The day started out with a trip to Point Park’s study abroad sister campus, Regent’s University. Before we could get there though, we had to figure out how to ride the Tube. This was very exciting for me but also a little stressful because I am one of those people who needs to know everything about a situation before embarking on it. I figured out though, that The Tube is super simple to understand and I am looking forward to using it again before leaving London.
Once at Regent’s, we met up with Jason Mackenzie for a lecture on the media landscape in the U.K. This lecture was 90 minutes but felt like a total of 15 due to Mackenzie’s wit and humor mixed in with his expertise in his field. We held a group discussion that included topics such as why consumers are looking at more media but less trustful of the media at the same time, how social content platforms are beginning to become content publishers instead of sharers, and where traditional media may go in the future.
Post this lecture, I took The Tube back to the hotel to get ready for the rest of the day. I spent some time wandering around the city and just taking in the sights. I decided to stay away from some tourist traps and go for the more subdued route to see what London really has to offer other than things like Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.
While wandering around, I came across the theatre that shows Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. While I will not be attending the performance, it was amazing to see such an intricate marque for it. As someone with two Harry Potter tattoos, I do not think I will forget that sight anytime soon.
The highlight of the day might have been witnessing a man making music with only a simple traffic cone. I hope to one day acquire the happiness he seemed to have.
We then went on an Instagram Tour of London, looking for some quintessential “London” shots and ending up in the Covent Garden section of the city. We did a little bit of shopping and a lot of laughing (and almost being taken out by low flying pigeons) before heading back to the hotel before dinner.
For a late dinner, we went to a corner pub called Jack Horner’s. Here I tried two new items that I think will be staying around in my diet for a while. The first, and less adventurous is the London Pie which consisted of braised beef and mushrooms in a flaky pie crust. The second has revolutionized my life though I was nervous to try it at first; mayonnaise on fries. I was not sure why this is a thing in the U.K. but I am now hooked. To go back to my title, yes, mayonnaise is a french fry condiment.
I am really loving the vibes in London currently and am looking forward to staying for a more days to see what else the city has in store.