Hello all, I have finally arrived in London!

I have to apologize for the lack of updates as the hotel we’re currently staying at does not have free wifi so it’s been harder to find time and internet to update this blog.

I arrived in London Monday afternoon and spent the previous 10 days visiting Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of a pre-semester class. My experience in Ireland was amazing and I’ll be putting up a few blog posts in the next couple days talking about that trip.

We’re currently staying at the St. Giles Hotel, which is right off of Oxford Street in Central London. On Saturday, I’ll be moving into the flat I’ll be sharing with four other SU students for the rest of the semester. The flat is on the top floor of the building (penthouse!) and has a nice terrace, three bedrooms, a kitchen and a nice living room space with couches and a TV.  The flat is located near the Notting Hill area and a few blocks from Hyde Park (for those who are Tube-literate, the nearest stop is Queensway). Pictures to come on Saturday.

Faraday House (Taken from the SU website)

I’ll be taking my classes at Faraday House, SU’s center in London. Faraday is about a 10 to 15 minute tube ride from my flat and is located in the Bloomsbury section of London. Classes start on Monday and I will only have class Monday through Wednesday. In addition to the Ireland prequel class, I will be taking four other classes: Contemporary British Politics, America: A Foreign Perspective, Race, Gender and the Media, and Food, Culture and Identity.

The Thames River at night

I’ve been pretty busy looking for a flat and getting settled in London since I got here but we did have some time yesterday for some late night sightseeing. We walked down to St. Paul’s Cathedral then walked along the Thames River, crossed over a bridge and then walked to the London Eye before finding a pub to talk and rest from our mini walking tour. London is beautiful at night and there is so much to do. I think I’m going to love it here.

The London Eye!

St. Paul’s Cathedral