It’s been just a week since I arrived in the bustling city of London. I’ve started my courses and internship and feel like I’m finally getting my bearings. One of the main reasons for this is because I took a walking tour of my neighborhood over the weekend, which helped me realize some of the local gems that are right outside the front door. Our tour guide, Suzanne, was so interested in telling us all about where we are living for the next four months.

She chose to focus our tour around the rich music history of Camden. Camden is a northwest borough of London known for its giant market where you can find just about anything. It is also known for its intense connection to music and famous bands. The first place we stopped at on our musically-guided tour was the Roundhouse Theatre. It is famously known for being the venue of Pink Floyd’s first performance. They are one of my favorite bands of all time, so to see where they got their start was amazing. I definitely plan on checking out a show at this venue while I’m abroad.

The next stop was to an old pub called the Hawley Arms. This was the pub that Amy Winehouse used to frequent and play for a more intimate crowd. There’s even a sign in the upper window that has a photo of Winehouse accompanied by a song lyric of hers. A little ways down the street in Camden Market is a life-size statue of Winehouse. Visitors pay tribute to the late singer by leaving a flower in her hair. We learned on the tour that her parents still live nearby and have been blown away by the likeness of the statue and the love of her fans.

One of the last stops on our tour was Good Mixer. This was another pub where Oasis frequented. It was also the place where Liam and Noel Gallagher decided that they would have a competition to see whose single would perform better. Noel and his single “Blur” would ultimately take the crown. To be surrounded by such interesting history is something that I am loving here in London. Everywhere I turn seems to have another piece of history attached to it and I can’t wait to find out as much of it as I can.