It was great being back in London, after being away in Liverpool for two nights. I just love to feed off the energy of the bustling city (:
(Click for entry on Liverpool, or London Part 1)
After getting back to the apartment and depositing our bags, we decided to head to Borough Market for some grub. It was a gamble because it was already late afternoon and most stalls would have closed or would be closing soon. It turns out, the market was only a short 15 minute walk from the apartment. The skies were bright and sunny, but the overcast was creeping in, threatening to take over. :/
Clink Street - which reminds me of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, with all the brick walls.. Haha.
As expected, when we reached Borough Market, most stores in the covered area were already closed for the day, save for a store selling some seafood dishes. Decided to get a portion of seafood paella (sub-standard in our opinion) but did the trick to fill our tummies a little.
The outdoor market with make-shift stalls was still bustling with activity.
Bought some scotch eggs which I came to know about through pictures on Instagram. First time trying them so the novelty was there, but would have preferred them more if they were heated up!
Since we were nearby, I insisted that we visit Monmouth Coffee Company.
Joel isn't a coffee person, but I totally am. I have to have at least one cup everyday to function properly. He calls it an addiction lol. If we had more time, I'd wish to visit more cafes in London. I appreciate it when coffee is the main priority, and it gets done right, not like those served at Singapore cafes, which I feel are sold just for the sake of having coffee on the menu.
Heaven in a cup.
London, you are so beautiful. :')
Walking along the Thames River till we reached the Tower Bridge (which tourists refer to the London Bridge). Sky is not co-operating ):
After the long walk along the river we took the underground to meet up with Samuel for....
Burger and Lobster!!! There are only three mains to choose from - whole Lobster (grilled or steamed), burger or lobster roll for £20 each. The lobster and roll were totally yummy, meat so "QQ" and the lemon butter sauce perfectly complemented the taste of the meat, which made the long wait for a table justifiable. Joel regretted choosing the burger though, because there was nothing special to shout about. The next time I'm back imma order the larger lobsters that they bring in daily, and are sold by weight.
Stuffed with a satisfying dinner, we walked to Picadilly Circus to visit the Cath Kidston store to buy souvenirs for my sisters. So much cheaper than Singapore! Especially also because I had an additional discount by using Joel's international student card (from his exchange program in Canada last year :P)
The sky was somewhat still bright but it was already 9PM. Concluded the night and took a bus back to the apartment to rest for the next day's activities!
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The next day, bright and early, we bought breakfast from Prêt à Manger and took the London Midland train to Watford Junction because we were going to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour - the Making of Harry Potter!!!
After a short journey, we reached the station and with slight difficulty we managed to locate the bus stop where we would take the Harry Potter shuttle bus (£2 per person to and fro).
Was happily wearing my Gryffindor scarf already :P
Finally!! This is the look of pure and genuine excitement. :D
The studio features the actual props, sets and costumes used in the making of the series of films.
The holding lobby is simple and spacious, with portraits of the actors, as well as the Weasley family car hanging precariously from the ceiling.
Entered the queue to start the tour and we were greeted with a life model of Harry's room under the stairs. Was glad to enter the queue before the large group of school kids!
*WARNING: photo spam ahead*
After a short video introduction in a small theatre, we were ushered to the entrance of the Great Hall. Goosebumps already all across my body!
SO much attention to detail! My jaw was open in awe.
Some original costumes worn by the actors.
Apparently this stone floor is the original floor used in the films. Emma Watson actually walked across the very floor I was standing on!! I can't even. The ceiling was filled up with CGI effects in accordance to the scene.
Gryffindor boys dormitory.
Ron Weasley's bed.
The winding corridor of the Leaky Cauldron - which makes use to a trick eye effect to make the corridor appear longer than it really is.
Mirror of Erised - according to Albus Dumbledore, shows the "deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." The name "Erised" is "desire" spelled backwards, as if reflected in a mirror. The happiest person in the world would look in the mirror and see a reflection of them, exactly as they were. - Source
Gryffindor common room.
Headmaster Dumbledore's office.
Snape's potion class. To make the experience more realistic for the visitors, some of the sets had props that moved. In this particular set, the pots were stirring by themselves!
Portrait wall that featured actual portraits used in the movie. Fact: the drawings were modelled after members of the crew, like producers and set managers. It would be pretty amazing to be immortalised in a portrait like that! It was also a nice touch to do something like that to make crew members feel like part of the movie.
Hagrid's hut.
The Weasley's Burrow.
Can't express how much I love the attention to detail!
After finishing the first part of the studio tour, we ended up at the Backlot and grabbed ourselves a cup of Butterbeer! I way looking forward to this for quite some time! Unfortunately I would say I was disappointed because the Butterbeer couldn't come close to the one I had in Orlando. ): The butter foam given was of a stingy portion, and the beer itself was not as "shiok". Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it because it's not often that I get to have a cup of it!
The backlot featured some larger outdoor sets like the Knight Bus - the bus that comes to the assistance of stranded wizards.
Harry's aunt's home on Privet Drive.
Slightly disappointed by the bridge which didn't make for good pictures considering how we could see the sets outside. :/ Perhaps we didn't know how to angle it well.
On to the next part of the studio tour, which showcases the art work that goes into the movie.
RIP Dobby )':
One of my favorite sets! Diagon Alley that features Gringotts Bank, Ollivanders wand shop & the Weasley joke shop.
Breath-takingly huge model of Hogwarts. This model is used to shoot many "aerial" shots of the school.
Sadly, our tour came to an end. The whole tour takes about 3-4 hours if you really take your time to look at everything and read every information sign board.
Headed back to London around late afternoon, and so we decided to head to Oxford street for some shopping.
Chinatown.
Lola's cupcakes at Topshop!
We bought tickets to see Wicked the day before. Didn't manage to catch the musical when it was in Singapore. So it was on the top of my list, right next to Les Misérables. We only had time to catch one, so we chose the former.
Perfect end to our time in London. Albeit short, I grew a fondness for this fine city. I look forward to returning in 2016 and this time I will stay for at least a month!
xxxxxx
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