Markus & the Lonely Duck | Lake District, England 2012

The other day I was going through my photo folders and I found a plethora of unedited UK photos. It was kind of amazing because Markus and I won't be able to go on an international trip this year. It really stinks considering we've traveled somewhere every year for the past nine years. I really shouldn't complain, we've been to some amazing places. I'm really thankful for all the places we've been and hopeful for the places we'll go! So finding these pictures was great because it's like going on a trip to the UK all over again.

As I was editing the photos, I realized something awesome. I had Markus do all sorts of poses and I realized that there was a lone duck in every photo. I couldn't help myself and had to share. Plus, I couldn't resist posting more gorgeous photos of the Lake District. My golly, this place was really like heaven on earth.

Spamalot and the West End | London, England | 6 of 6

Piccadilly Circus

On our last and final night in England, we went to see Spamalot in the West End. Its always been on my wishlist to see a production on Broadway or the West End. Before we left for London, Ari and I had made a last minute decision to go for James' birthday. Growing up I went a lot of musicals. My mother loves them and because of her that I enjoy these sort of things.
 

Piccadilly Circus

The Harold Pinter Theatre

Before the musical, we walked around a bit and toured the West End. There were so many theaters and so many different productions. There were a few other ones that I wished we were able to see, but I guess I should be thankful we were able to see one at all. Spamalot was showing at The Harold Pinter Theatre, one of the smaller theaters, but that made the experience even better. It felt more personal and intimate. It was a great production and I loved hearing all the familiar songs but also new ones. Spamalot was very similar to the film, but different enough to make it enjoyable. Although, if it was the same as the film, I still would have loved it just the same.

I am a huge fan of Monty Python, especially the Holy Grail. I watched the movie for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. After that first experience, I gobbled up everything Monty Python. I would quote the movie all the time, even when no one had any idea what I was talking about. So, it was only fitting that my last night in London would be watching Spamalot. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and something I will always cherish.

Around the Town | London, England | 5 of 6

On our final day in London, we walked around the city to catch all the places we missed. I'm pretty sure that we won't be in England for a very long time. I do love England, it's one of my favorite countries, but there is so much of the world to see! I promised myself that I wouldn't travel to the same country twice, but England is such a special place for me that I couldn't help it. It will always have a special place in my heart.

Covent Garden

Hyde Park

Big Ben

Harrods

Diagon Alley & Ministry of Magic | Harry Potter Studio Tour 5 of 6

Magic is Might

As I said before, the Harry Potter Studio Tour was massive. We could've spent all day there, since there was so much to see and explore. Two of the most impressive and easily recognizable sets were Diagon Alley and The Ministry of Magic. Besides The Great Hall, these are the other most recognizable locations from Harry Potter.

Seeing the Magic is Might monument from The Ministry was pretty cool. I didn't think it was that massive, but when I finally walked up to it, it was quite big and really detailed. Markus, James and Ari were wandering about the other sets, and I was a bit tired. So, I sat down on a bench below the statue. While I was sitting there, I imagined myself as a Ministry worker on a lunch break. There were heaps of people walking about with wands and cloaks, so it only added to my daydream. It was a bit silly, but it was a moment I enjoyed.

As you can tell from the photos, Diagon Alley wasn't as big as you would think. I think that's the magic of movies. When you see the films, you imagine a larger than life world and seeing it in real life takes a little of the magic away. It doesn't ruin the films, but it's still a bit jarring. I will say that the amount of detail and work that went into these shops were amazing. I wish they let us walk into the shops, but I know they were just for show. It was still a wonderful experience and more than just seeing a set from Harry Potter. It was like stepping into another time period, it was almost Dickensian and it was awesome.

Olivanders Wand Shop

Wands galore!

Homes & Masks | Harry Potter Studio Tour 4 of 6

Hagrid's Home

The other areas of the first studio had sets and props from other famous places in the world of Harry Potter. There were the homes of Hagrid, Sirius Black and the Weasley family. I will say that it's super awkward seeing this sort of headless mannequins dressed as all the characters. I do like that they had something, but seeing my favorite characters clothing without heads is slightly off putting.

The Leaky Cauldron

Weasley's Home

Sirius Black's Home

The second studio was filled with even more interesting things. The first part delved into special effects and showcased a lot of the monsters and makeup. It was crazy seeing how detailed and intricate the masks were for some of the characters. I'm pretty sure being a make-up artist for films like these is an awesome job. Although, I do think they could've displayed Dobby a bit better. It was a bit jarring seeing his head propped up on a desk. Poor Dobby, murdered and displayed for all the world to see. 

Westminster Abbey | London, England | 4 of 6

Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it inside Westminster Abbey. We visited on our last day in London and by that time, we were a bit tired of museums and things of that nature. Also, the £18.00 ($27) fee was a bit steep. Now, in hindsight, I regret it a tiny bit. I had the chance to see the beauty and splendor of the Westminster Abbey and I let my fatigue and an entrance fee stop me. Who knows when I'll ever be back in London, that's the thing about wanderlust. It causes you to want more and see more. Most likely, you'll never return to the places you've been because the world is so big.

I think while we were there I knew I would later regret not going inside and went a bit crazy on the photos. I only had the outside to take photos, but it was enough. Even though we weren't able to go inside, we were able to make it memorable. James, Ari, Markus and I found a nice grassy spot in front and sat for a bit. We had a nice chat and people watched. It wasn't how I thought I would remember Westminster Abbey, but it's still a nice memory.