5/27/15 Twinings

We spent the morning at a tea tasting at the Twinings shop in London, which was really fun. We tried six different types of tea including white tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea, oolong tea, and puer tea. The tea was brewed in a mug and then poured into a bowl. To properly taste the tea we had to take note of the smell, appearance, taste, mouth feel, and aftertaste. In order to taste the tea, we scooped the tea out of the communal bowl with a spoon and then we slurped (the louder the slurp the better) it from the spoon. Everybody had a lot of fun and we had the opportunity to buy some Twinings tea after the tasting.

After that, we visited the Albert Memorial and the Victoria & Albert Museum. The memorial was extravagant and gigantic. Unfortunately we only had time to see a small portion of the V & A museum. We ended our day by eating, the tradition British food, fish & chips.

The tea tasting at Twinings.

Posing in front of the Albert Memorial.

Albert Memorial.

5/25/15 Chelsea Physic Garden

We started our day in the Chelsea Physic Garden which was small but diverse. The garden was originally created in 1673 in order to train future apothecaries in the art of plant identification. The garden was opened up to the public in 1983 and now visitors can come explore the collection of natural medicine/remedy plants that the Chelsea Physic Garden has to offer. The garden was fun but much smaller in comparison to Kew Gardens.

We spent our afternoon on a tea and coffee walk in the City of London. During this walk we saw some of the old warehouses, original coffee shops, and much more. Along with learning about the historical buildings, we also saw some of the newer buildings including the Gherkin Building (30 St Mary Axe), Lloyd’s of London (1 Lime St), and the “Walkie-Talkie” Building (20 Fenchurch Street). Apparently the Walkie-Talkie Building used to melt cars accidentally due to its concave shape. If you want to find out more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23930675 .

Chelsea Physic Garden.

5/23/15 Globe Theater

We started the day off by going to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing the Guard Ceremony. The actual ceremony was not that exciting except that the marching band played Thriller (or at least something that sounded very similar to Thriller) at one point which was hilarious. After that we went to the Globe Theater to watch Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It. And I must say, I did like it. The cast did a marvelous job of portraying their characters in a funny and unique way.

Waiting for the play to start at Globe Theater.

5/21/15 & 5/22/15 Art & Architecture

For both Thursday and Friday I spent the morning in class and the afternoon at the British Library researching for my paper. Once I finished all my schoolwork I had the chance to explore London! On Thursday I went and saw the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. I really enjoyed the Houses of Parliament which were extremely grandiose and awe-inspiring.

On Friday I started with the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. From there I went to Tate Modern (a modern art museum) which I really enjoyed. Two of the displayed works really struck a chord with me. The first was a documentary called Blindly which shows scenes from painting workshops with visually impaired participants. The film showed some participants who were born blind and some who lost their sight due to an accident or condition. These participants were asked to paint self portraits and pictures of animals. It was interesting to see how they viewed the world while not being able to see. If you want to learn more: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/display/artur-zmijewski. The other work of art that I really enjoyed was called Tree of 12 Metres by Giuseppe Penone (see picture below). Penone carved industrially produced sticks of timber while following the natural knots and rings of the wood. This technique exposes what the tree looked like when it was much younger and smaller. If you want to learn more: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/giuseppe-penone-1754.

On my way back from the Tate Modern museum, I stopped by the Tower Bridge. I really enjoyed standing on the bridge and looking over the Thames. Even though the Tower Bridge is in the middle of a very busy city, I found it to be quite relaxing and serene.

Big Ben & the London Eye.

Posing in front of Westminster Abbey.

Tree of 12 Metres by Giuseppe Penone.

Tower Bridge at night.

3/20/15 Liverpool

We spent the day exploring Liverpool. We started at the National Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum. I found the Slavery Museum to be unique and powerful. Growing up in Illinois, I’m very used to the American perspective on slavery and how slavery affected American history. The thing I liked about this museum was that it offered the historical perspective from many countries.

