The Making of an Unforgettable Weekend

May 4-6, my last weekend in Europe. We made sure we made the most of our time and went out with a bang!

Friday, May 4 had been eagerly anticipated for a majority of the semester. This was the day Gabby, Courtney, Kathy, and I went to Watford, England to tour the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studios!! We flew into Luton, England and took a bus to Watford. After lunch we still had quite some time before our tour time, but we couldn't wait any longer and got on the shuttle bus early. 

Our shuttle bus to/from the Studios
After perusing the very extensive gift shop we got in line for the tour. We began the self-guided tour a little after 2pm and came to the end a little before 5:30pm. During the nearly 3.5 hours, we walked through the actual studios where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. We walked through the Great Hall and saw the sets for the Gryffindor Common Room and Boys Dormitory, Dumbledore's Office, the Weasley's kitchen, Diagon Alley, and so many more! The wigs and costumes used for various characters throughout the films were also on display. The magic behind visual and special effects was revealed as well as the extraordinarily creative efforts of the artists and designers. The tour culminated with a walk around the model of Hogwarts, used for wide exterior shots of the castle. We topped off our incredible day with an overnight stay in a hotel, not a youth hostel!


Saturday morning we took the train to Bath. Gabby, Courtney, and I first stopped at the Jane Austen Centre where we learned more about the famous author. We also saw some costumes used in the film adaptations of her novels. That afternoon we took a tour to Stonehenge and Lacock Village. The village of Lacock has been featured in several movies, namely Jane Austen adaptations and Harry Potter! After arriving back in Bath we took another train to Bristol where we stayed in a Bed and Breakfast.

Sunday was spent in the Bristol airport before flying back to Edinburgh. The weekend was filled with Harry Potter, Jane Austen, movies, and magic and I wouldn't have had my final weekend abroad any other way.

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