London so far..

Well, I have been in London for three whole days now and in that such a short period of time I have seen so many things already. Yesterday I went on another walking tour of the city where I saw St. James Palce and other sites near there such as Westminster and Parliament. Before my walking tour I went to church at St. James Cathedral where I was able to sit in the front row for mass.

The building was beautiful inside. There is nothing at all like sitting under the dome listening to the service. But what I found to be awesome was the music. An all boys choir sang while an orchestra played their instruments. The whole setting was amazing; an unforgettable exerperience to say the least.

This morning I woke up extra early to go on a walk from our college, which is located near Waterloo Station. We visited Buckinham Palace, Kensington Palce, and Hyde Park. Hyde Park was spectacular. The scenery was so pretty, pictures will not do it justice. I wish I had brough a blanket and a book to lay out on the grass with and relax all afternoon. I also visited the Peter Pan statue and the memorial fountain for Princess Diana.

In the afternoon I met up with my classmates for a day at St. Paul's Library. Having been there the day before, it was nice to have the previous experience fresh in my mind for today. Upon arrival, we met with Mr. Joseph Wisdom, the Librarian for St. Paul's. Mr. Wisdom was full of helpful information and knowledge not only about the library located inside of the Cathedral, but also about the history of church itself. Being in a room with books from the 16th and 17th centuries is truly an honor that I was so fortunate to have. I was even able to touch one! We did not only learn about the collection of books in the Cathedral's library, we also were able to walk down a staircase used in one the of Harry Potter films. It was definitely a high point in my day.

After the class session ended, I met up with a friend and we walked from school back to Buckingham Palace and then to Harrods and TopShop for a little evening shopping. We also went to the Texas Embassy for a little 4th of July celebration and then we dined at McDonalds, an American classic! I could not have thought of a more perfect way to spend the day!