London is a big city and there is so much to do in and around it. Here are my top 10 things to do in London. Most of the things on my list are free or fairly affordable. 1. Museum Crawl One of the best things about London is all the free museums. My friends and I did a small museum crawl on a weekday we didn’t have classes. We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, and the Sherlock Holmes Museum (admission fee). I also went to the British Museum and National Gallery. Beyond these five, there are a ton more you can visit depending on your interest. Many are free! 2. Watch a football (soccer) match at a local pub or go to a game in-person This Fall semester lined up with the World Cup 2022. I have never been a huge football (soccer) fan, but it is such a big part of pop culture in Europe that it was hard not to get excited and want to keep up. My friends and I watched a couple matches at a local pub in Putney, one of them being the crazy World Cup final game, Argentina v France 3. Walk along Regents Canal from King’s Cross/ St Pancras Station to Regents Park & Primrose Hill A cool walk in Central London is along Regents Canal going from King's Cross to Regents Park. Along the way you'll get to pass by Camden Market and some other shopping areas. The newly renovated area behind St. Pancras Station and King's Cross is another neat area to explore. It is home to a Google office and across the canal there is a shopping/dining/outdoor area called Coal Drops Yard. The vibe is really hip and modern and definitely worth checking out. You could spend all day at Regents Park exploring the gardens and just people watching in the park. Be sure to go north, up to Primrose Hill to see a view of the London skyline. It's worth the walk up. 4. Get a British Reading Card and study at the British Library This is something I did but wish I went and used more. I mean, how cool is it to say you're studying in the British Library?! Also, the reading rooms just generally are a great study environment. The University of Roehampton has a great library as well, but if you're looking to get out into central London but still want to get some work done, this is a great option. A British Reading Card is also free! 5. Watch a West End show or a smaller local production I am not a huge live performance person, but if you’re in London, watching a West End show or some local live production is a must. I watched three performances total this semester. First, our UH group watched the musical Wicked with our Social Programme. I then say a small production at a theater in Sloane Square called ‘Baghdaddy’. There were only five actors, but the script, use of lights and sound effects made it feel like an immersive experience. When my friend came to visit my last week in London, we saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 6. Enjoy the city from a rooftop garden (Sky Garden) A definite bucket list item for me was to go to a London rooftop garden. One of the most famous is Sky Garden, however there are a couple more you could check out. Admission is free, but you do need to make a reservation in advance. When my friend and I went up, it was night time (we just missed sunset), so we got to enjoy the city lights. It can be super crowded, but go with the right people and it can be a really enjoyable experience. 7. Take a trip down to Greenwich (pass through Canary Wharf) A cool area to check out for a day is Greenwich in Southeast London. Home to the Old Navy College and some other notable museums. When I went with my friend, we passed through Canary Wharf. I was familiar with this area because it was a case study in one of my real estate courses at UH. It is super modern and home to some big name corporates like Citibank and HSBC. 8. Visit Portobello Road Market on a Saturday and haggle at the antique market On a whim one Saturday, I decided to go see what Portobello Road Market was all about. I also wanted to visit Notting Hill and its pretty houses. I absolutely loved walking around the market; it stretches down Portobello Road past multiple streets. I was walking at a pretty brisk pace and still it took me close to two hours to see majority of it. I definitely recommend going early as it gets really crowded come lunch time. While the market is open 6 days a week, Saturday is the main market day where all the street vendors are open, including all the antique shops and stalls. I have never been a huge antique collector or someone who goes to those types of shops at home, but it was so much fun weaving through the crowds and looking at what each seller had displayed. From silverware to jewelry to old prints and cameras, this market has so much to offer. I ended up getting an old print and a compact for my cousin’s omiyage. Along with the antique market, there is also a big vintage clothing section and food stands. I got Iraqi food for lunch which was something I never ate before. 9. Go (window) shopping down Oxford and Regents St, Covent Garden, and SoHo Especially during the holiday season, walking down Oxford and Regents St is so much fun. You don't even need to shop and buy anything. The streets are bustling with people and the lights displays are up and lite. 10. Visit a London food market (Brixton Village, Seven Dials, Borough Market, Carnaby)
There are so many different food markets in London, one of the most famous being Borough Market. Another one I liked was Brixton Village down south. For weeks, I was craving crispy Chinese roast pork and after some googling, I found a place called Three Uncles that was supposed to have bomb Cantonese roast meat. The Brixton area is definitely interesting and different from other parts of London.
