England: Harry Potter Studios & A Dinner Cruise in London

We woke up in our airbnb on Tuesday morning drenched in sweat. That day was promising again to be in the 90's so I threw on a dress. Once we left the apartment in the morning, we weren't planning on going back until late that night so we packed everything we needed up for the day.

Our plan was to tour the Harry Potter Studios that day in Leavesden. It actually was the place where all the Harry Potter films were filmed and where the cast and crew spent years of their lives working on those films, so I was sooooo excited! We had to board a 45 minute train heading outside of the heart of London to get to the studios. From there, we were picked up by a bus that drove us directly to the studios.

The energy there was incredible. I just can't even describe it. The tour really was one that you did at your own pace, so Trevor and I leisurely wandered around, taking in all the details.

standing in the actual Great Hall where they filmed scenes for 7/8 movies!

The Gryffindor common room

The sets were amazing and they truly looked identical to the ones you saw on the movies.

Harry Potter will always hold a special place in my heart. I was in third grade when I began to read the books. At that time, only four of the books were out and they had just began to make the movies. As I grew older, JK Rowling would release more books. I remember mom driving me to Walmart at midnight or early morning the day the book was released so I could buy it, and then I would spend hours and hours reading those books until I finished them. I think the fact that I grew up reading those books and watching the movies really made it so special to me. I've found that a lot of people my age feel the same way about the series. Stepping onto the sets in London was truly a dream come true. I can only hope one day that my kids love the series as much as I do!

Dumbledore's office

So Trevor and I thought this was hilarious. In the movies they use "camera tricks" to make Hagrid the half giant actually look like he is bigger on camera. We got a picture using one of the camera tricks to make it look like I was a giant and Trevor was normal sized haha.

Platform 9 3/4 which was supposed to be at King's Cross station!

We got to drink the butter beer which is only located at 3 places around the world! I already tried it once at Harry Potter World in Universal Studios, Florida!

This was a small scale model of the castle that they used in the films to get different shots without using CGI. 

Standing on the bridge that was used in several of the movies.

It really was a dream come true and i'm so glad we were able to go. I may have cried once or twice from excitement ;-)

After the studios we went back into London for the day. We walked around the Tower of London, then walked to the Imperial War Museum. We basically went there because it was free, but it truly was a fun part of our trip! It was interesting to learn about World War I and II from a perspective outside of America. It wasn't crowded there either which made it nice. I would recommend it if you are heading to London!

After the War Museum we had to hop on another train and head to our dinner cruise on the London canals. I originally booked the dinner cruise because I thought it would be a fun, romantic evening for Trevor and I to see more of London and also enjoy a 5 course dinner. I'm so glad I booked it! The weather was beautiful by then as the sun had set. We spotted our boat on the canal and ducked inside. There were candles on the tables and an elegant, intimate feel. There were probably only about 20 people on that small cruise which added to the intimacy.

We were sat at a table for four beside a couple from London that were probably in their 50's. They booked the cruise for their anniversary. They were so nice to sit with and we enjoyed talking to each other about London and getting to know each other. Trevor and I enjoyed sampling some cocktails, wines, and beer. The dinner was delicious. Each course was very yummy and we were able to try some new things that we've never had before.

After dinner, Trevor and I sat in the front of the boat and just enjoyed the breeze and our time there. It was such a nice night and I remember thinking how lucky I was to be able to travel with Trevor and how I loved life with him. I'm so glad he goes along with my crazy travel ideas and he is someone that will just go with the flow alongside me, and I just love navigating life with him.