Today was an action packed day and made my feet hurt even more than they already do. That still did not take away how much fun the day was. We first went to Blenheim palace which is one of the estates of the Duke of Marlborough. John and Sarah Churchill were the first inhabitants of the estate. Sarah played a vital role in their royal status by her close bond with the queen at the time. She was the keeper of the Privy Purse for the queen, which means she had complete control over the Queen’s finances. This relationship helped John Churchill advance in his military career, how they got Blenheim Palace. This friendship came to an end eventually because Sarah was known to be brutally honest and demanding, leading to Anne eventually finding an easier going girl to be her right hand lady. The fallout of the women lead to John and Sarah having to leave Blenheim until the Queen died.

We walked around the entire palace and was met with the beautiful, rustic architecture you usually do not see in Pittsburgh besides for the Cathedral of Learning. I really enjoyed seeing all the paintings and sculptures throughout the palace especially in the Green room that was dedicated for the Duke to paint in. I have never seen such an extravagant house before and enjoyed seeing how well decorated every room was for their plethora of rooms for every individual activity. Painting, drinking, and singing all were separated, which was slightly excessive but still added to the dramatics of the whole palace.

We then went to Oxford, which has been my favorite visitation spot so far on the trip. We started off by getting some Artisan style sandwiches which were delicious with the fresh cheese and bread. I then shopped for some cute souvenirs for all my family members. I got my brother multiple University of Oxford’s pieces of clothing which he begged me to get him.

Once we went on the tour of the school I realized so many of the Harry Potter scenes were filmed either on campus or were inspired by it. I absolutely geeked out and had the best time during the whole tour. We went into the room which was shown as the Great Hall in all of the movies. It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. The staircase, hallways, and outdoor scenes were also filmed on campus. There were many colleges in the University of Oxford that had notable alumni like most of the prime ministers and very popular writers like the authors of Lord of the Rings and Narnia, who also wrote in the local pubs found near by. I enjoyed seeing all of the beautiful architecture in Blenheim and Oxford.

Meredith, Ruby and I ended up going to a Thai restaurant for Meredith’s birthday which ended our day on a high note. We followed it up with the thick hot chocolate that originates from Italy that Meredith and I have been searching high and low for. I prepared for our presentation for the Nursing Conference tomorrow at BCU and then went to Merediths to celebrate with all the other girls. I have made great friends on this trip and am excited to spend some more time with these girls the rest of the week!