Christmas in London!

So I've been home a week now, but there are still some things I wanted to post. Most importantly, the festive nature of London. I was obsessed with all the Christmas decorations around. There's just no where in Utah, maybe Temple Square, that could put me in a serious Christmas mood. But leave it to England to deck every town out with Christmas cheer! Bath, Stratford, London- everywhere was all a sparkle. I loved it.

Trafalgar Square. The tree there is donated by Norway every year. A thank you for Great Britain's help during WWII.

Regents Street. Loved it. These lights go down the whole street, for many a couple miles!

Gingerbread milk steamer. Tasted like Christmas.

Huge chocolate Santa in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Harrods is amazing!

Lego Harry inside Harrods! They have a whole Harry Potter section. The employees were dressed up like Gryffindor students!

Merry Christmas from the UK!

Canterbury Cathedral

During our last week in London we took a trip to Canterbury. No one really wanted to go, seeing as it was our last week, but oh well. We went to the Cathedral which is pretty significant because the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Anglican Church (Well technically its the king or queen, but in reality it's the Archbishop that runs the church). Canterbury Cathedral is also famous because Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered inside the cathedral. It has become a place of pilgrimage, but who knows how many people come to actually worship his place of death. His death was also controversial because the king, inadvertently, ordered it. Apparently King Henry II said off hand "who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" And his knights took it literally. They surely didn't want to do it in the actual cathedral, but Becket ran away, knelt to pray in the cathedral, and the knights came in and slaughtered him. During evensong, meaning people were totally around, listening to the choir sing. Crazy.

Here's a memorial for him. Seems kind of morbid to me.

Our tour guide, he was a character.

Christmas nativity!

Bunkmates!

This is my bunkmate Lauren, and she's one of my favorites. We decided to have a photo-shoot because we're best bunkies and have matching Oxford sweatshirts!

Love her!

The Orangerie

On Friday, in-between finals, we went to high tea at the Orangerie as a group. It was so nice! The Orangerie is part of Kensington Palace, and is just a hop, skip and jump away from the London Centre. They served us finger sandwiches, orange scones with clotted cream and jam, and an orange tart that was to die for. Oh, and peppermint tea. It was a sunny day and the rays were shining beautifully through the tall windows. It may have gotten a little hot in there, but it was worth it.

Kensington Palace. Where Harry and William grew up with Diana. Also, William and Kate visit here on the weekends. It's not he most aesthetically pleasing of the palaces, but still nice.

Walking up to the Orangerie

Baby orange trees at each table!

The whole group. The one and only group picture.