Quest to Find the Wizarding World

How can I come to London and not try to find the places that inspired JK Rowling to write the Harry Potter books? 

I have tried searching for the Diagon Alley look alike since I first got here but there never seems to be a definite place that inspired this wizarding street. I went to Cecil Court by Covent Garden but the street didn't remind me of the movies at all. It is full of bookshops and art stores but none of the building seems to resemble anything you'd see in Diagon Alley. I also went to Goodwin's Court. This street is quite narrow but the building and the windows definitely have a Harry Potter feel to them. I definitely have to check out Leaden Hall Market, where the Diagon Alley scenes were filmed!

The place of the Leaky Cauldron has been changed over the course of the movies. One of its locations is a flower shop called Chez Michele in Borough Market. At first glance, you can't really tell that it's the same place but after a while you realize that with a makeover and the same paint job, the flower shop could be the Leaky Cauldron.

And of course I have seen the places over which Harry Potter and his guard fly on their broomsticks. They fly over the river near Westminster, showcasing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The opening scene in the 6th movie shows the Death Eaters destroying a bridge, the Millenium Bridge which is also in the same area.

The best monument London has to Harry Potter is Platform 9 and 3/4. It's located at King's Cross Station just like the books but is a little tricky to find. But once you do find it, you can take pictures as if you are on your way to the Hogwarts Express!

Harrods: The Biggest Department Store Ever

I finally went to Harrods to see what all the fuss was about and now I understand. The building is a grogeous red-orange color with great architecture. From the outside, the store reminds me of the Macy's in Manhattan, with its green awning and decorated windows lining each wall of the building. But inside, Harrods is a world of its own.

It has a bakery section, where you can buy breads, muffins, cakes, cookies and so many different kinds of pastries. The candy section is full of Easter candy and has a delicious looking ice cream station. There's a section for wine and cheese and all sorts of different condiments. My favorite section is of course the chocolate and dessert section. In preparation for Easter, Harrods has many chocolate ducks and eggs. One of the eggs is big enough to fit inside a mini fridge! There are gift packagings that have Easter scenes all created with chocolate. Even if you're not one for sweets, this section is worth checking out just for its creativity.

Harrods also has the usual clothing and handbags sections, but another favorite of mine is the women's shoe section. You will find any type of heels here that you can think of. There are shoes with sparkling heels and shoes that look like mice. There's so many colors and brands, this section is definitely a girl's dream come true!

Another section worth checking out is the home decor section. Harrods has some of the most interesting lamps and chandeliers I've seen. Most are pure crystal and bring a warm atmosphere to the room.

I would say Harrods is more of a tourist attraction than an actual department store and it's so big that you can spend a whole day in there and still not see all of it. But it has some of the most interesting objects I've ever seen!

Portobello Market Street Food

This past Saturday I went to Portobello Market and I realized I should have been going there every weekend since I first came to London.

The market is located on Portobello Road, off of the Nottingham Hill Gate tube stop. I thought it was funny yet helpful that there are signs on every block giving directions to the market, but all you really have to do is follow the crowd.

The market is sort of like a flea market, with vendors in the middle of the street and cafes and antique stores lining the whole road. The vendors in the beginning are selling souvenirs and old looking signs, some of which are old advertisements or bumper stickers from back in the day. You can find wooden jewelry boxes, rhinestone decorated mirrors, and colorful feather earrings. I found very cute little souvenirs to bring back home for friends and family.

My favorite part about the market is the food. Portobello Market has some of the most delicious food I've had in London. There are vendors selling gelato, falafels and churros with chocolate. Seafood lovers can buy platters of seafood in a delicious sauce or try a seafood wrap with salad. There's also many vendors selling sweet and savoury crepes, but banana nutella crepes will always be my favorite! I also tried a cup of strawberries with some sweet cream ice cream on top, which is absolutely delicious and so refreshing on a sunny day. I'd definitely recommend going to the market with lots of people so you can try a little bit of everything, or you'll be full after your first treat and miss out on all that the market has to offer!

Spring in Hyde Park

Hyde Park is absolutely stunning in the Spring. There's finally green grass everywhere and the Rose Garden is full of colorful flowers. Even the fountains look more pretty simply because of the sunlight.

I took a walk around the eastern part of the park today, because I had only seen the western side, and was amazed to see the amount of people tanning there on a Friday afternoon. It's a great place to soak in the sun while reading a book or enjoying a cone of ice cream :)

One Day by David Nicholls

I've done a lot of reading since I've been in London and I thought it was only right to mention some of the books I've really enjoyed reading.

