Day 25: Parliament and Portobello

Today is DAY 25!  That means my London experience is halfway over.  I can't even think about it because time is moving way too fast.  


Saturday went by fast as well.  It began with a marvelous trip to the Palace of Westminster, better known as the Houses of Parliament!  It was originally a palace built in the 1000's but then it was destroyed during the Great Fire.  It was rebuilt specifically for Parliament during the reign of Victoria and Albert.  The outside is stunning so I was looking forward to seeing what the inside looked like.  We could only take pictures of the Great Hall where Charles I's trial was held.  We saw the House of Lords, House of Commons, and the Queen's Throning Room. The House of Lords was much more decorative and elaborate.  Something I think is interesting about their Parliament is that people in the House of Lords are put their by appointment.  That means they have experts in several fields so that when bills are proposed on certain topics there will be someone informative there to speak up about it.  That's supposed to eliminate any type of political agendas.  The House of Commons was more plain because it was bombed during the blitz in World War II and rebuilt afterwards.  The House of Commons is much more heated than our House or Senate and there are very strict rules to keep it from getting too heated.  There are red lines on the floor that people cannot cross and you are not allowed to call someone a liar or a drunk.  Winston Churchill famous got around this by calling a liar a "terminological inexactitude."

(Tiffany and I on Westminster Bridge outside of Parliament with London Eye in the background)

After the Houses of Parliament, a few girls and I went to Portobello Road Market for a little bit of trinket shopping!  I definitely did not enjoy this market as much as Borough Market.  Food is more my thing than antiques and there were so many people.  But the environment was still interesting.  The houses and shops are full of color and equally colorful people.  I saw booths for old prints, silver, out of print books, flowers, scarves, necklaces and bracelets, furs, clothing, etc.  I made a few purchases and found a few food stands along the way.

(A red velvet cupcake from Hummingbird Bakery)

(Strawberries, milk chocolate, and cream waffle- best one I've ever had!)

I had a paper due on Saturday night and I needed to do a little bit more research for it so I went back to the Museum of London with my friend Tiffany to get some information.  I quickly typed up my paper when I got home and turned it in.  I am really struggling to find motivation to do homework here but I figure I will NOT regret doing something fun and I will regret staying in to do homework. :)


Katherine, Amanda, and Kayley had finished their papers before me and wanted to do a bit of shopping to I hopped on over to Primark (again) to purchase a couple of things.  Going at night was a good idea because it was way less crowded.  I found a couple of things but didn't want to wait in line to try them on and so I just bought them.  Time will tell if they'll fit very well!  I bought a couple of cute long skirts, a new shirt, and some earrings.  It was a great trip!


I would like to apologize if I say these things too casually.  I do so many wonderful things each day and I continue to be amazed and filled with gratitude each time I get to try something new!  I love my life right now.  :)