Savannah in England

Hello from England!


My name is Savannah Lewis and I am studying this semester or as the English say “term” in Plymouth, England. Plymouth or better known as “Britain’s Ocean City” (there’s even a geofilter on Snapchat for it) is an absolutely beautiful city sitting right on the English Channel. There is so much to Plymouth with its modern inner city, historic Barbican area, giant shopping centers, and breathtaking ocean views from the Marina. What more is there to ask for than plenty of opportunities for a gorgeous picture?

We took a walk down to the shore where the Marina is and it was like a scene from a movie it was so pretty.

 When I first arrived in England we landed at Heathrow Airport at 7 am and had to wait for a bus from the school to come pick us up till 10 am. Then after a 5-hour bus ride we had finally made it to Plymouth but the journey had only just begun. I then had to drag my 50-pound suitcase up 4 flights of stairs because my flat is on the top floor with NO LIFT (talk about having legs of steel when this is over).  The view from my skylights is absolutely amazing though definitely worth the hike up stairs! Then came the task of finding bedding and food two very important essentials for the afternoon spent shopping. It took about a week until I finally felt settled into my room and the new city. I’ve already met so many people from different parts of the world such as Malaysia, Spain, Mexico City, Germany, Poland, Holland, Nebraska, and so many more! After finding some friends we started to explore the city and all of its unique areas.

This area is called The Hoe (yes I laugh every time someone says it) meaning “a high place” which has the famous lighthouse and is a great place to sit and have a picnic.

Fish and Chips are AMAZING I would eat it everyday if I could.

 

Also something Plymouth is famous for the Mayflower Steps. Yes this is the actual location where the Mayflower ship left for America!

 

 

 

Our first trip was into London for a weekend and I have never been so excited to see all the famous museums, monuments, and of course my favorite, FOOD!  We took a coach bus (tip megabus is SUPER cheap) and 6 hours later we were walking around London at midnight just marveling at all of the gorgeous architecture and cute townhouses. We used Airbnb and it was a great experience my only tip would be to spend the extra money to get a hostel/Airbnb in the city to cut out time and money getting back and forth every day to the city. We were only in London for 3 whole days so we really made the most of it seeing Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, National Portrait Museum, Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Harrods, Museum of Natural History, Kings Cross Station (s/o to the HP fans) and the Shard. We walked miles, rode buses and even the Underground, which was surprisingly easy to navigate, and my favorite way to get around.

The typical tourist picture of Big Ben it’s so majestic in real life!

Of course we had to be major basic tourists and get a picture in the famous red telephone booths. TIP: Don’t be afraid to be the biggest tourist ever and take all of the funny pictures you want, even if people stare at you haha!

Along with seeing the sites we made it our mission to find a café/pastry shop everyday and have whatever dessert we wanted! This was possibly the best decision ever seeing as we had Nutella and Ice Cream Crepes one day and Double Chocolate Gateaux Cake with Hot Chocolate the next.  NEVER be afraid to spend money on food because it is truly my favorite part of traveling (especially when there is chocolate involved)!

Doesn’t this crepe make you want to cry it looks so good??

This is still the best cake I’ve had so far and who doesn’t love hot chocolate on a cool London day?

On our last full day in London we went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour having bought tickets online in advance (only 35 pounds so not bad at all). It was with out a doubt the best day of my life and all my childhood dreams came true as we walked through two ginormous studios filled with sets, costumes, props, interactive games and of course BUTTERBEER! I took a million pictures and had the best time so if you are an insane Harry Potter nerd like me I highly suggest you take the trip because it was totally worth it!

My inner 11 year old self was screaming when we got pictures at Platform 9 3/4 seriously a dream come true!

 

Deciding to study abroad is still one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Everyday is an adventure and every moment is a gift you will want to cherish forever! If any of you ever decide to study in England I promise it will be nothing less than amazing! 

Next week I am traveling to Germany and Amsterdam but for now so long Greensboro!

Savannah Lewis

University of Plymouth

Plymouth, England