Hogwarts, Here I Come!

I wasn't sure if I mentioned this, but one of my (guaranteed) goals while I was in London was to go to Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden.  Why may that be, you ask?  Uh, because that is where they filmed all eight Harry Potter movies over ten years!  Sweet!

Yes.  I went on the Harry Potter studio tour, and it was awesome.  Be jealous!  But hold on while I start my day for you.

First, the morning started with a visit to Kensington Palace.  To be perfectly honest, the plan in my head went something like this after I arrived there:

1. William and Kate were here for the week instead of out at their main place in the country.
2. Pippa comes to visit her niece and nephew.
3. Pippa looks out some random window and sees me in my dashing scarf and clearly American looking jacket and haircut looking very dapper.
4. Pippa comes rushing out to talk to me and we totally hit it off.
5. We end up married and I become some in-law of the Royal family as the Duke of Awesomeness

All of that played out in my head in about the two minutes it took to wander up through the gates to the entrance.  Seriously.



Best to do it at a bit of a run, if you are nervous.
 

None of it came true, unfortunately.  This is probably a good thing as it would have hindered my ability to get to Leavesden for the Harry Potter tour this afternoon.  I guess it was for the best, as I ended up there in perfect time for my tour start.

This place was a blast!  If you are a fan, it is totally worth it.  The authenticity of everything really sets it apart from the great job they've done at Universal in Orlando (although there are no rides).  They put a lot of effort into how they've organized everything and really pulled it off.  You could spend a solid four hours there, and probably longer if you had kids who wanted to do the green screen effects.

Wrapped up there (it was a bit out of town) and hopped a quick train back to London St Pancras.  Some rally/ strike/ assembly was going on across from the station.  As I do in every country when I travel, I try to quickly move past any mobs and not get involved in anything.  Really is a best practice.  In fact, I do that in the USA also.

Had a nice low key evening grabbing dinner with Louise and Anna at Generator (the hostel).  I may not have mentioned them by name before, but you know them as the Awesome Danish Girls I've Spent Time With This Week (that whole thing is a title, which is why it is in capital letters).  Tom (my Australian drinking buddy from Camden Pub Crawl) joined us, as did our other Oz roomie, Rory.  Tom is around another night and will head out in London for Australia Day, while Rory is stuck travelling home all through it.  Louise and Anna head back to Copenhagen about the same time I have to head out, too.

Alas, this time has been far too short.  Trips usually are, it seems like.  I won't make this the end, though.  Since I'll have some time to kill at the airport, you can all expect an end-of-trip recap.  And a picture of Louise, Anna, and me.  Because they do exist.