So, we continue on busy-busy-busy as can be.
Here's a bit of a recap:
So, we did end up seeing A Delicate Balance and it was wonderful. The best surprise? Imelda Staunton who played Claire in the play, also played Delores Umbridge in Harry Potter. I've never been star-struck before but seeing her act was SO COOL. She's such a wonderful actress and a great person to hear speak.
Saturday we had the day off, I went to Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx, Douglas Adams and many other people are buried. I first read about it in the book Her Fearful Symmetry. It was a hard, long walk to get there but it was beautiful. Karl Marx has the biggest grave I've ever seen, and Douglas Adams tugged on my heart strings a little.
Saturday night I took myself out for my birthday present (which is in about a week) - seats to see Wicked! The student price was 27 pounds but we got seats that cost non-students around 90-100 pounds. Talk about a deal. I had never seen it before, but loved the soundtrack. It was amazing and such a well done performance. No wonder it's won every single award it can here in London. I really enjoyed it and it was the perfect way to spend an evening.
Sunday, I decided to get back on the museum route. We went to the Imperial War Museum and saw tons of things from every war you can possibly imagine. I especially loved seeing everything from Winston Churchill, especially learning more about him. My Grandfather was a Churchill fanatic, nearly a scholar, and my dog is named after him.
Shortly after this, I chose to go to the Tate Britain since it has so many paintings I wanted to see, including two by Francis Bacon. I got to see John Singer Sargent's Lady Macbeth, as well as Lady Shallot, and both were breath-taking. The only problem getting to the Tate Britain was that the tube line it was on was closed. So, normally on a museum day I walk somewhere between 5-7 miles, and Sunday I walked about 11.
Then yesterday, Monday, we decided to treat ourselves to some Thai food. We went to this wonderful place called Addie's and then jumped the tube to Leicester Square and grabbed pastries from this amazing pastry shop. It was the kind of place where you picked out what you wanted, then then wrapped it for you, put it in a bag and you were good to go. We then ate at the fountains at Trafalgar, and walked across the bridge to the National Theatre. The, we got this amazing back-stage tour that I highly recommend if you're ever in London. I got to stand on the stage of the National Theatre, see everything backstage, and was completely in awe the entire time.
After that we saw the show Rocket to the Moon, which was amazing. I adored it, and the fact I had just been on the stage the actors I was watching were on, it was even better.
Theatre in Britain is a lot different than theatre in America. For example, the bottom section is called the "stalls" and the balcony is called the "circle". And going to see a play is a fun for everyone. Usually there is a cafe in the theatre to eat at, and the main food picked during intermission? Ice cream. Seriously, they come in and sell little things of ice cream. The one thing I really don't like about British versus American theatre is that you have to pay for programs, and it's not cheap either. Three pounds per program, usually. Though they are a LOT nicer than the ones we get, the price really adds up.
Tonight we're going to see the play Betrayal, and tomorrow will be another long day.
I have found that being a Razorback has followed me to London, though. On the tube home last night was a couple who looked very confused. They were American. I asked where they were from and they told me Idaho. When I told them I was from Arkansas, an so was everyone around me the man goes, "You guys are Razorbacks, aren't you?" and we told him yes. He laughed and said he went to Ole Miss and wasn't sure he could be on the train with us. We all laughed and finally agreed that we could be friends since we were in London, and we both supported teams in the SEC. Woo pig all around the world!
Stay tuned for my next update!
-Caitlin
Here's a bit of a recap:
So, we did end up seeing A Delicate Balance and it was wonderful. The best surprise? Imelda Staunton who played Claire in the play, also played Delores Umbridge in Harry Potter. I've never been star-struck before but seeing her act was SO COOL. She's such a wonderful actress and a great person to hear speak.
Saturday we had the day off, I went to Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx, Douglas Adams and many other people are buried. I first read about it in the book Her Fearful Symmetry. It was a hard, long walk to get there but it was beautiful. Karl Marx has the biggest grave I've ever seen, and Douglas Adams tugged on my heart strings a little.
Saturday night I took myself out for my birthday present (which is in about a week) - seats to see Wicked! The student price was 27 pounds but we got seats that cost non-students around 90-100 pounds. Talk about a deal. I had never seen it before, but loved the soundtrack. It was amazing and such a well done performance. No wonder it's won every single award it can here in London. I really enjoyed it and it was the perfect way to spend an evening.
Sunday, I decided to get back on the museum route. We went to the Imperial War Museum and saw tons of things from every war you can possibly imagine. I especially loved seeing everything from Winston Churchill, especially learning more about him. My Grandfather was a Churchill fanatic, nearly a scholar, and my dog is named after him.
Shortly after this, I chose to go to the Tate Britain since it has so many paintings I wanted to see, including two by Francis Bacon. I got to see John Singer Sargent's Lady Macbeth, as well as Lady Shallot, and both were breath-taking. The only problem getting to the Tate Britain was that the tube line it was on was closed. So, normally on a museum day I walk somewhere between 5-7 miles, and Sunday I walked about 11.
Then yesterday, Monday, we decided to treat ourselves to some Thai food. We went to this wonderful place called Addie's and then jumped the tube to Leicester Square and grabbed pastries from this amazing pastry shop. It was the kind of place where you picked out what you wanted, then then wrapped it for you, put it in a bag and you were good to go. We then ate at the fountains at Trafalgar, and walked across the bridge to the National Theatre. The, we got this amazing back-stage tour that I highly recommend if you're ever in London. I got to stand on the stage of the National Theatre, see everything backstage, and was completely in awe the entire time.
After that we saw the show Rocket to the Moon, which was amazing. I adored it, and the fact I had just been on the stage the actors I was watching were on, it was even better.
Theatre in Britain is a lot different than theatre in America. For example, the bottom section is called the "stalls" and the balcony is called the "circle". And going to see a play is a fun for everyone. Usually there is a cafe in the theatre to eat at, and the main food picked during intermission? Ice cream. Seriously, they come in and sell little things of ice cream. The one thing I really don't like about British versus American theatre is that you have to pay for programs, and it's not cheap either. Three pounds per program, usually. Though they are a LOT nicer than the ones we get, the price really adds up.
Tonight we're going to see the play Betrayal, and tomorrow will be another long day.
I have found that being a Razorback has followed me to London, though. On the tube home last night was a couple who looked very confused. They were American. I asked where they were from and they told me Idaho. When I told them I was from Arkansas, an so was everyone around me the man goes, "You guys are Razorbacks, aren't you?" and we told him yes. He laughed and said he went to Ole Miss and wasn't sure he could be on the train with us. We all laughed and finally agreed that we could be friends since we were in London, and we both supported teams in the SEC. Woo pig all around the world!
Stay tuned for my next update!
-Caitlin
