By Sophia S
Hi everyone! I’m Sophia from Charlotte, NC and I’ve never ever been to Europe. Needless to say, when I was planning my gap year, it was the very first thing on the list. I decided that since this was my very first time, I would just go to London and Paris since I could actually speak the language in London, and Paris was not too far away. Plus, London and Paris have some of the biggest museums in the world, and if there’s anything I love, it’s a good museum.
Speaking of museums, you would not believe what the Tower of London gift shop had. Unfortunately, I did not have the funds to bring it home, but I do have this picture to commemorate.
One surprising highlight of the trip was the modern art museums. Of course it was cool to wander around the National Gallery and see the old masters. However, modern art was more inspiring to me as a whole, because it engaged with a broad variety of topics with just as many different mediums. I’ve always really enjoyed fiber arts such as knitting and sewing, but I have considered it more a “craft” than actual art. This trip has caused me to re-think that categorization, and inspired me to start planning some new projects.
Other than the museums, the two things I really enjoyed were the public transport and the architecture. I’ve never lived in a place with a strong public transport system, so it was really cool to be able to hop on a subway and get wherever I wanted for only a few dollars. As for the architecture, the chapels of course were gorgeous, but what really stood out to me was how well decorated all the random buildings were. I would look up, and there would be intricate carved gargoyles lining the walls, only for the building itself to be a rental agency or something equally boring.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip, and would highly recommend going! However, if you do I would suggest not going at the end of November, because by lunch you will not be able to feel your nose.
