Primrose Hill

Today was our University of Westminster orientation, and after spending about twenty minutes trying to find out which part of which building we were supposed to be in, we sat through about 2 1/2 hours of rather dry academic-related information. Of course, it was necessary and useful for us, but I won't bore you with any of the specifics. I will say that seeing how spread out all of the buildings are, how many campuses there are, and the fact that it takes almost 40 minutes by Tube to get to my classes, I can definitely see why I'm naturally drawn to smaller schools in the suburbs. However, I'm excited to experience school in a big city and even though it's a bit more of a commute, I'm not too worried about getting around. Although, finding exactly where all my classes are before they actually start is definitely at the top of my to do list.

Orientation ended around 3:30, but we weren't about to let the rest of the day be wasted. I found a couple of my Arcadia friends, Emma and Megan, and we decided to take a little trip to Primrose Hill which is part of the larger area of Regent's Park. Remember last time when I was complaining about the weather? Well, today was absolutely perfect for visiting Primrose Hill. Though it was definitely cool out, which a brisk wind didn't help, it was bright and sunny with only a few clouds in the sky--a first since we've been here! As soon as we reached the park we headed for the the top of the hill, and once we got to the crest, we could only stand and stare. Already breathless from the walk, what awaited us at the top took the rest of our breath away. From one edge of the horizon to the other was a spectacular view of the city with a sweeping view of the park in the foreground. With the sun shining down on the scene from behind us and a rainbow rising from the clouds above the city, it was picture perfect. So naturally, once we had taken some time to take in the view, we snapped a couple of pictures.

After we had the chance to take in from afar this new city we have decided to call home for the next three months, Megan and I noticed a stone steeple rising from the trees at the far edge of the park. Because it didn't appear to be far away, we decided our next little adventure would be to see if we could find it. The residential area surrounding Primrose Hill is just as beautiful as the park itself and, as we learned later, one of the most exclusive and wealthiest residential areas in all of London. It has been home to many famous actors, singers, painters, politicians, designers, and writers. The top of the hill has a stone engraving of a quote from William Blake that reads: "I have conversed with the spiritual Sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill."

As we wandered the streets around Primrose Hill we were able to see why the area drew so many people and we were awed by the beautiful little townhouses and the quaint side streets full of interesting stores and cafes. We finally happend upon the stone steeple we had seen from a distance (more by accident than a true sense of direction) and we saw that it was a little church by the name of St. Marks. Though the church itself was closed, the gates were open to the little area around it so we walked around the pathway that led through a pretty, overgrown garden that overlooked the canal and allowed us to admire the building from all angles.

We walked a little more through Regent's Park with the intent of making our way to a Tube station so we could go to Abbey Road where the famous Beatles picture was taken. But by the time we finally got to a Tube Station, the sun was setting and we wouldn't have made it there before dark. We hopped instead on a train that would take us back into the city so that we could head home, deciding to save that trip for another day.