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Week 10 This weekend our Social Programme took us on a day trip to Cambridge. The most memorable part of this trip for me was punting along the canal and seeing the different colleges in the University from there. It was a rainy, gloomy day, but I think we all made the best of it.
To the left is said to be an apple tree descended from the one that gave us Newton's Laws. To the right are some photos from punting along the canal. Week 9 INTRODUCTION Two main reasons I took a trip to Copenhagen: 1) I love Scandinavian interior design and architecture and 2) I also heard great things about this city from friends and classmates. This was another solo trip and honestly it is one of my favorite experiences so far. I have loved all the places I have gotten the chance to visit, but the social experience I had here this past short weekend is why I think people travel. ACCOMMODATION I stayed in a hostel called Next House. Honestly, it was one of the best experiences. The facilities were super hip and modern. They had lockers I could use to store my stuff before check in and after check out. The other travelers I met here made my experience in Copenhagen. There were a mix of families and young adult travelers, but majority I would say were people in their late-twenties. My dorm was an all-female dorm with 6 beds. TRANSPORATION The city's public transportation system is great, however, the ticketing is a bit confusing. I am still not sure what ticket you need for the buses. While you don't necessarily need a ticket to get on the metro (as in there is nothing blocking you that you need to scan to open), I always bought a ticket because you never know when the ticket master is walking around or in some cases, the police. For the most part though, I just walked around the city. ITINERARY DAY 1 Danish Architecture Center Christianbourg Palace
DAY 3 Week 8 In comparison to the United States, the UK system is more independent study. While there are equal opportunities to engage with tutors (their version of professors), the lack of incentive in terms of impact on grade to attend all the lectures and seminars makes going to class a personal choice. For one of my courses, barely anyone would show up to the seminar sessions (maybe 4 of us max.).
For all three of my UK courses, the materials are building up each week to help us write our final summative assessment, a 2500 word report. My formative assessments were not graded but were tools to get feedback from our tutors on the first part or a section of the summative assessment. The weekly lectures and seminars go over materials that we can potentially use in our summatives. The grading system is also different in the UK. For that reason, there is a conversion chart that each home university needs to provide. UH Study Abroad Center has this in one of the packets. Because of the way the UK system grades, undergraduate level scores are much lower than US counter parts. It is basically impossible to get above a 90 because that means your work is academic journal level publishable. For the most part, a score of 70 or higher will get you an A at UH Manoa when grades transfer back. Terminology Tutor (equivalent to US professor or TA) Assessment brief (Document in beginning of the year that outlines formative and summative assessments) Formative assessment (like a mid-term but sometimes not graded) Summative assessment (final assignment, usually rest of grade not included in formative) Lectures (tutor lectures on week's material) Seminars (discussion time, class activities, actively engaging with other students) Week 7 INTRODUCTION As a part of our Social Programme, we went to Wales for a weekend. Going through the program was actually a great way to see the country because we got a tour guide, bus, and accommodations were taken care of. It felt like I was back in high school on a field trip because we got to travel with the other study abroad students who signed up for the Social Programme ACCOMMODATION The university program booked us all in the Holiday Inn in Swansea, Wales. Our bus dropped us off in Swansea and we got dinner and enjoyed some of what the small town had to offer and took a taxi to the hotel. There is public transportation, however, it stopped running by the time me and my friends headed back. ITINERARY This was all pre-planned through the University's programme. DAY 1 Caerleon Our first stop in Wales was a town called Caerleon where the Roman Legions used to be stationed when Britain was under the Roman Empire. Here we got to see a Roman Amphitheater that hasn't been fully excavated and learn more about the history of the Roman Legion located here at their local museum. Cardiff We stopped in a coastal part of capital of Cardiff and then headed to the heart of the city for lunch. Caerphelly Castle After lunch, we headed to the ruins of Caephelly Castle. Swansea Our accommodations for the night were in Swansea. It was actually Halloween weekend, and everyone (I mean everyone) out and about were dressed up. It was surprising as this is a small town in Wales. DAY 2 Big Pit This was probably one of the highlights of this Wales trip for me. We had the opportunity to go down into a retired coal mine. Guided by a former miner, we learned and saw what it was like for workers. I thought it was interesting because throughout history classes in high school and college, we learned about the importance of the coal mine as an integral part of history. To see one in real life and see the conditions these men, women, and children had to endure was eye opening.
