the bus back to take a tour of Westminster Abbey. This was a beautiful site. From the ceilings to the stained-glass windows, and the famous people buried and memorialized here, I was in awe. Churches are always one of my favorite places to visit when traveling because of the way they make me feel. Appreciating the stunning architecture and simple beauty of a church always makes me smile. It was so cool to see the burial sites of Charles Dickens, Mary Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I to name a few. I also go to see Britain’s oldest door and the Coronation Chair. Westminster Abbey is a place I did not visit before, and I am so happy that I got the chance to today. Today was another exciting, beautiful, and entertaining day!
Wednesday, Day 4: Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral
Today we started the day with a bus ride to go see Stonehenge. I have been here before but the feeling and excitement for the view was exactly the same! Today I learned the stones fit together like IKEA furniture, with different notches and points that fit together. While exploring the rocks I did feel a new sense of energy and happiness! Some good energy is in the air and land there. It is crazy to think that humans (possibly with the help of aliens hahaha) lifted these heavy rocks to construct this organized structure. I hope one day we find out how these rocks really got there!
After visiting Stonehenge, we headed to Salisbury where I got to see the Salisbury Cathedral and one of the four Magna Cartas. The Salisbury Cathedral was breathtaking. The gothic style of the cathedral was simply stunning. The peaks, windows, stained glass, and stone walls all told a story of the past. I had so much fun walking around the cathedral just observing and appreciating it for all its glory. The reflecting font was amazing and gave me a beautiful perspective of the ceiling of the cathedral. I also go to see the Salisbury Magna Carta here. This copy of the Magna Carta is the one kept in the best condition. They had pictures of the other three Magna Cartas and the Salisbury one looks brand new compared to the others. I learned so much today and I had an amazing time taking a step back to appreciate the history here.
Thursday, Day 5: Faculty Led Tour and Globe Theater Performance
Today we started off by walking to Kensington Gardens with Dean McKnight. On our way there we stopped at the Albert Memorial, which was very stunning. Although it is a massive symbol for imperialism, it was amazing to appreciate the architecture and design of the monument. I liked seeing how each corner of the memorial symbolized a foothold Britain had in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. It was impressive to see how Queen Victoria chose to memorialize her husband.
After viewing this memorial, we headed to the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and the Statue of Diana. It was interesting how the fountain had different textures of water along with different sounds of rushing water. Although I did not stick my feet in the fountain, I did put my hands in which was refreshing. The garden the Diana Statue was in was beautiful, but I do think they could have made a more memorable piece for her. For such an iconic woman in both fashion and charity, her statue was a bit underwhelming. It truly was a beautiful day for our walk in the gardens.
Before we had to meet for the Globe Theater performance, I spent my time exploring Tower Bridge and Borough Market. The view from the bridge was incredible and I got to stand on the glass floor at the top. Borough Market was lovely and such a cool experience seeing all the different foods and drinks. At the Globe Theater it was fun getting to experience what the peasant standing room was like, but it was tiring. I liked getting to see what Shakespeare’s theater looked like back in his time. Overall today was a successful day! I left early in the morning and got back late at night, a perfect day in my book.
Friday, Day 6: Free Day
My free day started off rainy, but that did not stop me! I started off the day by taking a trip to Harrods. It was super cool to walk around and see all the designer bags, shoes, clothes, furnishing and so much more. After Harrods I took the bus to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Because it was raining, I was happy to finally be inside again somewhere. I liked seeing the different artifacts, ruins, statues, and tapestries they had on display. I also saw some art students drawing statues and I was amazed by how good they were.
After I was done here, I went to see Buckingham Palace. It was tricky because there was a lot of scaffolding up for the Jubilee and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award ceremony was going on. I have seen Buckingham Palace before and the changing of the guards, so I decided to move on and go to a new place. I decided to go to Borough Market, and it was amazing! I had paella, cheese, fudge, bread, coffee, and so much more. I sat by the river and enjoyed the weather because the sun finally came out too. Borough Market was probably one of my favorite places so far! After the market I went back to the hotel to rest and get ready for the night because I went to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theater! This was my third time seeing Hamilton (once in NYC and now twice in London) and it was amazing as always! I think I made the most of my free day and I had so much fun exploring London!
Saturday, Day 7: St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye
Today we started by taking the Tube to St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is the cathedral where Princess Diana and Charles got married, so it was surreal to see. Before we went in, we were told the story of how the statue of Queen Anne in front of the cathedral was not quite accurate to what she looked like. Because Queen Anne had 17 pregnancies all ending in either baby death, miscarriage, or stillbirth, she was a bigger woman which was not reflected in her statue. I love interesting facts like these, so I appreciated being told before we started the tour.
Once we got into the Cathedral, I was brave and climbed to the top of the dome! I have to admit my legs were shaking on the metal staircase on the way up, but I pushed through because I knew the view would be worth it. And the view was most certainly worth it! It was breathtaking to see London from such an aerial view like that. Exploring the rest of the Cathedral was a lot of fun too. I got to appreciate the different pieces of architecture in the ceiling, and it was interesting to learn how imperative it was to make sure St. Paul’s Cathedral survived the WWII bombings.
After leaving here we had lunch in Waterloo before taking a trip on the London Eye. The London Eye was a lot of fun and again it was another beautiful view of London. To end the night, I went to the farewell dinner and it was nice to reflect on all the trips I went on this past week with my friends. I am so thankful that I got to do this experience and it really has made me realize how much I love traveling, especially to Europe!
— Reflections by Maya Ferris, all photos courtesy of Maya Ferris