Sophia+Bragd


 * Part 1, //av Sophia Bragd//**

In March I’m going to travel to London in England. When I’m in London I’m going to take the opportunity to shop. In London there are a lot of fun and unique stores that don’t exist in Sweden. Examples are Abercrombie & Fitch and Harrods.

I’m also going see the big soccer game; Arsenal vs. Milan. I’m a big Arsenal fan, so I’m really excited about this game! I’ve already been in London once, so sightseeing is not as important to me this time.

I’m not that interested in culture either, so I don’t want to see the crown jewels again. While in London, I’m staying at a luxury hotel in the middle of the city. I don’t have so many plans for the trip, except for shopping and the soccer game. One night I’m going to meet up with a really old friend who I haven’t seen for 3 years. Her name is Sara and she lives there now with her parents. For me, the most important thing is to stay really comfortably and rest. I like to take the day as it comes, but still have some plans I can "work around".


 * Part 2, //av Sophia Bragd//**

Day 1: This morning I got up really early. Today was the big day, the day I had been waiting for so long. I was going to London! I had been in London once, I liked the city, but it was not one of my favorites. Maybe that was going to change.

The plane left from Arlanda at 07:50. My plan was to eat at the airport, but I ran out of time so I hadn’t eaten when I boarded the plane. My thoughts were somewhere else, probably in London, so I wasn’t that hungry.

As I arrived at Heathrow I was really hungry. I looked around for a café or a restaurant, but I didn’t see anything tempting so I took the train to London City. When I got off the train, a Starbucks Coffee Shop was straight ahead of me. I couldn’t resist it, so I bought a Frappuccino for 3₤ and Breakfast wrap for 5₤. Then I called my parents and told them that the trip went well and that I was sitting at Starbucks. I think they were jealous of me but at the same time happy that I was safe.

When I had eaten my wrap I looked for a taxi. It was a bit hard to find one because it was so crowded. After a while I got my taxi and I asked him to drive me to my hotel, the Soho Hotel. He drove me there and after only 10 minutes I was standing outside the big majestic hotel I was staying at.

Check-in took a while. Afterwards, I unpacked and relaxed in my room for a few hours. I enjoyed the nice bath tub and made myself a cup of tea. I spent the afternoon walking around the area surrounding the hotel. As the evening approached I was hungry again.

I wanted a simple, cheap and nice restaurant. I wanted to save money as the hotel and the flight had cost me so much. The receptionist tipped me about a restaurant called “the Ivy” so I checked it out - but it was too expensive. At that time I was getting desperate so I went to Mc Donald’s just outside my hotel. I took a menu for 7₤, including a drink and a hamburger. After that, I was too tired to do anything else. I went up to my hotel room and fell asleep around 20:30.


 * Day 3:**

Today presented the real reason why I came to London. The big game between Arsenal and AC Milan was going to take place and I was going to see it! I had prepared a big poster with “Arsenal” written all over it. The plan was that I would meet up with my old friend Sara who would join me to see the game.

I met up with Sara around two o’ clock and it was amazing to see her. She had grown so much, and she thought the same thing about me. At first I didn’t recognize her. Last time I saw her she was blonde but now she was a brunette and almost twice as tall.

Both of us had already eaten lunch, so we decided to sit down at a café and then take the train to the game. We were so excited! Sara wanted Milan to win and I thought that was crazy. Arsenal must win this game!

We went to Starbucks, my favorite place to eat and drink. I took the opportunity because you don’t find Starbucks that often in Sweden. I think there is only one Starbucks in Sweden and that’s at Arlanda! We talked about things that had happened during the three years we hadn’t met and also about the future - and of course about the game.

All of a sudden it was 6:30 pm and we were in a hurry. The subway was crowded but we managed to get on a train. People in the subway had posters and t-shirts that said “Go Arsenal, van Persie” and similar. At that moment I realized that I had forgotten my poster at the hotel. I was a bit disappointed but Sara cheered me up by saying that we could buy another one at the stadium.

When we arrived at the Emirates Stadium, I bought a t-shirt that said “Walcott” on the back, because he is my favorite player of all times. Then I realized that this was really happening! I was going to see this big game! It was a fantastic feeling I hadn’t felt before, I was happy, excited and lost at the same time.

Inside the stadium, everyone sang Arsenal’s songs and screamed “ARSENAL!” It was a wonderful, happy atmosphere. We had bought the most expensive seats so we sat really comfortably and with a good sight to the field.

The game started at 7:45 pm and at that time we were ready and screaming at the two teams. After 20 minutes, van Persie scored with his left foot. It was an amazing shot from an impossible angle. The crowd, including me, went crazy!

The game ended with 1-0 to Arsenal, which meant that Arsenal went to quarterfinals. It was amazing how the crowd yelled. It was so loud but still clear. Sara said afterwards that Arsenal was lucky to win. I just laughed.

Then we said goodbye and I went back to my hotel. It had been a fantastic day and evening.


 * Part 4:**

//Evaluation// My trip to London was really a lot of fun. I had been there once before, and that trip was somewhat of a disappointment, so I didn’t have any big expectations for this trip.

I had looked forward to the game though, and that game was a “once in a lifetime” experience.

My favorite team passed to the quarterfinals in the Champions league so that was a fantastic achievement. No one believed that Arsenal would make it but they obviously did!

I also had a great time with my old friend Sara; I hadn’t seen her for such a long time so we had a lot to talk about.

I had a great stay in London at a really good hotel, the Soho Hotel. I would recommend it to anyone! The food was delicious and the staff was both friendly and kind. I also had some fun shopping experiences. Nothing went wrong on this trip; it was so much better than I had imagined!

Maybe it was because I hadn’t planned too much. I had a “flexible schedule” with some important things planned but I also had the opportunity to rest and shop whenever I felt like it. I would recommend this trip to all my friends. I think it’s important to have some time for yourself to relax but at the same time do what you really enjoy which in my case is watching a great soccer game, seeing friends and have some fun shopping.