London Calling!

I'm writing this from my cousins' flat in London, where I've been for the last 2 days, following a visit with Hanna in the Hastings area.  It's nice to be in an English speaking country again, with people I know and love.

Herstmonceux Castle, aka Hogwarts

I arrived in London on Wednesday morning after a very delayed flight from Budapest, and headed out to Herstmonceux Castle, where Hanna is doing a summer archaeology program.  I was amazed when I got there... Hanna is literally going to school at Hogwarts.  It is an incredibly beautiful castle, surrounded by a moat and very extensive grounds, where sheep, cows, and horses wander about grazing.  We spent the evening looking around the castle grounds and gardens and catching up.  On Thursday, I accompanied Hanna and her friends in the archaeology program to the dig site, where I was allowed to join the students in scraping away some dirt with a trowel.  I can now cross 'Be Part Of An Archaeological Dig' off my bucket list!  I left the dig and headed to the nearby town of Battle, where the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066.  Seeing where William the Conqueror took over the nation from the previous Anglo-Saxon rulers was incredible.  It looks like a regular, sloping field, but when I consider the importance of the events that took place there, it is enough to give me goosebumps.  It is unreal to walk through the Abbey, which is close to 1000 years old, and which William had to build as penance for the bloodshed during the Norman Conquest.  I did an audio tour of the battle site and Abbey, which was phenomenal, and taught me a lot about the sneaky tactics used by the Normans to beat the English, who had the higher ground and were well defended behind their shield wall.  After the tour, I had a cuppa tea and a scone in a cute cafe, and felt very British.  On Thursday evening, Hanna and I walked into the town of Herstmonceux, along delightful, tree-lined lanes through the rolling English countryside.  It was incredible for the two of us to be in the UK together, and really lovely to catch up.

The sloping field where William did his conquering.

Battle Abbey

Very British countryside near Herstmonceux

One of my favourite buildings in the world: The Globe.

Yesterday I returned to London and headed straight for the Globe Theater, where I was privileged enough to watch Henry V, a play about the Battle of Agincourt.  I have been dreaming of seeing one of the Bard's plays in the Globe Theater since grade 3, and it finally happened.  It was one of the best things I've ever experienced. I was so very excited waiting for the play to start that I had tears in my eyes.  The actors brought it totally to life, I felt like I was on the battlefield.  I always forget how funny Shakespeare is until I see a play in person... the combination of the physical comedy and the written comedy had me shaking with laughter.  I arrived at the theater early enough to get a prime spot in the Groundlings area, with my elbows up on the stage.  Actors spat on me, dripped fake blood on me, and died in front of me, and it was AMAZING.  The joy of that experience was indescribable.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background

Today I left early for the Tower of London, which I have been hoping to visit since first reading about Henry VIII's ill-fated Queens.  I rented an audio guide to take it in at my own pace, and I really enjoyed it.  Parts of the fortress are almost 1000 years old, built by William the Conqueror, and has been much used throughout that century.  I wandered around, learning about the Tower through the ages, and kept reflecting how much I love being surrounded by history!  I took in the Crown Jewels, which I quite enjoyed, especially having studied rocks and gems (indeed, many of the gems present in the Crown Jewels!).  Also, they're shiny and pretty.  I saw torture instruments and graffiti left behind by former prisoners, and walked the same ground that prisoners like Anne Boleyn walked before going to the chopping block.  The arms and armor display was also interesting.  Leaving the Tower, I walked along the Thames to the Monument: a giant pinnacle dating from the 1660s which commemorates the loses sustained during the Great Fire.  I climbed the 311 steps up it to catch a view back towards Tower Bridge.  Afterwards I took the tube (and minded the gap!) to Trafalgar Square, which was really neat and super busy.  I went into the National Portrait Gallery, which contains paintings, busts, etchings and drawings of the people who have shaped the history of the UK.  Each piece has an explanation that starts with the person and their historical significance, then talks about the painting itself.  This made it a neat historical, as well as artistic, museum, and I really enjoyed it.  So engrossed in the exhibit was I, that I ran out of time after only seeing the Tudors through to the 1800s.  This evening, Julie and Steve took me, Elizabeth and Michael out for dinner at the original Hard Rock Cafe.  I'd never been to a HR Cafe before, and it was great to find myself enjoying every song they played.  The memorabilia on the walls is unreal: signed records, drum kits from Zeppelin and the Ramones, costumes worn by Stevie Nicks, and many, many guitars.  What a day!

Henry VIII's armour.  Do you think he's compensating for something?
Or do you buy his argument that he needs the room?

A memorial to the victims of Tower Green

The Royal Guards outside of the Crown Jewels exhibit.

The Monument

Tower Bridge, getting set for the 2012 Olympics!

Trafalgar Square gearing up for Canada Day

I'm heading to Hampton Court Palace tomorrow, then I have Monday at the British Museum, then I'm on to Paris!  Stay tuned for blog updates en Francais!  Lots of love!