Who: Me, Professor Rocourt, and a group of about 28 students
What: Academic Travel to London
When: March 3rd - March 15th
Where: Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, LONDON!
Why: Because Franklin College requires students to go on a certain number of academic travels before they graduate
How: Thanks to that large sum of money called “tuition”…and my parents of course 
London is one of the most amazing cities I have ever been to. I know I say this about everywhere I go, but London is truly in a league of its own. It has the history of a big European city, but the vibe of New York City. Now some randomness:
The Hotel: The Royal National Hotel is part of a chain of “budget hotels,” meaning they are pretty cheap. I believe a double room runs for about 88 quid a night, which I believe is cheap for London standards. Obviously we didn’t stay in a 5-star hotel, but we had the essentials and that’s all that matters.
The Lingo: quid = pounds 
chips = french fries
ballacks = BS! (or something along those lines)
The Transportation: The London Underground Railway system, (better known as the Tube), will get you just about anywhere. Be warned, however, that the train are quite tiny…nothing like the metro in D.C. or Barcelona! Depending on how long you are going to be in London, you can buy an Oyster pass (similar to the smart trip card) and put enough money on it to last you 1 or 2 weeks… or however long. This Oyster Card is much more convenient than buying a new ticket each time you get on the Tube, AND it can also be used for the London bus system!
The Sites: Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, The British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, etc etc are alllll places you should visit while in London. I mean, you have to! But don’t forget to explore the rest of London as well!
Places to see: Camdentown is very hippy-esque with outdoor markets and shops selling everything from tea to paintings to… mushrooms… It’s nice to walk around here on a nice day and just observe the interesting people who walk by. ANYWAY! I personally LOVED Notting Hill. There are cute bakeries and shops, as well as some vendors selling antiques and the like. If I ever get to live in London, a house in Notting Hill is what I’m gunning for! Though you are still a Tube ride away from the center of London, you get the feel of a beautiful suburb instead.
Things to Do: Take a walking tour! We took the walking tour of the square mile of London that is the actual city, andddd we took the Jack The Ripper walking tour. They were both very informative and really interesting! Jack the Ripper takes place at night, which adds to the creepiness. I loved it A bus tour is a must as well! You see everything in London from a seat on a double-decker. You can hop on and off the bus as you please depending on what you want to spend more time seeing. Our tour was about 15 quid, and this included a river tour on the Thames. Our passes were valid for 24-hours. Aside from the tours, pubs are a necessity. What to expect at a London pub: drunk, loud soccer fans watching a soccer match. Good times! One should also explore Chinatown, go shopping in Oxford Circus and SoHo, and explore Piccadilly and Trafalgar as well!
Also, go to a Show! We saw the Queen musical which was AMAZING and Spamalot which was HILARIOuS! Highly recommended!
What to Eat: Chinese food in Chinatown! Indian food in Brick Lane! And anything else your little heart desires. London has everything from T.G.I. Friday’s to Subway to Starbucks. Oh, and Crush is a REALLY good smoothie place, F.Y.I.
The People: I found the people of London to be quite nice. Compared to the Ticinese, Londoners seemed to be happy, fun-loving people. Even the old people were funny
I LOVED LONDON AND I AM DEFINITELY GOING BACK!!!!