Tintern Abbey Overall, I had an absolute blast on this weekend in Wales trip. It was super fun to travel with a large group (over 20 of us) of college students. Wales is a beautiful place and I am glad I was able to see part of it.
Week 6 INTRODUCTION I was so excited and nervous for this trip. Originally, I wanted to spend my Reading week (UK's week without classes in the middle-ish of the semester) traveling with friends. We had different places we wanted to visit so I decided to take a risk and step out of my comfort zone and travel solo for the nine days of my reading week trip. My reading week adventures will be broken into five parts so keep reading my next blogs to find out more. ACCOMMODATION Since this was my first solo trip and I had my own preconceived notions about hostels in Italy, I stayed in an Airbnb in the heart of Old Town, Genova. My host was lovely and made me feel very welcomed. The apartment was located about a 10 minute walk from one of the central piazzas (plazas). This accommodation options was cheaper than a hotel and also let me experience a bit of local life. TRANSPORATION Within the city of Genova, I just walked. There is a good public transporation system made of up buses and metro in the city, but to save money and since I felt I had the time, I walked everywhere, other than my day trips where I took the regional train. From the airport, I took an airport bus into the city (Volabus). My Airbnb host recommended the service. It was quick, cheap, and safe. London to Genova My journey to Genova was a bit stressful, but I have found that this type of stress is one of the best. Through it, I have learned how to be adaptable and in the end, it was always, always worth it. That morning I left for Italy, my cellular data was not working. Yes, I know people have traveled without phones for years, but I am very accustom to having at least my maps app available. Going to a foreign country where I did not know the language, and myself none the less, I was super nervous. Thankfully on my train ride to the airport, I figured out what was wrong and got access. To get to Genova, I took a short flight on RyanAir. The price and timing of this flight was a part of the reason I chose this Italian city over others. Honestly, while Genova is not one of the main tourist cities in Italy, it is one of my favorites. ITINERARY DAY 1 I got into Genova in the afternoon. The city was a short bus ride from the airport, so I was able to get to my Airbnb and settled pretty well. It was overwhelming, at first, navigating the vias (walking streets) and vicos (alleys) of Genova as they were packed with people, but within a couple minutes, I had a smile on my face that could not be wiped off. I was so happy. Words cannot describe the surreal feeling. I found a place I wanted to eat dinner, but it didn't open until later that night (Italians do eat dinner later), so I decided to wander around the town. The city is very very walkable and attractions are really close together. I walked back to Piazza Ferrari to take some photos and then just wandered around. I ended up going into this little antique shop which is pretty cool at seeing Doge’s Palace at night where they project a light show on it. I also walked by the cathedral but unfortunately it looks like it’s going under some work still there’s a lot of scaffolding up and the whole front is blocked off. I even wander to the seaside of the city almost to the aquarium. As I was heading back towards the area where the restaurant I wanted to eat at was I stumbled upon a little baby clothes shop. I spent quite a while in there trying to figure out what to get my baby cousin Brookie. I ended up getting this cute bib. The owners were very kind, and while their English was limited and my Italian nonexistent, we were still able to communicate. They were thrilled to find out I was from Hawaii. After purchasing her gift I went to the restaurant I looked up to go eat dinner. It was called Trattoria Ugo. Genova is known for its pesto so I got their fettuccine pesto. It was very good and very