This is most likely everyones response to our fabulous trip, but for me it sincerely was one of the greatest weeks of my life. Although I have been abroad before, London was a such a unique experience compared to mainland Europe. I loved how we got a chance to explore all over the city as opposed to just staying in one place the whole trip. I also loved how we got a taste of english culture in such a brief amount of time. It feels like I blinked and the trip was over, but I do feel as though I understand English culture in depth now after the trip. I like how the city felt connected through its transportation systems also. The tube allowed us to travel all over the city in a couple hours; something we would have not been able to do otherwise. Looking back, I wish I could relive the whole trip over again. From the amazing  friends I have made to the amazing architecture I have gotten the privilege to see, I cant wait to plan my next trip back!

For our free day, Adriane, Zac, Kendra, and I all went to Notting Hill market and got to experience English culture at its finest. This market is HUGE and has so many different kinds of stands to buy things from. The beginning part of the market was made up primarily of antiques. They had everything from jewelry, to old prints, cameras, and even some clothing. We had a blast looking through all the amazing history and charm the stands had to offer. I bought some wonderful prints from the 1860s that render Italian sculpture and mosaic tile. While there we also ate lunch at a street vendor that was selling German wraps. We also got jelly donuts from a elderly woman hat had a bakery stand and I have never had a better donut in my life. After the market we came back and napped and then went to dinner a bit later. We enjoyed our last English dinner at a pub and got traditional English savory pies. After diner we spent our evening visiting platform 9 and 3/4 from the Harry Potter movies and getting the classic red phone booth picture in front of Big Ben. Overall, our free day was simply amazing and I can’t believe the trip is coming to an end!

To be completely honest, I was not looking forward to our day trip out to stone henge, Stourhead, and Salisbury. I was just tried and was not looking forward to sitting in a bus all day. I am glad to say though that at the the end of the day, the day trip was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. Even though some say that stone henge is just a pile of rocks and is doesn’t do much, I thought it was absolutely beautiful. It’s the only clear figural object for miles and it is so independently stunning. The clear difference between the green grass and the blue sky was amazing. I’m so happy we were blessed with a sunny day.
Our next stop was to Stourhead and I have never been so taken aback by a landscape in my entire life. It is truly the most natural looking man made space I have ever seen. The recreation of the Pantheon is stunning and is so much lager hat what I had previously thought. The overall ambiance and over the top nature of the pace as a whole was truly unique and incredible in its own right. The space was created and designed to be over the top and beautiful just to be enjoyed and experienced. I love that it’s purpose is simple.
The last stop of the day was to Salisbury cathedral and it was the first gothic cathedral I had ever been in. The space was magnificently huge and visually stimulating. I didn’t know where to look because everything in the space was so sculptural and vibrant. I loved the piers and flying buttresses in the space, as well as the ribbed vaults and pointed arches. The space differed from a Roman cathedral in many ways. For one, the verticality in this space was much more prevalent. I also thought that the space was more ornamental. Although I still prefer a Roman cathedral, I’m glad I got to see a place of worship that is so vastly different, but represents the culture of the English religion while serving the same purpose as the classic cathedral.

After visiting The British Museum and seeing all it has to offer, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is an AMAZING museum. It does a great job at showcasing world history in an easy-to-view fashion.  Also, most importantly, the staff take care of the artifacts with care. I do, however, think that several of the artifacts there are not where they belong. I am referring mostly to the fargments of sculpture “saved” from the Acropolis in Athens. This piece of the Parthenon tells a story. When the Parthenon was whole, the story complimented the religious place it was presented at. This story can only be whole when presented at the location intended by the artists. To put this into prospective, if Big Ben was removed from London and was brought to, for example, Switzerland, would the contex of the building remain? Would the purpose of law and justice be retained? These questions are important when concerning vital Greek culture as well. With Greece having little to no authority in the world, they may never be given back what was stolen from them. I hope one day the English government puts this into prospective!

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Day 2: Walking Tour

So other than my aching feet and overwhelming exhaustion, I think day two was a really good overview of what this city is all about. We walked about twelve miles and rooks almost 27,000 steps over about ten hours! The vast size of this city is truley remarkable. With London being a Roman town, it has undeniable roots. As the city has grown and changed over time, the architects, monarchs, and city planners have done a good job at maintaining the city’s true and original roots. These moments are clear when you see a 21st century building peeking over stone buildings that has been here for centuries. I especially loved the strong verticality The Shard dominates over the city. Overall, the connection between the old vs the new is very a unique element that separates it from other progressive Roman towns across the globe. London has linked the city’s history to make it part of its future and it will definitely be interesting to see how London further changes its skyline.

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Hello All! (This picture is of my older sister and I…I’m on the right!)

My name is Megan Nerici and I am a freshman in the Architecture program. Some interesting facts about me are that I am a barista at Starbucks, I love to travel, and I LOVE The Ohio State University. This has been my dream school for as long as I can remember and I am so blessed to able to travel to such a great city with such an amazing institution. I am most looking forward to traveling to London to learn more about it’s vast history and culture and how it’s past has shaped the city into the wonderful place it is today. I can’t wait to travel with all of you!