The Queen's Walk

Hi everyone at WNE! At the beginning of our semester abroad in London we traveled to the Queen’s Walk in Central London. This was our first trip to London alone as a group, which was extremely beneficial for getting closer to our fellow SEA group members.

We first had to get onto the tube, which seems like an easy enough task to accomplish, but with 16 people, it can get quite tedious. Once all of us had gotten on the tube it felt like we accomplished some great feat! It took a little bit of time to arrive at our destination, but once we did, I realized at once: we weren’t in Richmond anymore!

View of the Queen's Walk from Tower Bridge

The first aspect of the walk that stood out to me was how culturally diverse it was there. At first glance, I could easily see so many different people from various cultures. It totally blew my mind; I could not believe how many different people there were in one place. This first experience really opened my eyes for the first time that there really are so many different people in different cultures and how much we as Americans have to learn about the world around us. I can really relate this eye opening experience to seeing the London Eye. As I looked at the London Eye for the first time, I could also truly say that my eyes were open for the first time to a very culturally diverse environment.  But, this walk also gave us a view into some of the oldest parts of London.

We were lucky enough to see the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Globe Theatre, Big Ben, Southwark Cathedral, and St. Paul’s Cathedral to names a few. These historical places in London are really just the tip of the iceberg, but they really overwhelmed me. I could stop thinking about how extraordinary these were and how well they were crafted. I mean the Tower of London was built in 1066 and looks like it is brand new! The architecture is truly remarkable and is awe inspiring. From this, I learned to really appreciated history. Since we have none of this at home, I was truly shocked that these historical artifacts are still in such great condition. For me it also puts things into perspective as well. In America, we think buildings are old and historical if they are from the 1800’s, but in England, it is totally different. Their buildings are hundreds of years older and they are in great condition. It just shows you how your perspective and where you grow up can truly shape your view point on other cultures.