Though I wouldn’t describe myself as a Potterhead, I do enjoy both the books and the movies, and the whole magical universe built by J. K. Rowling. It was really Daryl who made me see the Potterverse with fresh eyes when he suggested that I give the books a chance, and that it just so happened that he owned them all. That was two years ago, Christmas 2016 to be exact, and since then I’ve been able to fill in all the gaps left by the movies, but explained in the books.
Nowadays, if anyone shows love for Potter but hasn’t read the books, I laugh haughtily and give them a disapproving eye roll, cause we all know that without the books, too many things are left in the dark and no one can call themselves a true Potter fan without knowing all these important facts (not including SPEW as that was just unnecessary).
This Christmas we spent the holidays in England in a little town called Haverhill. It’s very small and dreary but only an hour away from Cambridge. Before going to Haverhill I had never considered visiting Cambridge, but now it’s a go-to destination every time we visit Daryl’s parents. We dine at our favorite chain restaurants (Bella Italia and Strada), go shopping in M&S, visit Blackwell books and fill up bags of candy in the old-fashioned sweet shop.
Up until now, I’ve never brought my camera to Cambridge, as I would usually buy so many pajama sets in Primark that I couldn’t also carry around my camera. But this time I not only brought it, but we braved a snowstorm that robbed me of my mascara with its giant snowflakes in my eyes and made my face entirely unphotographable. While my face became cruelly uncovered (my skin was very red and cold), Cambridge however became covered in dusty white snow and I fell in love with the old buildings more than I ever had before. And to say that it reminded me of Hogsmeade is an understatement. It felt completely and utterly enchanting and magical to walk around in the streets with the blizzard freezing my cheeks and my frozen fingers trying to click the shutter button on my camera.
Daryl was a trooper and held my umbrella and found me a camera store when dust had settled inside my lens. It was a good day, a bit of a magical day, and I keep falling more and more in love with little bits of England that I come across when we visit.
Have you ever been to England? If so, what are your favorite places to explore? Tell me in the comments! I’d love more suggestions and travel tips!
