I woke at 6am and just stared at the ceiling of my room. There was no hangover, but something was keeping me from rising. Of course, I had felt this familiar feeling in Bath Spa. This is my last day here, I thought. I wondered what I should do? I could visit the Eye or travel on the tube again. Where would I go? Instead, I remained in bed until 9am. When I did get up, I realized that I had to finish packing. While my original pack was ready to go, the extra items from the Harry Potter studios and Harrods had to be packed separate. I found myself having to buy another bag and then double and triple checked so that nothing would be left behind. After all, this wasn't my friend's house where I could just call and say, "Hey, I'll be over in a second. I forgot this." This was a 9 hour flight back.

     I checked out at 10:20 and caught the tube to Heathrow Terminal 1. At every stop I kept looking at the open doors. They beckoned me to dash out and try to stay a few more days. During one stop, a man got on with his two kids. They were dressed in suits and ties and the oldest son (about 9 maybe) was complaining about something. I didn't pay much attention to them as I gathered my things, ready to leave at the next stop. The doors opened and I stood. I was going to run and get lost. Before I could take a step, the man turned to the boy and said, "What did I tell you? Worries won't help you. You need to stop and appreciate what you already have." The doors closed and we started to move again. I sat back down, those words echoing in my head. They weren't meant for me, but I needed to hear them. I had wanted to run because I was afraid I would never get back here. What I was failing to realize was that I needed to appreciate the experience I had already had. I wouldn't be able to do that while on the run.

       May the Fourth Be With You. 

       I woke early at 8:01am and hopped on the Picadilly line to Holborn to the British Museum. I had been told by my family who had visited before that it would be an all day event, so I made sure to get a good start. I was overwhelmed by the noise and the number of people. I decided to explore on my own and walked around to the different areas. 

      I took in the history of the place, not only the items that were on display, but the history of the museum itself. There were articles I looked up about the start of it and how the displays were handled during World War II. I sat and admired the statues in the Japanese exhibit, looking up the meaning of them.

      I had seen a lot, but what I was most interested in viewing was the special exhibit they had. Pompeii and Herculaneum. I bought a ticket for it at 12:05pm, but it didn't start until 3:20. I had a ways to wait, so I decided to head out and come back. I took the Tube all the way to Baker Street (yes, Sherlock Holmes) and made my way back to the museum, stopping by different shops along the way.

       I found my way back to the British Museum after walking all that way (and also, I stopped to get something to eat. It wasn't my goal to starve myself on this trip). I entered the special exhibit and was treated to what life was like for people living in Pompeii (no pictures could be taken). There were many artifacts spread throughout the maze. I came to a wall that showed the events of the last day.

Pompeii
-Midday - After several small explosions Vesuvius erupts, sending a tall mushroom cloud of superheated rock and gas over 20km into the sky. This blows southwards, plunging everything into total darkness. 
-2:00pm - Ash and pumice stones rain down at a rate of 15cm an hour. By late afternoon the city is smothered under 50cm of pumice. People are trapped by blocked doors or by ceilings and roofs collapsing under the weight of the debris.

Herculaneum
-4:00pm - The mountain emits noxious gasses and unearthly noises. Violent tremors cause buildings to collapse. Some people escape northwards by land, many others flee to the beach, hoping for rescue from the sea. But floating banks of pumice prevent ships from reaching or leaving the shore.

Pompeii
-Evening (8-10:00pm) - The eruption reaches it's peak and unleashes a hurricane of heavier, denser pumice. This causes the widespread collapse of buildings in Pompeii and also destabilizes the volcanic cloud, triggering the first deadly pyroclastic (A fluidized mass of turbulent gas and rock fragments which is ejected during some volcanic eruptions) surge.

Herculaneum
-Midnight - The cloud reaches it's maximum height of over 30km (19 miles) then collapses spectacularly. A massive 400 degrees Celsius pyroclastic surge cascades down Vesuvius's north-west slopes. It heads for Herculaneum at 30m a second (70 mph), instantly killing everyone it touches.

Pompeii
-Early morning (8am) - As dawn breaks the eruption lessens and many people try to flee Pompeii. Between 6-8am, huge pyroclastic surges pour into the city, killing everyone still there and smashing remaining buildings. The cloud collapses for the last time and darkness spreads across the bay of Naples.

    'Not the darkness of a cloudy night of a night where there is no moon, but darkness as if the light has gone out in a room that is locked and sealed. You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men.' - Pliny the Younger, letters, VI, 20, 14. About AD 100.

     This description became all the more real as I turned the corner. There, encased in what looked like amber, was a skeleton. It was on it's back, the mouth open up at me as if in a silent cry for help. The panel next to the display read that this was the body of a woman. She had succumbed to the toxic gasses and collapsed on the steps. Her body had then been encased.
     A few feet away, in a glass display, was a charred baby crib. The text read that the caregiver and the baby both died in the basement room. Whether it was to the fumes or the actual lava was unclear.
    Around the last corner, four fossilized bodies lay in a recreation of the room they were found in. A man, woman and young child sat huddled in the far corner. An older boy lay on the ground just outside, trying to escape the room and the possibility of death. The bodies were contorted as if in pain, though I learned that this was a side effect the body has due to extreme heat. I still hoped that they had all gone quickly.

     I left the museum awed and disturbed at the same time. I returned to my hotel and locked myself in, contemplating life and death. I didn't feel like emerging until around 6:30pm.

      I had brought a nice outfit mixture for a special occasion and my last night in London seemed like the right one. I turned on Justin Timberlake's Suit n' Tie song and got dressed. Then I headed to The Glouscester Arms. I drank Peroni Nastro Azzurro, ate fish n' chips, and had strawberry ice cream. I remember watching the futbol game with some people. I don't remember if we talked about anything. The ice cream was good. I found my way back to the hotel, apparently giving directions to some tourists (hope they made it to where they were going) and made it back to my bed. It was a memorable day for me. One that even with the strongest of alcohol, won't be erased.

To Be Concluded...

    I threw my trash into the bin and rushed out of the alley. Imagine it dear reader, running full sprint down the sidewalk while trying to get the map out of my pack. I dodged the other goers as I searched for the nearest Tube. Dancing down the stairs, I was able to make it to the correct train. By 1:30pm, I arrived at Victoria to catch my bus. The problem was that the station was still a few blocks away. Seeing me in a bit of a panic, someone asked if I was alright. I asked them about the tour bus and they pointed me in the direction.
    "I'm sure you'll make it in time, just keep a steady run."
   Following their advice, I did make it in time and spotted the bus that would take me to The Warner Bros Studio Tour - Harry Potter, London. I caught my breath just before boarding and found a seat on the lower floor. I was so excited and the extra stops to pick people up didn't help my rapidly beating heart. About an hour later, we pulled up to...

       I was a kid in a candy store. I could barely contain the grin on my face as I entered the studio. To my right was the gift shop filled with walls of sweets from the movie, robes and winter wear of the Hogwarts houses, models, and, of course, wands. It took every fiber of willpower not to head there first. I bought an audio guide voiced by Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and proceeded with the line. We were let into a theater to watch a short intro movie (forbidden to record) starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) (By the way, I'm listing them in the order of how they stood from left to right). Once the intro was done, the screen rose to reveal the Great Hall doors!
      We entered to the long tables and the costumes set up along the walls. It was amazing standing where they stood (refer to The Deathly Hallows pt. 2). We were able to snap a few quick pictures before the next group was to enter.

     From the Great Hall, the group split and we were able to explore by ourselves. There were costumes, sets, objects, and even a wand dueling class to learn the different forms.