Today we went to the Black Country Living Museum and it was such a fun experience. There were so many different things to see and do, and it really felt like we were stepping back in time. One of the funniest parts of the day was when we went into the old-fashioned schoolhouse and got to sit through a class like children would have years ago. The teacher stayed completely in character the entire time which made it even more entertaining. Anyone who had fake nails on had to go stand at the front of the classroom while the rest of us said “shame on them,” which was hilarious. During the lesson we had to recite our ABCs, read from a book called Peter and Janet, and learn a song. The funniest part of the song was when the teacher picked a random guy from the audience and made him run through the classroom pretending to be the mouse running up the clock. Everyone was laughing the entire time and it made the experience so memorable.
After the school lesson, my friend and I finally decided to try fish and chips, which is such a classic British meal. I had been wanting to try it for the entire trip, but I just never felt in the mood until today. I’m so glad I finally did because it was actually so good. The fish was crispy and flavorful, and the fries were amazing too. It definitely lived up to the hype. After we ate, we continued walking around the museum and exploring all of the different buildings. We went into the bakery and candy shop where they had so many pastries and sweets that looked incredible. Everything smelled amazing and looked freshly made.
We also went into the pharmacy where we learned about how pills and medicines were made years ago. It was really interesting seeing all of the old equipment and learning how different healthcare used to be compared to today. Since I am studying nursing, I especially enjoyed seeing that part of the museum because it connected to healthcare history and showed how much medicine has advanced over time.
As we kept exploring, we walked down by the canal and saw a boat where people could actually eat dinner. It looked like such a cute and unique experience. There was also an old train cart that had been turned into a small room with two beds inside. It honestly looked surprisingly comfortable, and it was really cool getting to see what travel accommodations looked like back then. There were so many little details throughout the museum that made everything feel authentic. I honestly could have spent even more time there because there was still so much to see and explore.
After leaving the museum, Naomi and I went shopping and ended up finding a festival with tons of different street foods. There were so many amazing options that it was honestly hard to decide what to get. Everything smelled so good. I was in the mood for fried noodles, so we ended up getting chicken with fried noodles and it was delicious. While we were sitting and eating, we started talking to a woman who was from around the Black Country area. We told her about how we had spent the day at the museum and how much we loved it. She was so kind and gave us recommendations for things to do while we are in London. We ended up talking with her for most of our meal, and it was such a nice conversation. I feel like moments like that are one of the best parts about traveling because you get to meet people and hear about their experiences and recommendations.
Afterward, we got strawberries covered in pistachio butter and chocolate for dessert. They were so good. I remember seeing something similar when I was in New York City during Christmas time, and I had wanted to try them so badly, but I could not justify spending the money then. Here they were much cheaper, so Naomi and I shared one. It was definitely worth it. Overall, today was such a fun day filled with good food, lots of laughs, and really interesting experiences. It was one of my favorite days of the trip so far.