The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour

I have always been a Harry Potter fan--from the moment that Sorcerer's Stone was given to me as a gift on my 16th birthday up to the last movie and even today. As I had my chance of going to London this year, I made sure to visit The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden. 

The adventure starts by booking your ticket of course. Only pre-bookings are allowed. No tickets are sold in the Warner Brother studios. Choose your own adventure on this one. You can book you tour through Golden Tours http://www.goldentours.com/  who provides hotel pick up from several major hotels to their main office, then depart for the tour. The other option is going there on your own through train. For this option, book your ticket through the Warner Bros site http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/ (GBP 28).

I opted for the later to make this more adventurous (in my opinion). Directions for all types of transportation are available on their website. You make take Virgin Trains to Watford Junction which will take about 20 minutes. I opted to use the London Overground from Killburn Park (which departs from Euston). Upon getting to Watford Junction, look for the coaches headed to the studio. Turn left towards the bus stop upon getting out of the train station. The queue is easy to spot. Coach tickets cost GBP 2 round trip.

The tour is mostly self guided. Entering the doors of the Great Hall will start all the magic. All of the sets in the  magical world are there. For the muggle locations, just take a tour around London.

I was all giddy seeing all the sets in there from the Burrow, Privet Drive, Godric's Hollow, the Headmaster's office, Diagon Alley and the small scale model of Hogwarts.

All the props used are in there--wands for each witch/wizard, news paper clippings, food, wigs and every bit of tiny object being used.

Get some Butterbeer (GBP 1.95) to complete the experience.

The gift shop will come last. This is where the magic ends seeing how much gold you have to pay for souvenirs. So much for getting a wand or a Ravenclaw scarf. The every flavor beans and chocolate frogs seem tempting though.

For any Harry Potter fan, this place is definitely worth the trip north. You will not regret the time spent in this place and admire all the hard work that the crew had to make the films possible. 

Don't forget to try the green screen where you can experience flying through London on a broomstick. Feel free to purchase your souvenir photo. I bought 2 for GBP 15.

To complete the experience, go to King's Cross station  once you're back in London and pose with the sign to Platform 9 3/4.

I solemnly swear that I was fighting back tears when I got here. And as I left I can only mutter to myself--Mischief Managed.  

The Betsy Smith

Sunday Roast is one of the things that you look forward in a London pub. On my last night in London, my friend Jin and her flatmate Kirk brought me to The Betsy Smith in Killburn Park for sunday roast.

I admit I was charmed with the pub's interiors. These were very creative--using birdcages, Apothecary tables, lamp shades and more to give that warm and cozy feeling inside. The staff were very friendly and efficient. Our server was really nice and offers us the available sauces or some dessert for instance.

You have a choice of chicken, beef, lamb or veggie for the Sunday Roast (GBP 9.95). The platter comes with carrots, broccoli, mange tout, cauliflower cheese, yorkshire pudding, roast potatos and gravy. It feels like a lot on one plate and indeed it was.

Jin and Kirk both had the beef roast.

I opted to have the lamb roast as lamb is usually more expensive in Manila. I was glad I had lamb as well since the one from Betsy Smith doesn't have that gamey taste. It was tender and went well with the mint sauce.

Kirk opted to have the Warm Apple and Raisin crumble with ice cream (GBP 4.95) for dessert. Apologies I wasn't able to take a photo. The crumble was alright but the ice cream was really something that you can see the vanilla beans in it.

Unique cocktails are offered so do give these a try if you visit.

Sunday roast is a must and I would say I enjoyed it at the Betsy Smith. When in London, do try to visit this place.

The Betsy Smith is located in 77 Killburn High Road London NW6 6HY. Visit their site for more details http://thebetsysmith.co.uk/

Busaba Eathai

My friend from high school, April took me out for a day to see the tourist spots in London. After seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and Tower Bridge we finally had to take a break and headed to West End for some lunch.

We took the bus and headed over to Leicester Square which is the nearest landmark. April missed Rice a lot hence we ended up with Thai food instead of going for the rice toppings at Camden Town.

We were lucky as there were maps near the tube stations and we quickly found our way to Panton street. As we entered of what looked like a small shop outside, I then saw how big the place when they seated us right away near the window.

