Day 16: Museums, Muggles, and Mischief.

 

We woke up and had breakfast, and then we began a long walk to a Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition. Along the way, we saw this Sherlock Holmes-themed pub. We didn't eat there, but it was cool to see.
We started out the day by seeing the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition in London. Here, photos, costumes, and more were displayed to show the behind the scenes movie magic. Along the way, we saw some interesting things, like the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia, and costumes worn by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort).
After getting some lunch, we went into one of the biggest and oldest museums in Europe, the British Museum. It contains a large collection of ancient artifacts from all over the world. This includes things from Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Viking Scandinavia, Pre-Colonial Polynesia, and Medieval Europe, plus more. Notable things include the Bust of Ramses and the Rosetta Stone, as well as some actual mummies. There was even an Easter Island head, which had a body as well.
After our tour of the museum, we got on a train to Watford and went to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. This filming lot was where the Harry Potter movies were filmed from 2001 to 2011, with all eight movies being shot here. As we went in, we were greeted by a giant Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon, which was right above us in the foyer. We had a snack while we were there, and then we went on the tour.
After a video preshow, we were let into the Great Hall, which was full of costumes and props from the films. Everyone else stayed behind to look at it all, but I accidentally went ahead to see what else there was.
Further on, I would see things like the Yule Ball, the Burrow, several classrooms, and the Ministry of Magic, all recreated on set.
Further on, I passed through the Forbidden Forest, home to spiders, hippogriffs, and centaurs, before catching a train on Platform 9 3/4. There was more to see outside, such as the Knight Bus, Privet Drive, and the Herbology Greenhouse, home of screaming mandrakes. Going back inside, we could see models of creatures and extras, including the many characters of Warwick Davis, who played Professor Flitwick and Griphook.
Continuing on brought me to Gringotts and Diagon Alley. We then went behind the scenes to the digital area, where computers were used. I saw a guy whom I thought was an exhibit, but he ended up being a real guy. He actually showed me the layout of Hogwarts and how it changed throughout the series.
As fun as it was to see all of this, I wish I hadn't gone on without the others. It would've been great to experience it all with them and see it. They took their time to take it all in. I rushed ahead to see it all. That is my one regret.

As for the rest of the night, it was alright. Dad and I were on our own since Mialee and Mom got last-minute tickets to Phantom of the Opera. We were in West End and Mialee was desperate to see a musical there, since it is basically the Broadway of England. That was okay, because I was able to have time to rest after a long day of going around.

Comments

  1. KristynJanuary 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM

    Great pictures! WB Studios was so cool! I’m glad we got to see it.

    ReplyDelete

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