very filling. I decided to also splurge and get dessert. When I found this restaurant online one of the reviews said their tiramisu was to die for and I love tiramisu, so I had to try it. It was very, very good in addition to being tiramisu there were also some pistachios on top. During dinner, I also got to chat with this lady from Naples who was also dining by herself. She was there for the science convention that they had the next day. After dinner, I turned in as I had a very full day ahead of me with my day trip to Cinque Terre. Week 5 This week I took a trip to Paris with a friend from high school, Jenna. It was a happy coincidence that we both ended up studying abroad in London during the same semester. Before the semester started, I went traveling with my mom and Paris was one of the destinations we visited. I loved the city so much when Jenna asked if I wanted to go again, I immediately said yes. To get to Paris we opted to fly because it was cheaper than taking the Eurostar. If you really want to take the Eurostar, I suggest booking early or keeping your eye out for deals. We took a late flight out of Gatwick airport to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport on EasyJet, one of the popular low-cost European airlines. Our flight landed around 10:30pm and it took less than an hour to get into the city by train. Even though it was a bit late, the RER (train) running into the city from the airport had a good amount of people and the metro we took in the city was busy. Read my TRANSPORTATION section for more information on the city's public transport system.
We booked a female dorm, which online said had 8 beds but in our actual room there were only three of us. This hostel did not have storage lockers but the other person in our room and the people in the two other rooms were just leaving their stuff out, so we decided to tuck our backpacks under our beds and let the comforter drape over to hid it. Everything was fine. The only electronic device I travel with is my phone and the only important "things" I have with me are my wallet and passport, and I kept all three on me at all times. This hostel provided complimentary breakfast which included an assortment of breads, your choice of yogurt and/or applesauce, coffee or hot cocoa, and cereal. This hostel was also centrally located. It was in walking distance to Notre Dame and a metro station was just two minutes away. TRANSPORTION Buying tickets for the city's public transport system is fairly easy. There are ticket stations at every metro and RER station. If you are buying one way tickets, you will need a different one for the RER into the city and the metro once in the city. Paris is both walkable and not. Depending on what you want to do and see, some of the sites can be far and taking the metro or bus can help save you time. We decided to buy a two day Paris Visite travel pass which gave us access to all of the Paris transport network (metro, bus, tramway, RER) in zones 1-3. You can buy a pass valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days. Another way to approach public transport is buying one way tickets. For me, I used the metro and buses a lot during this weekend trip especially since it was raining, so the two day pass came out cheaper than if I had only bought one way tickets. I found the public transportation system in general to be easy to understand (and I don't speak French other than a few words and greetings). It is very similar to London's system and I would even argue that it is simpler. Google maps, Apple maps, and Citymapper all worked for me and Jenna to get directions. Like when taking any public transportation, be aware of your surroundings and your belongings. I only traveled with my belt bag which I wore under my puffer jacket. OUR ITINERARY We had two full days to explore beautiful Paris! There were some activities we planned ahead of time and bought tickets for in advance, and there were others that were more on the spot decisions. While both days were gloomy and rainy, we still had a great time in the city.