I was happy to see all the condiments were from fish sauce to my favorite Sriracha Hot sauce.

I loved the big windows and the candle at our table which gave us a nice view of the street and at the same time we were in a corner where we can freely talk in Ilonggo without bothering any other diners.

I ordered the Iced Ginger and Honey Tea (GBP 2.80) to quench my thirst from all the walking. This was not too sweet (just about right for my taste) and the ginger was very mild only. Very refreshing before our food arrived and I had to make sure not to gulp the glass down.

I was not in the mood to eat rice so I opted to go with my Thai food staple, Pad Thai (GBP 7.40). The rice was tender with a good balance of sweet and salty where both flavors were hugging tightly to the soft noodles as to who will dominate this dish. Textures were well balanced from tofu that's crispy on the outside and soft inside, tender chicken and shrimp. The peanuts completed the play of textures and flavors for each bite.

April ordered the Jungle Curry (GBP 7.90), a red curry with grilled chicken, eggplant, bamboo shoots and fresh beans. The curry had a good kick with the tender and juicy chicken. I didn't eat much of this as this is paired best with rice indeed. April enjoyed this very much with an order of Jasmine Rice (GBP 2.20) on the side.

We had Pandan Chicken (GBP 5.50) and Por-pia jay (GBP 3.90) for our appetizers but we actually ate them along with the curry and noodles. The flavors of the pandan chicken were just right and I liked how crispy and light the spring rolls were. These spring rolls were vegetarian by the way.

The staff was very friendly and attentive. We did not wait long to get our food as well.

If trying to watch plays at West End or enjoying the shops, Busaba Eathai is a good pit stop for lunch. I was surprised that the food was not so expensive as well. I loved the warm and cozy ambiance of this place as well as the views from the street from big windows that light up the whole place.

Thank you for a great tour and lunch April!

Busaba Eathai has several branches. You may visit their website at http://busaba.com/. We visited their branch near Leicester Square.--35 Panton St London SW1Y 4EA

London

I've been away for a while and had my biggest adventure. Most of us have our bucket list and among those in mine are: travel to Europe before turning 30 and travel alone before I get married. A month ago I was on a solo journey to the UK and it was my first time in Europe too.

I booked my flight with Singapore Airlines as they were the cheapest at that time. I flew with them before and I knew that I will get good value for my money. Service was superb as usual and the meals were delicious. It was my first time in their A380 as well and I loved the seats, the big windows, leg room and Kris World-the entertainment system.

It is very convenient to get an Oyster Card when in London. Having one means you can save on transportation as you can use it on the tube, overground and the buses. If you're staying for about a week, get a season pass for 1 week. All your rides on the tube, overground and buses for a particular zone will be for free. Or if you're staying for a few days only and only interested to see the tourist spots, get a travel card. For for more information, check the Transport for London website http://www.tfl.gov.uk/.

My friend from high school accompanied me to all the tourist spots and they're a few minutes away from each other either by walking or the tube. Visited Buckingham Palace (a crowd was outside due to Jubilee activities), The Parliament and Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Picadilly Circus and a photo op for the Harry Potter fan at King's Cross station.

My friend from work Jin, brought me to all the places locals usually go to like the Portobello Market, different kinds of night life like watching football in the pub, drinks at a cocktail bar and going clubbing. She suggested going to the parks and I spent the afternoon at Regents Park. She let me do the touristy thing of crossing the pedestrian lane at Abbey Road.

I had to visit at least one stadium and the most convenient one in London was Arsenal.

There's a lot of food to try out like English breakfasts, fish and chips, and if you're lucky sunday roast in the pubs. I'll tell you more about these soon.

More tips on saving while in London--buy your water at the supermarket if you can. You can also refill the bottle on the tap and bring it with you while walking around. Choose days where you save or splurge on food. For light meals, sandwiches at different delis and coffee shops like Pret, Costa and Eat offer these. Walk around as much as you can. Some of the places are just nearby. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes always.

So many great things are happening in London this year. While I was there, they were preparing for the Queen's Jubilee and next month will be the Olympics. This is a good time to be there.

I hope I can come back someday but this time with friends. London is very easy for a tourist as you can get as much information everywhere. I think I'd better go back since I haven't been to the museums yet. And I think I'll have more reasons why I want to go back.