My favorite so far has been One Day by David Nicholls. It's about two friends who meet on graduation day in college and how their relationship develops over the year. The story takes snapshots of their lives on the same day every year, hence the title, and by the end of the book you realize the significance of that day.

I had read the book over winter break but realized I should probably read it again while I was here because the story takes place in the UK. I understood some of the slangs better and knew the places that are mentioned in London. It was just easier to relate to the second time I read it.

It's a really really good book; it had been on Barnes & Noble best seller list for a while and whether or not you know about London, it is definitely worth reading!

Harry Potter in Edinburgh

When I heard that JK Rowling used to write the Harry Potter books in a cafe in Edinburgh, I knew I couldn't leave Scotland without visiting it. The two cities are so close, travelling between them is like taking a train from Queens to upper Manhattan.

Edinburgh is bigger than Glasgow but still small enough so that everything is within walking distance. The city sort of looks like a valley, with a river in the middle and the city situated on the hills surrounding the river. It has some of the most amazing architecture I've seen. It's really strange seeing stores such as Top Shop and KFC in these ancient looking buildings. You have constantly have to look up so you can see the statues and sculptures decorating the city.

Back to Harry Potter. The cafe is called The Elephant House. It's a cozy little cafe known for its coffees and teas that also serves food and dessert. They have pictures up of JK Rowling writing the books. But the coolest part is the bathroom. One of the toilet seats has actually been changed to a Harry Potter themed seat. And people have left quotes and messages all over the bathroom walls. Some of my personal favorites are "Mischief Managed," "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," and "I am not scared Harry, I am with you." Many people wrote to Rowling, thanking her for her story and changing people's lives. It almost reminded me of Oliver Wilde's tombstone in Paris, where people had written quotes and thanks all over it. It's amazing to see how many fans have come to the cafe simply because she used to write there. I wonder if she's ever been back and read all the messages?




One of the doors also has directions on how to find Thomas Riddell's grave in the cemetery nearby. His name is supposed to be the inspiration for Tom Riddle but I wonder if the name Lord Voldemort came to her mind first or if she used Thomas Riddell to come up with Tom Marvolo Riddle and then rearranged the letters to form I am Lord Voldemort? So many questions!

Wee Little Glasgow

I went to Scotland this past weekend and loved it. Glasgow and Edinburgh are such cute little cities with such great architecture, they are definitely worth visiting.

Glasgow is the smaller of the two cities and has less to see. Right outside the bus station is a statue of a pair of legs and a clock. I'm not sure what it's supposed to represent, but every time I walked past it, I felt like slowing my pace. Buchanan Street is the major road that is packed with shops, offices, hotels and people running one way or the other. Sauchiehall Street represents the modern Scotland. The street is full of restaurants, bars and clubs. There are so many ethnic restaurants that they outnumber the Scottish options. I realized that Scottish people like to go out very early and get overly dressed up for simple bars. 

There are many places to see right outside of Glasgow. I saw Stirling Castle, which is located up on a hill and gives a great view of the landscape. The castle is currently making copies of tapestries that were once up in the castle hundreds of years ago. The  series is about the Scottish hunting a unicorn. Although it seems like an odd theme to display in a castle, the story is actually about the persecution of Jesus. Visitors can actually see the weavers creating the last tapestry, which will be finished in June of this summer.

I next went to Loch Lomond, home of the Buchanan clan. We climbed to the top of a hill and after much huffing and panting, the gorgeous Scotland comes into view. On one side you can see the mountains, on the other side the plains, and right in the middle is the loch. Some people were very excited at the first sightings of sun and had already brought out their boats to enjoy the weather. 

My trip to Scotland would not have been complete if I had not visited a whiskey distillery. The Scottish are big on drinking whiskey and boast of being the only ones who know how to truly appreciate the drink. I toured The Glengoyne Distillery, which uses its own supply of soft water to make the whiskey. It was a little strange being only one of the two girls on the tour but I learned a lot about the whiskey making process and definitely appreciate the drink more.

My favorite part of Glasgow was the statue outside of the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMa, sort of like MoMa?) Someone once put a traffic cone on the person's head as a joke. The council got upset and removed the cone but it would reappear in the morning. The people finally decided the cone was officially part of the statue and now, it's always there! It's the greatest sight as you're walking around the city.