A spellbinding church and even more spellbinding wizarding world

Ever since we've been home from our whirlwind honeymoon, friends and family have asked us the same question again and again: "What was your favorite thing you did or saw on your trip?"

In full disclosure, it pains me to choose one thing from such an incredible vacation. However, Wheat and I both agree that the coolest thing we did on the trip happened on...

Day 3

London, England

13,405 steps

Highlights: Westminster Abbey, Harry Potter Studio Tour

After a quick British breakfast of beans, eggs, toast, and ham, we set out from our hotel for Westminster Abbey. Last time I was in London, my family did a tour of the gorgeous church, but I knew I'd have a much better appreciation for it this time around. Before getting in line, we took a stroll through Parliament Square to admire the statues of notable men (Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, etc.), nearby St. Margaret's Church (where Churchill was married), and an impromptu memorial for Jo Cox, the member of Parliament who was murdered by an extremist a couple weeks before our visit.

Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside the abbey, but we spent a couple hours, wandering through the incredible building and listening to our audio guides. The church, which has served as the site of royal coronations since 1066 and the wedding venue for Prince William and Kate, is a British history book of sorts. Seventeen monarchs are buried within its walls, along with countless other notable British figures, including Sir Isaac Newton, George Handel, Charles Darwin, and Sir Laurence Olivier. My favorite section of the abbey is Poets' Corner, where influential British writers, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and Rudyard Kipling, were laid to rest. The detail in the gothic architecture, the stunning stained-glass windows, and the neatly manicured lawn and garden were well worth the price of admission and I still can't believe that it actually functions as a church with daily services amidst the throngs of tourists.

From Westminster, we headed on foot in the direction of Trafalgar Square. Along the way, we made stops at the beefed-up security blockade in front of 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives) and watched the changing of the guard at the Horse Guards Parade. Although there are now several entrances to St. James and Buckingham Palace, these horse guards used to guard the only entryway to the monarch's residence. Today, they symbolically stand guard in front of the "official" entrance and carry out the ceremonial changing of the guard on a regular basis. Once we reached Trafalgar Square, we spent a few minutes in awe of the National Gallery and Nelson's Column, a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson surrounded by massive lion statues.

Although we would have loved to check out the National Gallery, we knew we had a train to catch bound for Watford, a suburb 15 miles outside of London. From there, we boarded a bus to Leavesden, home of the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio. I repeat, the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio.

Guys, this place was my personal Disney World. My heaven on earth. My Christmas morning. Wheat and I happen to be Harry Potter fanatics, but anyone who even remotely enjoys the Harry Potter books, movies, or universe would absolutely love this place. Aside from a subpar lunch in the cafeteria, the studio absolutely blew our minds with its intricate sets, recognizable props, enormous gift shop, and incredible costumes. I honestly felt like we'd wandered onto the movie sets, mid-production. Wheat scoured the place for any signs of Emma Watson (who he affectionately calls "bae") while I tried to figure out a way to petrificus totalus myself inside.

In reality, I could write an entire novel about the studio tour, but I'll spare you the details and give you the highlights:

- After a quick video introduction from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, the screen lifted to reveal a massive set of doors. An employee asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday and I volunteered Wheat since his birthday was the next day. That is how Wheat helped open the doors to the Great Hall..and also why he briefly wanted to kill me.

- We saw the Great Hall, Harry's tiny room under the stairs at the Dursley house, the boys' dormitory in Gryffindor, Hagrid's hut, Dumbledore's office, Snape's Potions classroom, the Weasley kitchen, Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, No. 4 Privet Drive, and so many more remarkably detailed sets. Seriously, every single potion bottle had a hand-written label on it. Mind. Blown. The pots were stirring themselves! The carrots were cutting themselves! The trunks were opening on their own!

- We saw quidditch gear, the horcruxes, the Goblet of Fire, the Fat Lady, the Sorting Hat, Aragog, the Knight Bus, the flying car, the moving chess pieces, the Hogwarts Express (which you could actually board), Platform 9 3/4, Buckbeak, and all the monsters and creatures you can imagine. Even Dobby. Sweet, sweet Dobby.

- We took a break halfway through to enjoy a chocolate frog (which came with an Albus Dumbledore trading card) and a butterbeer. I'm not a fan of butterscotch, so I was absolutely shocked to find that I really liked it, especially the creamy foam on top.

- The tour ended with an incredible scale model of Hogwarts castle that was used for exterior shots of the school in the films. I don't even care how nerdy this sounds, but it was absolutely breathtaking to inspect every angle of the castle as the lights alternated between bright and dim (to simulate day and night). 

We probably could have spent three more days at the studio, but we eventually pried ourselves away, somehow without spending a cent in the gift shop. We nerded out on the journey back to London, discussing our favorite props on the tour and generally reliving our teenage years through our favorite books. 

Against our better judgment, we decided to brave a local pub during the England vs. Iceland soccer match (the Euro tournament was going on). After several failed attempts to find seats, we finally found a spot at a quaint, little pub filled to the brim with people watching the game. Unfortunately, England lost to Iceland, 2-1, in an unlikely and embarrassing defeat, which caused the British coach to resign in a press conference that immediately followed the game. It was painful to watch the fans groan in disappointment, but at least Wheat liked his fish and chips. We followed dinner with a drink on the charming rooftop patio, but left promptly after spotting several rats running around near our feet.

I tried to convince myself they were Scabbers, but it only worked for so long...