London - A Theatre Capital

The Union Jack - national flag of the United Kingdom

IES Abroad took us to a five day trip in late October to one of Europe’s (the world’s) busiest and bustling cities: London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

The West End (located in Convent Garden) in London is a sight to see! We saw plays War Horse, Endgame, If there Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, and Many Roads to Paradise. While I write the reviews, click on the play titles to learn more about the performances. War Horse was my favorite.

To move easily and freely around the city, I used a great subway system called the London Underground aka The Tube. It is the oldest underground system in the world which started operations in the late 1800’s. You could find your way around by following the map, a great collage of colored lines taking you to your destination.

Sights and Activities Included:

• The London Tower
• Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
• The British Museum – fantastic world history museum
• Shopping at Harrods
• Getting Lost in Kensington Park
• And, going on a Haunted London Walking Tour

After walking through the glorious Tower of London, me and my friends decided to take a Haunted London Walking Tour. As we walked through the East of London, we stopped at all of sites of the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper. Many people always wonder why this horrible man was never caught. We learned there were so many times when he could have been caught, but always managed to slip away into the dark. The real problem was the police.

London has two police forces; The Metropolitan Police (surrounding London) and the London City Police. There was this great rivalry the two forces had, and because the murders overlapped between their boundaries, no one collaborated to catch the killer. Thankfully, both police forces have a healthier relationship today. Nonetheless, it was a great tour!

It appears to be the case photography is going to become my favorite new hobby because I took a lot of photos! You can view the galleries online here:

London Trip 1: Shakespeare’s Globe and Museums

London Trip 2: The Tower and Platform 9 ¾

London Trip 3: Kensington Park

Enjoy the pictures, I’ll post the play reviews of the plays soon!

-GM