Coming back to London for Lent term means that half of my study abroad year has already passed. Michaelmas term was filled with great memories of meeting people in my department, starting classes, and exploring London with new friends. Since I only have a couple of months left in the city before returning to the US to finish my undergraduate degree, I have decided to do, see or try something new every day. I concluded that after dedicating hours to long readings and lectures, having a sort of ‘adventure’ before turning in for the night would be a great way to clear my head and make sure that I am taking full advantage of my time and opportunities in London. I take inspiration for these outings from Instagram and the long lists that tourists have already compiled and posted online. Here are the three sights I visited so far this week:

The rooftop terrace at One New Change

The weather was truly wonderful, and after a study session in the Center Building, one of my friends and I decided to enjoy the sun and go to the rooftop terrace at One New Change. Google Maps misled us, so to save you a couple of minutes and steps, my advice is to go around the building on the right side. If you are coming from campus, you will first see Zara, and all you have to do is follow the right side of the building, which curves inward towards the elevators. To get to the rooftop terrace, we took the lift to the sixth floor and then enjoyed the view from the terrace. We got a beautiful view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the sun made it seem like it was almost summer.

 St. Dunstan in the East Church

My second mini-adventure of the week was at St. Dunstan in the East Church. I invited a couple of friends, and after a pleasant 35-minute walk from the Marshall Building, we saw the ruined church that is now a garden. The church suffered during the Great Fire of London and the Second World War, so only the walls and the tower of the church remain today. The atmosphere was very calm, and my friends and I sat on the benches to have a brief discussion about books and politics.

The London Mithraeum

The London Mithraeum is not far from St. Dunstan in the East, and it is actually closer to campus. I explored this destination on my own and enjoyed learning something new. The Mithraeum is a Roman temple to the god Mithras, and in order to not ruin your experience, I will only add that there are a lot of questions about the god and his worshippers that scholars have not been able to answer yet. The visit does not take long, and when I visited there was also an exhibition on the ground floor of a reimagining of an ancient Korean temple titled “Proposal for Sach’ŏnwang-sa” by Do Ho Suh.