The Last of London

The past week in London has been wonderful. Whether it was visiting museums and landmarks with the group or taking in the city parks on my own, I have thoroughly enjoyed all that London has to offer. On Wednesday we took a little time off from London and went on a day trip Canterbury to see the cathedral. It was especially interesting in light of our studies of pilgrimage and migration.

Canterbury Cathedral

This weekend I went with a group of friends to the Thames festival, which featured a huge market, music, dancing, and an emphasis on multiculturalism. We had also noticed a number of odd sculptures in one area of the waterfront, and once it got dark, we discovered that each sculpture involved fire in some way. The entire festival was lit with these fire sculptures, as well as a number of fire pits where people were welcome to congregate and stay warm. Combined with lots of live music, the entire effect created an awesome atmosphere. The festival was one of the best finds of our time in London.

Nighttime at the Thames Festival

Tomorrow is our last day here. I'll certainly miss London, but I'm also looking forward to Northern Ireland. We'll be staying in the small, semi-rural town of Rostrever, in the same guest cottages where I stayed last summer while studying in Northern Ireland on Mayterm. Rostrever is a beautiful, slower-paced place where there will be lots of opportunity to catch up on school work, spend time getting to know the other members of the group better, and hopefully do some hiking. There won't be consistent internet access there, so my next update will probably be in a week or so from Bruges, Belgium.