Inns of Court

I did the Inns of Court walk on Saturday, May 28th with Alison and Hayley. It seemed to be a rather uneventful walk, except for the Staple Inn Buildings. They were one of the few buildings in London that survived the Great London Fire. They did not fit in with the surroundings, so it made complete sense. They were beautiful. We walked past the Royal Courts of Justice, and they were quite stunning. They appeared to be a cathedral, rather than a government building. We also stumbled through the Financial District of England. I have never seen so many CCTV cameras, threatening posters, and patrols in my life. It was really beautiful, but very deserted. I have noticed that downtown London is rather empty on the weekends in local shop areas because the shops are only open for short hours. It was wgnderful to walk through the city without large crowds. I enjoyed this walk, even though we got a little turned around and it took us a little longer than predicted. This area is close to the St. Pauls walk, which includes Samuel Johnson's home and Hodge, a very fine cat indeed. I really get excited when I start to understand the areas of London in relation to other districts. So, if you are doing the Inns of Court walk, just remember that street maps will help you from going astray. Oh, and don't do anything too crazy in front of a CCTV at the London Silver Vaults.

Soho to Trafalgar Square Walk

 

          Today after church, I went on the Soho to Trafalgar walk with Kelsey, Amanda, Emily K. and and Corey. It was really fun. It was also smart because we were able to walk through Soho without everything being open. Starting at the National Gallery, this walk is full of beauty. I was also impressed with the Olympic Countdown calender in front of the building. Oh, and don't forget the living statues. It is a fun, artsy part of town. We continued on through the Theatre district. It was brightly lit, and it was fun to see in the daylight. It was difficult to see the entire theatre when we went to Les Miserables, so it was really cool to be able to see the entire thing today. I was also tempted with many more musicals that look incredible. There is just not enough time to do everything. The other part of this walk that I loved was Chinatown. I did not know it was so close. I am going to try to get a group together to  go and get some really good Oriental food. Sharing platters are always the best. It was a very relaxing walk, and it helped me to see the sides of buildings I had already visited. Every time I do one of these walks, I feel it better orients me to the massive and beautiful city that is London. My love of the city is deepened with the walks, and I develop a more personal connection to my surroundings.

Shakespeare's Globe

            I had the most amazing day so far of my trip on Friday. We toured the Globe, and it was incredible. The tour guide first took us to the sites of the Hope and Rose theatres, competitors of the Globe. The Rose was discovered when new construction was about to take place in the 90s. After a serious effort to save it by celebrities, historians, and archaeologists, the city made a compromise. They allowed the building to be built several stories higher so that the Rose could continue to be studied in the basement. It is underwater, and it is the best preserved Elizabethan theatre that has ever been found.  Another interesting tidbit: there are no recorded instances of Queen Elizabeth I ever going to a Shakespeare play, but she attended a lot of bear baiting, another popular recreation in Bankside. A bear would be placed in a cage with a lot of dogs, and bets would be placed on how many dogs would die, would the bear survive, etc. The Rose may have garnered its name as an ironic statement because it was the worst-smelling place in London. It is also thought by some scholars that Shakespeare's line from Romeo and Juliet, "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" may be a gibe at the Rose theatre. When the modern Globe theatre (pictured above) was being built, it was unknown where the original had stood. They did discover the original site, and the guide took us there as well. It was incredible because he said, "This is the place where the English language was shaped and changed forever."

       We then took our tour of the Globe, which I had visited twice previous to see All's Well that Ends Well and As You Like It. They were both fantastic comedies, but I still wanted to see my favorite Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. The guide told us that it was a blessing and a curse that we were touring during a tech rehearsal for my favorite play! We were not allowed to take pictures, but we were allowed to watch the play in working progress. Leonato was played by the man who plays Geoffrey in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. How amazing is that? Beatrice was played by Eve West, and she was phenomenal. She performed one of my favorite scenes while we were there. It was a speech about how she never wished to marry a man unless God made men of something other than human. She directed her acting to us, and even pointed at some of the students. It was just like Shakespeare would have wanted it. I loved every minute of it. It was absolutely magical. We are going to go see Much Ado About Nothing at the end of this month, and we have gallery tickets. I am so excited. It is the event I am looking forward to the most.






P.S. I included Platform 9 and 3/4 for anyone who interested. :)

Lambeth Walk

This looks like Big Ben in Peter Pan! :)

           This was a very relaxing walk, and it was breathtaking at times. Emily led the walk, and a large group of us navigated our way along this scenic route. It was really incredible to see a different view of the Thames. The backside of Parliament and Big Ben is a stunning view, and it is the picturesque and iconic shot that everyone should recognize. It is also the view that I had when I was here when I was twelve, so I really love it with all of my heart. When we first started the walk, it felt like a more suburbian area of London. We walked past the massive St. James Hospital, and we found a park decorated with local children's drawings of British history. It was also themed with adventure park toys, and it was really fun. Then we found the iconic setting I referred to in the beginning. As we walked along, we found the artsy party scene of London. Everything was lit in bright colors, and it felt like a beach-y area with painted beach houses right next to the water. We then crossed the Waterloo bridge, and it was beautiful. I loved seeing this different view of London, and it was very enjoyable after a long day.

