So it is into week 2 of classes for me here in London. It's been a tiring week, but in a good way. Monday was a class with Andrew that consisted of the Tower of London, which was a fortress and home for many Kings. It was really interesting to be walking around a castle that was up and running during the Middle Ages. I've been trying to take better notes as we wander around sites and in museums, but it's hard because I get distracted and just want to take a ton of pictures. I know though, that I have to pay attention so that I don't feel even more stupid than normal. Not to complain, but since I am not a history major, I feel a little behind in this class. I don't know the basis of many of these things, so everything Andrew says I know I need to absorb. I will get the hang of it I think, I just need to focus.
Anyways, back to more fun things. So today was quite busy as well. Jenna and I woke up and went to Leichester Square to find a book we need for class, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. So we went to a discount book store and found it for only about 2 pounds! Yay for saving money. After that we took the tube to Westminster because the class was meeting there at 1:30. Since we had time to waste, we had our lunch that we packed while we sat right underneath the London Eye. Many pigeons joined this meal, and got really annoying after a while, haha. This woman was sitting behind us with her toddler and he was chasing them for a bit, which was cute. He also wasn't listening to her that well, so she said "You know those things on your face called your eyes? Why don't you use them?". He was trying to find the garbage (which here they call the rubbish bin) and he couldn't find it, so this was her response. I laughed at this, but then realized it was a little harsh for a toddler. Oh well, different parenting I guess.
After lunch we walked down the street past the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey because we still had time before class. We saw a park down the street that I want to go back to sometime, it was beautiful. There are parts of the city that are so beautiful that it doesn't seem real. The architecture here is just so grand in comparison with the U.S. Even buildings that were built later, like during the Victorian era, have the Gothic or Classic style to make them so ornate and fantastic.
Our plan for class today was to tour Westminster, but there was a change in this. Apparently Westminster was closed for tours today because of Charles Dickens's birthday. They were filming there for a television special and wouldn't let people tour. But that's okay, Andrew says he will try and re-schedule. So instead, we walked around the outside of the Abbey and then down the street all the way to Trafalgar Square. There we went inside the National Gallery, which is an art museum. It was good to be inside for a while because the weather today was very cold. We learned about Gothic paintings, and oil paintings from Italy during the Medieval and early Renaissance periods. I'm no art history buff, but I still enjoy looking at different types of art.
Tonight Jenna and Rachel made dinner, a wonderful chicken casserole and chessy potatoes. During dinner, our "family" consisting of everyone on our floor, sat around and told stories from elementary and high school. We all get along really well, which is nice. After dinner, I actually had to do homework, what a concept! I wrote a 500 word essay about my observations of the city from the journal that we have been told to keep. It wasn't hard, and actually enjoyable. Hopefully what I wrote is what Natania is looking for in this essay.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day as well. We have class starting at 10 until 1 and then we are going to have a tour of the Globe Theatre after that. That will end close to 4 pm and then Jenna, Rachel and I have to get on the tube to Victoria to see Wicked. The show starts at 7:30, so we will have time to eat somewhere near the theatre. I'm excited for it even though I've seen it. I think it will be fun to see the reactions of Rachel and Jenna.
The rest of the week will consist of the class taking a trip to Stratford to see two shows, Heresy of Love and Taming of the Shrew. We will stay in a B&B for a night and then come back sometime on Friday. I will probably write after we return on Friday.
Until then, hope everyone is having a good week!
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