Luxembourg Garden These gardens were beautiful to walk through. All the trees were turning fall colors. Jenna brought her film camera and got some beautiful clips of the gardens. Hôtel des Invalides From the gardens, we walked over to Hôtel des Invalides which is home to military museums and Napoleon’s tomb. It took us about half an hour and there was a light drizzle the entire time. While I was cold and wet, it was a nice way to see the streets of Paris and the city’s beautifully designed building exteriors. Arc de Triomphe When I came with my mom, I got to see the Arc de Triomphe from the street. Jenna and I decided to book tickets to go up to the top. It was a lot of stairs, but even with heavy cloud coverage, the view was amazing. Eiffel Tower at night From the top of the Arc we could see the bottom of the Eiffel Tower before the clouds, but something I dreamed of seeing was the tower all light up and sparkling at night. At the top of each hour the tower sparkles for five minutes. DAY 2 Lourve This day started with going to the Lourve Museum to drop Jenna off for her tour. When I came to Paris with my mom, we visited so I decided to go explore more of the city while she did her tour. If it hadn't been drizzling, I would have stayed and wandered around the museum gardens. Instead, I decided to take the metro and go to other places since I paid for unlimited metro rides with the two days. Palais Garnier (Opera House) A quick metro ride away from the Lourve, the Palais Garnier (Opera House) was stunning. As I came out from the metro station, I was greeted with beautiful blue skies (it had been gloomy and rainy the whole time so far) that framed the opera house. Famous composers lined the outside. I only recognized a few like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris The most well-known museums in Paris you need to pay for like the Lourve and Musee D'Orsay. In a quick google search, I found a few museums in the city that were free. This modern art museum along the Seine River was one of them. Since it was a Saturday, there were also a number of open markets going on in the city. When I exited the metro station, lining the middle of the main street was this open market (picture below on the right) filled with fruit and vegetable stalls, meat, fish, and every items you could think of. As I was walking down, it felt never ending. Eventually, I reached the museum I wanted to go to and exited, but still there were more stalls continuing down the street. This museum was known for its La Fee Electricite exhibit which took up an entire room. It depicted different events relating to electricity and was truly magnificent. The second collection I liked was a husband and wife due, Josef and Anni Albers. They used different mediums and art styles, but their story was beautiful and you could tell they had a passion for their work.
Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle One of the most iconic places in Paris is Notre Dame. Still undergoing restoration work, people were not allowed to enter, however, with the restoration and cleaning of the building, you could really see the bright limestone that used to be covered in grime and dirt from the city air. From Notre Dame, we walked to another cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle. You had to pay to go in so we admired the building from the outside. Centre Pompidou A unique building in the heart of Paris, I went to Centre Pompidou to watch the sunset. It is also home to an art museum and public library. The escalators are on the outside of the building, creating an interesting building aesthetic and giving riders stunning views of the city. I have never been a "must go to Paris" type of girl, but I have to say the city and its people truly charmed me. I love Parisian architecture and its rich history. I would 100% recommend visiting.
Week 4 This past week I came down with a cold, so I stayed in most of the week to rest up and get better for our trip to Dover with our Social Programme on Saturday. This was one of the day trips I have been looking forward to and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was a national rail strike day, so we had to take a coach down which actually worked out better, since they could stay with us the entire day and drive us around Dover when we got there. White Cliffs of Dover Our first stop after about a two hour drive from the university was the White Cliffs of Dover. From Dover, you can sometimes see the coast of France. We were very lucky as the weather was fantastic with clear blue skies. It was still quite chilly making the warm sun rays feel great. There is a walking path along the cliffs where you'll find both tourists and locals enjoying the views. Our group had a time constraint, so we only walked a short loop of it. From this path, we got great views of the cliffs, the port, and the castle. Dover Castle