Westminster Walk

On Friday morning, Laura, Sydney, and I set out to do the Westminster walk. It was absolutely breathtaking to step out of the Westminster tube stop and see Big Ben up close and personal. It was a dream come true for me. We went on the first half of the walk before going on the Globe theatre tour, and it was really fun. We saw most of the government buildings, and we saw the horse guards. We walked through St. James' Square, and wished would have had lunch on the grass. After the tour, we did the second half of the walk. I was fascinated by the Gentlemen's Club area, with all of the extremely ritzy millineries, bars, clubs, and barbershops. I was also intrigued by St. James Palace. It seems deserted, and that makes sense, seeing as it has not been used as a royal residence for quite some time. I got to see  Buckingham Palace up close for the first time, which was amazing. We asked a woman to take our picture,  and after asking us where we were from, she told us she is from Park City. Then, a man walked past and made fun of our excitement, and then laughed and said, "I'm a BYU graduate." It was crazy. There was a group of six of us in front of Buckingham, all with ties to Utah. He even quoted Daniel, saying, "The stone cut out of the mountain, rolling forth..." It was pretty funny. After Buckingham, we finally made it to Westminster. I realized that many of my heroes and heroines are buried there. I certainly hope that I get to take a tour while here. It was really amazing to see it up close. Then, we got some amazing up close view of Parliament. All in all, the walk was a complete success. I really enjoyed being up close to such icon buildings in London.

Bankside and Southwark Walk- My Third London Walk

 This was a crazy but incredible walk for me. I led this walk on Sunday evening, and I really feel like I could not have picked a better walk to lead. I read up on all of the history on the Tube as we went, so I was really able to contribute to the sites we discovered. A personal favorite of mine is tucked away to the left of the reconstructed Globe. It is a house with a small plaque indicating that Sir Christopher Wren lived here while he built St. Paul's Cathedral. While it cannot be proven, it was certainly worth the find. I loved Shakespeare's Globe, and I had already been there before to view All's Well that Ends Well. It is certainly one of my favorite places in London. Do not judge me, but I think I may have to go to at least three Shakespeare productions while I am here. There is no better place on earth to see them. We then wandered through the streets that were known as the "naughty district" in a royal proclamation in the 1500s. The nobility did not want to live near the rabble of the commoners, so they sectioned off this part of the city for low-class entertainment. Therefore, this district became known for brothels, bear and bull baiting, and theatres. In later additions, several debtors prisons were also located in this area. It was a fascinating walk, as many of these locations have now been cleaned up and have become tourist attractions. The Clink Prison Museum is one such example. We then discovered some heavy construction, so we had to be creative. Amazingly, we managed to find our way through all of the walk, including the Royal Hospital. Health officials in the city live right in that area. We then saw the HMS Belfast, one of the largest gun-carrying ships in the world. It was taken out of commission in 1963 and turned into a museum in 1971. It was quite the site. We also saw the unique design of city hall. It does not seem to fit with its surroundings, as the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are so nearby. It is very modern, however, and reflects the changing city.

And then we made it to the Tower Bridge. I must admit, I have been waiting the entire trip just to cross this bridge. It was the most amazing experience, and it was very personal for me. I have dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to study in London, what I consider to be the most incredible city on earth. Since visiting for a short while when I was 12, London has been a dream for me. Walking across the Tower Bridge was that dream realized. I love London, plain and simple. It was also quite nostalgic for me to see the Tower of London so close. When I visited before, I celebrated my twelfth birthday while I was in London. My parents let me pick the place I wanted to visit most, and since I loved the history of the Tudors, I chose the Tower of London. With my twentieth birthday quickly approaching, it was really quite incredible to realize that I have made it back to this city I love so much. I will treasure the memory of this walk forever. It was beautiful to see the city lit up at night, and I honestly believe that I will not be able to top this walk. But London always seems to prove me wrong...:)

Fleet Street and St. Paul's Walk- My Second London Walk

While looking out for Sweeney Todd, we ventured down Fleet Street last Friday. It contains some of the most tucked away and hidden spots. It was really neat to wander through the streets and discover Samuel Johnson's home. He was so true in saying, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." It was also quite quirky to find a statue of his cat Hodge by his home with the inscription "a very fine cat indeed." We also discovered Ye Old Chesire Cheese, a pub that Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens used to frequent. Every day in London is a reminder that this city is teeming with history. It is incredible to think that I was walking where these great men once lived. And of course, my favorite part of the walk was St. Paul's Cathedral. It gives me such a thrill every time I see it. I have loved Mary Poppins since I was a little girl, and each time I see the massive monument I have "Feed the Birds" stuck in my head. My favorite line, "All around the cathedral the Saints and Apostles look down as she sells her wares, and although you can't see it you know they are smiling each time some shows that he cares." I found the Saints and Apostles that are spoken of, and I feel a little bit safer when I am standing in the shadow of this incredible cathedral. This was a beautiful walk, and it showed me a side of London that I had never known existed.

First London Walk

My first London Walk took place right after we walked along Regent's Canal as a group and then hiked to the top of Primrose Hill, which provided the most incredible view. We also visited Camden Markets, and that was an experience I will never forget. My first walk was Regent's Park. Our group had some awesome leaders, which we affectionately referred to as "dictators." I believe that good leaders can really make a difference in the success of a London walk, and they were certainly wonderful. We made our way from Primrose Hill past the London Zoo, and I must say that this part of London is quite beautiful. It has a smaller and more quaint feeling than the area of Bayswater and Queensway. I think it has to do with it being a more residential area. Anyways, we made some small stops along the way, including stopping at this gorgeous water fountain that took awhile to figure out how to turn on. It reminded all of us of the Chamber of Secrets, which made for a fun connection to Harry Potter. We took pictures in front of it as a group, as seen below. Regent's Park is absolutely beautiful, and we took a moment to stop and rest underneath some trees by the Boating Lake. It was serene, and I loved being able to stop and soak up the surroundings. We also saw a wedding in the Park, and it was beautiful. All in all, my first walk was a success. I hope to do all of my future walks in a similar manner.