Not All Who Wander Are Lost

So that was the shortest flight I’ve ever been on. It was 30 minutes when it was supposed to be an hour. I got to Birmingham safe and sound.

I stayed at Birmingham Central Backpackers which had a weird vibe. There were a lot of older people there and the only other woman was working the desk. The main room had oriental rugs, Chinese lanterns, Indian prayer flags, cowboy hats, and neon colored walls. I was overwhelmed. When I finally got the pass to my room, it was in another building. This wouldn’t normally be an issue, but it was dark, there were groups of people hanging outside and it was feeling really creepy. I got in safely, found my bed in the dark (there was no label) and got to sleep.

The next morning after sleeping in,I had breakfast of toast and juice and caught a train to Gloucester. I went to see the cathedral and it was worth it. It’s massive and gorgeous and so, so old. It was an Abbey before 700 AD! Like to have buildings as complex as this one a thousand years older than my country?! Insane! Anyway, I had a one-on-one tour around the cathedral with a guide named Rupert from Canada. I then explored in more detail for the next hour and a half. Surprise surprise, HP was also filmed here. I took a picture of the wall where the note from the Chamber of Secrets was. I took a picture of the “hallways” between classes. It was magical.

After I left the cathedral, I found The House of The Tailor of Gloucester. This was a museum dedicated to the Beatrix Potter book. I remember Peter Rabbit growing up and she was the first famous Potter I knew. It was cute and I bought a copy of the book. I had plenty of time to kill so I wandered through a museum and took pictures of the Roman artifacts along with medieval ones. I took another train and arrived in Cardiff.

I immediately headed out for the bay and the Millennium Centre. This was famous/important to me because it is in Doctor Who and Torchwood. I tried finding the entrance, but there was a fair going on where it should have been. I ate dinner and watched the sunset over the bay. I walked to my hostel, Nomad. So this one I knew where the toilet was, but not the shower. The Birmingham one, I knew where the showers were, but not the toilets. Strange layout. This was the smallest room I was in and it was a female only dorm; there were three of us in there. I planned out my next morning and went to bed, feet and body exhausted.

I also got free breakfast here and had a bowl of “cocoa crispies” this morning. I checked out and headed to the movie theatre. See I was going to see Horrible Histories. I read a few books, watched a few episodes, it was funny. I also wanted to enjoy Derek Jacobi as Claudius again (I CLAVDIVS). On my way, I saw lots of rainbow flags and flamboyant people. I stopped and looked it up; lo and behold it was Cardiff’s Pride parade! So I went and found the route and waited for an hour till it started. I had never been to a pride parade before and I forgot how much more March-like and political it was. I did meet and take pictures with Sisters from Bristol, Cardiff, and Glasgow (I knew Beer City Sisters well in Asheville). It was fun, but I could only take so much. I headed to the train station early, ate lunch, and got on my train to London.

I arrived in London and made my way to my hostel. I rode a double decker bus and checked in. I rested for an hour and then I headed out. I first went to 221B Baker Street to visit Sherlock Holmes. There was a line to go inside to the museum, but I just took pictures. I had dinner at Chik’n which was really good. I grabbed a bus and went to Harrods. My grandpa went there back in the 60s or 70s while he was deployed in Europe. He suggested I go here while I’m in town. It was HUGE. The escalator was done up in Egyptian motif and there were rooms upon rooms of expensive items. I almost got carried away in the book section (when do I not), but restrained myself. It again overwhelmed me and I left quickly. I made my way to the Thames to watch the sunset. I sat on the bridge near Big Ben, Parliament, and the Eye, watching the sky change colors. It was a nice, peaceful moment.

When the sun had gone down enough, I took the tube and a bus to grab bread and get back. I made sandwiches for tomorrow for my big day at the HP Studios. I’m ready to get back to Hogwarts!