International Marketing Study Program 2007
London
13th - 16th January 2007
It was 6pm when we checked into Kensington Close Hotel in London, which is conveniently situated very closely to a variety of cafes, restaurants, and retail shops.
The following day, Sunday, was a free day to explore the city of London. In the morning, a few of us visited the London Eye but unfortunately it was under renovation! After taking some pictures, we headed for Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. At 11am, we caught the ‘Changing of the Guards’ at Buckingham Palace before making our lunch appointment at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant - Fifteen London. Bookings are essential, which was why we made ours two months ago! Our day ended with a walk through Camden Market, where we found a variety of interesting things from souvenirs and art pieces to gothic/rock-styled merchandise. We couldn’t help but notice that this market was frequented by a large number of the gothic sort!!
While we had lunch, the rest of the group joined the Big Bus Tour which took them to famous sightseeing spots around London such as Madame Tussaud, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street and Harrods.
The Monday morning comprised of our company visit to Vodafone in Newbury, after which a few of us ventured to Oxford University – the complete journey taking 1.5 hours! Upon arriving, we realised that the town of Oxford is actually University campus. Another interesting finding was that some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed within the University – among them are the Hogwarts Dining Hall and the Moving Staircase, and the use of the Invisibility Cloak by Harry in the Library – we also visited for academic purposes!!! On our return to London, we visited the “Paddington Bears” stall where we couldn’t resist buying one.
A visit to London is never complete without a trip to the theatre. On our last day, the group made their way to Leicester Square to buy half priced tickets for the theatre after our company visit to BP. We formed several groups who went to see The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, The Rocky Horror Show (where the crowd was as interesting as the show…!) and Les Miserables. A couple of students chose to continue their last night in London after the theatre and headed for a local bar. Let’s just say that £2 vodka/red bulls call for trouble, which a few found themselves in on the flight to Amsterdam the following day..!
Needless to say, London is a city enriched with abundance of history which comprises many places to visit that cannot be accomplished within a few days. Although there was so much to do in such a short time, our stay in London was definitely a memorable one.
By Nicole Hanafi and Yan Mak
Out on the town in London |
|