This is a concentric castle, meaning there are multiple "layers" to it. It was remarkable to walk through it and up to the top of the Great Tower where we got a spectacular view of Dover from all sides of the castle. It is a medieval castle, but it has had a role in more recent history, namely as a headquarters for the British military in WWI and WWII. If you're familiar with Operation Dynamo (the evacuation of Dunkirk), whether from history class or "Dunkirk" the movie featuring Harry Styles, this castle is where the plans were thought through and executed from. You can actually take a tour of the tunnels where the military offices previously were. In addition to going up the Great Tower, we went down into the medieval tunnels. The first of the two photos on the right is looking from the tunnels into the moat around the castle. The second is of their door system to let people in and out of the entrance/exit. The room pictured is showing the levers that open the doors on the other side of the walls. Overall, this trip was very fun and fascinating. I learned a lot about the history of Dover and got to see an iconic landmark in England. Week 3 This past week was the first week of classes, or as they say here, modules. To wrap up the week, our Social Programme took us on a walking tour of Central London yesterday (Saturday). I'll explain a bit about the school system here and then recap what I got to see in the city. MODULES Each module has three parts: (1) Lecture, (2) Seminar, and (3) Modules Clinic. The lecture is where the Module Convenor delivers the lecture of the week on whatever topic is scheduled to be covered. The seminar is where the Module Tutor (sometimes it will be your Convenor) will take the class through different exercises that apply the concepts learned in the lecture. It is important to attend seminars because the exercises build up to what is expected in the final assessment. For all three of my Roehampton courses, my final grade is dependent on one single assessment, the summative that is submitted online at the end of the semester. Module clinics are something new they added this semester. It is an hour of remote learning that is more for full time university students as they act like sessions with UH advisors. It is less about the actual materials for the module as the topics tutors are given are directly from the University. I will have more information on classes in a later post. WALKNG TOUR OF LONDON On Saturday, I went on a walking tour of London hosted by the Social Programme the university has for study abroad and international students. We got to see some of London's most well known monuments as well as some lesser known ones. Our tour started at Blackfriars station and ended at Borough Market. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the market all the stalls were closing. There were still a few places open so my friends and I were able to grab a bite for dinner before taking the bus back to campus. That particular day was a national rail strike, so the tube line we would normally take was not running all the way Putney. (Be aware of rail and tube strike days when here. The buses will be busy and generally take longer due to traffic and all the stops in between). Friends and Tower Bridge St. Paul's Catherdral
Week 2 On our third day in Edinburgh, we booked a bus tour to the Scottish Highlands to see Glencoe and Loch Ness in particular. Early that morning we walked from our Airbnb to the designated pickup spot. From Edinburgh, it was a four hour drive up to Loch Ness with a couple stops along the way, one being at Glencoe for pictures. Our bus driver was AMAZING! For most of the ride he was narrating and telling us about Scottish history, fun stories about his experiences visiting the places we were driving by, and interesting movies facts like where Harry Potter, James Bond, and Outlander were filmed. Glencoe It was absolutely STUNNING! Pictures don't do this place justice. All of the scenery we were passing on the bus was beautiful, but it was here that we actually got to get off, walk around, and take pictures (not through the bus windows). The photo on the right was taken on the bus as we were driving up to Glencoe. In Glencoe, there are three peaks called the Three Sisters. You can see part of one peak in the middle photo. If you look closely, in this photo you'll also see a waterfall cascading down. When it rains, there are hundreds of waterfalls along these mountains. This location was used as the backdrop for multiple Harry Potter films and in the Prisoner of Azkaban, it was were Hagrid's Hut was located. Some Scottish terms: Glen - valley Ben - mountain Loch - lake Loch Ness The absolutely picturesque scenery continued as we made our way to Loch Ness. We saw the Loch from the village Fort Augustus. We opted not to do the boat tour on the Loch, but found a great spot right along the shore where we took pictures (photo on the left) and ate the sandwiches we brought for lunch. Even though it was quite chilly, we saw people paddle boarding and kayaking in the Loch. Fort Augustus is also home to the Caledonian Canal (part of it is pictured on the right). This canal runs from Inverness to Fort William. Whiskey Ice Cream
On the drive back to Edinburgh, we made a couple stops. One was to try see the highland cattle, but because the cattle got moved to a different pasture, we only got a quick glimpse. We stopped in Pitlochry for a quick bathroom break, but the driver recommended we try the whiskey ice cream at the Scotch Corner. It was very yummy! This corner shop also sold tablet, a Scottish confection. |
Kaylee MikiI'm a college student from Hawai‘i studying abroad in London and looking forward to traveling around Europe and sharing my experiences. Archives
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