All Dolled Up

This morning our group took a walking tour of historic Bloomsbury with a Blue Badge Guide named Hugh. During our tour we saw many areas including Bedford Square, the University of London, the British Museum, and Gordon Square Garden. Blue Badge Guides are members of a national guild of professional tourists who provide comprehensive and enlightening tours throughout Britain. Blue Badge Guides complete extensive training in order to register with the guild and our guide Hugh did not disappoint. He was very personable, knowledgeable, and engaging.

The highlight of the tour for me was the architecture and residential planning of Bedford Square. I found it very interesting how the residential buildings, were constructed to have a palatial look and feel. Other things that stood out to me were how the planners thought of everything, including inconspicuous entrances to servants' quarters and even boot posts to rid ones shoes of horse manure! The massive buildings have stood from the 1700s and 1800s. Even the mews (horse stables) were interesting to see, especially since some have been converted to very expensive luxury apartments.

As we were looking at other buildings Hugh mentioned that the more elaborate architectural designs were the work of Charles Victor Doll, an architect who also constructed suites a

and salons on the Titanic. Doll was contracted to improve the aesthetic appeal of buildings in Bedford Square to help modernize the area. The phrase "all dolled up" refers to Doll.

After the tour I went to Asda, a subsidiary of Wal-Mart and then I went with

Elana and Kaitlin to Harrods, talk about shift in dynamics. Harrods might possibly be the most luxurious place I've ever been, but it wasn't too high brow for a Krispy Kreme!

After an original glazed (not hot) donut, we attempted to have tea, but end

ed up settling instead

for drinks at the Chocolate Bar.

After a quick jolt of caffeine and sugar, we headed "home" to the study center to meet up with Elizabeth for pubs and pints. We found a great place in Soho called Nellie's where we met the friendliest locals, including Paul, an exuberant man with a rather large and quite detailed tattoo of the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and the London Eye.

Though it has only been three days since I arrived, it seems like I've been here much longer and that the time is passing by too quickly at the same time.