Friday, May 13, 2011

To anyone following stateside: 

    

    I'm sorry I'm not posting each day as it happens, but things get so busy here that it can be overwhelming.  We get home at about 11 or midnight, then it's organizing and "Skyping" and getting to bed so I can get up early and get to a meeting (I sometimes sleep through the meeting, unfortunately).  

But here is Friday's posting.  I have posted pictures for Saturday and Sunday as well and will write and label all as I am able.  

Friday we went on a Shakespeare walking tour with Tim.  We walked around the area where they found the original Globe theatre foundation and Middle Temple Hall, where Shakespeare and his men put on Twelfth Night for Elizabeth I.  We went to the Temple church, highly featured in The Da Vinci Code and beautiful to boot.  

Afterward, we went to the Southwark cathedral, where Shakespeare has a stain-glass window that we couldn't take pictures of and where his brother is buried.  The cathedral was wonderful.  

We then went to Borough market, teeming with people, where Tim bought us all a too-large brownie.  We ate lunch at the tables at Southwark.  

After returning home, I took a leisurely stroll through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park (right across the street from my flat, wrote half a poem and did a bit of journaling.  It was very nice, and a squirrel even visited the bench I was sitting on.  I was not attacked, so it apparently did not have rabies.  Phew!

The large gold statue that I'm going to have to research in order to place is about a block from my flat, as is the substantial Royal Albert Hall.  The density of such treasures is really mind-boggling.  

The Shakespeare walking tour!

Tim readies himself for a fine time lecturing in the blackfriars area.  Ward stands off to the side...

Double hammer beam roof of Middle Temple Hall.  Amazing!

Shakespeare's "King's Men" company performed Twelfth Night for Elizabeth I here!  WOW

This is me being solemn and reverent.

This is where the chimney hole used to be for the great fire in the middle of the room.  It is now a lamb and a flag, the symbol for middle temple.

Sam upstairs.

The hall was terribly damaged during an air raid in WWI

Hanging wood construction.

YES!  YES!  YES!

Incredible.  Temple church.

The tudor rose.

These sacred spaces always stun me.

I always particularly love what happens when columns meet ceiling. 

They were setting up for some sort of play to be put on inside the church.  Invite only, unfortunately.  Or was it donation only... 

Blackfriars pub

Love the statue.

This is a bit of an incredibly old Roman wall that surrounded the square mile city of Londinium.

St. Peters.  I will get there soon, I pray.

Stuart and I

The Tate Modern.  Going here soon.  Very imposing, it used to be a factory.  Reminds me of state power and industrialism.  Unnerving size...

The invisible man.

Time tells us about the new Globe.

Time tells us about the spot where they found the original foundations for the Globe.

The red spots on the pavement are where their equipment found what they believe to be the original foundations for the walls.  The can't dig for it because there is a newer, still historical site built right on top of it. 

This is a plaque explaining the remnants (shown below) of the rose window of a certain Great Hall.  It's just sitting there in the middle of all the new buildings.  I love this place!

Southwark Cathedral

Gargoyles!

Tears were shed...

Here is Shakespeare's window, where many of his main characters are featured, with an effigy of him below.

This is an example of the "coach inns" that are the theatre precursor to places like the Globe.  Plays would be put on before people's balconies.  A captive audience.

Borough market

Tim and Jane bought us brownies!

Later, I took a walk through the park.

The serpentine.

Statue just across from Royal Albert Hall.