After a six hour flight, I finally arrived in London! After going through customs, I was greeted by an Exeter student and waited for the arrival of two other Fulbright participants. We then left the busy airport to drive three hours to Exeter’s main campus. After a quick shower, we were off to exploring the town with the International Summer School Coordinator, Lyndon and Valerie, our Fulbright Coordinator.

The town of Exeter is the most quaint and convenient city I have every been to. Everything is within walking distance and hundreds of old buildings with stunning architecture are juxtaposed with new, modern glass high rises. We enjoyed lunch at a wonderful Italian restaurant in the center of town called Strada and later stopped at a place which epitomizes the English pub called the Fat Pig. Walking along the canal which runs through the center of the city, we saw giant swans and crowds of people enjoying the unusually warm weather and rowing races. We also had the opportunity to visit the old city walls which were constructed in William the Conqueror’s time (the 1060s) and which still surround areas of the city center. The old water mills along the wall are also still in good shape.

Today, after a tour of Exeter’s beautiful campus and an orientation session, we explored more of the town. We took part in the traditional English Sunday roast at the Firehouse Pub which was the inspiration for alumnus J.K. Rowling’s Leaky Cauldron Pub. I was surprised to see the giant portions of lamb, roasted vegetables, mint sauce, and Yorkshire pudding, which is much more a puffed pastry than a pudding! We also walked along Gandy Street which is the real world version of Diagon Alley. Along High Street (aka the main street) is the Albert Museum which houses everything from Native American artifacts to a stuffed elephant and modern art. With free admission and beautiful English gardens around the back, it is a must-see in my opinion! The Exeter Cathedral was open to the public for Sunday services, and touring the inside of a building originally built in the 1200s was an amazing experience. The architecture and sheer size are overwhelming! Lots of students and Exeter residents hang out on “The Green,” the lawn surrounding the Cathedral, and we joined in long enough to hear the bells toll in the tower. Before heading back to our dorms overlooking the hills of Exeter, we ate some wonderful Indian food and stopped for desserts on the way home…English Toffee ice cream is not to be missed!