After that emotionally striking museum, we visited a very different type of museum: the Beatles Museum. This  museum did a good job of conveying the importance and overwhelming popularity of the Beatles. On our way back to the train station we stopped by the Cavern Pub where many popular bands, including the Beatles, have performed (and still do). Our trip to Liverpool was fun and packed full of activities but it was not nearly long enough to fully appreciate the city.

A mural in the Beatles Museum.

3/18/15 Regent’s Park

After class and research in the British Library, I set off on my own to explore Regent’s Park. On my way there I stopped at 221b Baker Street (aka the Sherlock Holmes Museum) because I am a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The gift shop was fun but I felt like the museum was underwhelming. Maybe I just have a hard time appreciating a museum for a fictional character. I much prefer museums displaying artifacts with historical relevance.

After the slightly disappointing Sherlock Holmes Museum, I walked through Regent’s Park which is beautiful and filled with extraordinary water fowl. After researching why Regent’s park has such a large population of waterfowl, I discovered that the park has an ornamental waterfowl collection containing more the 90 species of birds. They collect the bird’s eggs, place them in a hatchery, and once born they trade them with other parks to prevent inbreeding. I’m not sure how they manage to keep all those birds from leaving the park, but they definitely make the park special.

221b Baker Street.

Water fowl in Regent’s Park.

Glorious Regent’s Park.

3/16/15 Greenwich

While visiting Greenwich we explored the National Maritime Museum. One of the museum curators gave us a talk about the tea trade. After that we visited the Cutty Sark which is the fastest still-surviving tea clipper. We were able to walk around the lower deck, tween deck, and upper deck. After the Cutty Sark, we walked up to the Royal Observatory where we were able to straddle the prime meridian and look out across London (what a beautiful view). We also walked to The Queen’s House but we were unable to see inside due to a wedding. Wouldn’t that be a pretty place to get married? Our last destination in Greenwich was the Old Royal Naval College which has an extraordinary painted ceiling.

View from the Royal Observatory.

5/14/15 Bruges

We started our day by taking a train from Brussels to Bruges (in Belgium). Once we arrived we participated in a guided tour of Bruges. After the tour we were left to our own devices to explore the city and buy souvenirs. The group I was with wandered into the Basilica of the Holy Blood (which is absolutely gorgeous by the way) where we were able to sit quietly and reflect. We also had the chance to light a candle and place it on the altar. Bruges provided a nice opportunity to explore at a slower pace.

Just a regular day in Bruges.

Inside the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

5/13/15 Amsterdam and Brussels

Our first activity of the day was the Anne Frank House. The house brought the atrocities of the Holocaust from just a history lesson to a reality. After that solemn experience we visited the Rijksmuseum.The museum, itself, is a work of art. I was able to see the renowned painting The Night Watch along with other Rembrandt paintings and some Vermeer paintings.

After our day in Amsterdam we took the train to Brussels (during which I slept the whole time). Once we arrived in Brussels we explored the Grand Place which I can be described as a central open square surrounded by beautiful buildings which are lit up at night. We were lucky enough to be visiting Brussels during the gay pride festival so all of the buildings were lit up with multi-colored lights creating a rainbow effect instead of the white lights which usually light up the Grand Place. From there we wandered around and tried the famous Belgian waffles. And yes, they are as delicious as they look. Even though the waffles were amazing, I think I preferred visiting Amsterdam to Brussels.

The Grand Place lit up with Gay Pride lights.

Posing in the Grand Place in Brussels.

Belgian Waffle Selfie in Brussels!

5/12/15 Amsterdam

After taking two trains through four countries (England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands), we finally made it to Amsterdam. While there we visited the National Maritime Museum. This museum used to be the main port in Amsterdam back when the Dutch East India Company was in its prime. We participated in a guided tour of a ship modeled after a 1600 merchant vessel.

After our planned activities we had the opportunity to explore Amsterdam. I went to this delightful little restaurant called Winkle which served a delicious apple pie (called appletaart in Dutch). But this “apple pie” is not like what is typically served in America. The crust was more like a cake than a pie crust. Going into the Netherlands I had heard that they are famous for their apple pie and the Dutch did not disappoint.

National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam

The receipt from Winkle.