London, Week 3

At the start of the week, some friends and I took a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I feel like almost every museum I get to visit is so huge and has so much depth that I only scratch the surface, the same being true here. Not too long before, my art class had stopped in very briefly before heading to the Tate Britain again but this time we got a little more time to spend looking around. The cast room is particularly impressive, with plaster casts of some incredible sculptures. They also had one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and Shakespeare’s first folio. There was also the Ardabil Carpet, the world’s oldest dated carpet and one of the most beautiful, from Iran. There is honestly just so much in the museum that it seems like you’d need a week to see it all properly.

The Ardabil Carpet

Wednesday we went to Harrods since it’s hard to go to London and not hear about what is probably the most famous department store in the world (or at least the city). It is kind of insane in there, especially in certain departments, when you’ll see things advertised for thousands of pounds next to something else for forty pounds. Their pastries, though, are quite affordable if you’re looking for something to buy, and also quite delicious (I have been enjoying a huge slice of cake for almost a week I got for 6 pounds, a pretty great deal if you ask me).

Harrods storefront

Thursday we started class (albeit very briefly) at the National Gallery so a friend and I arrived early and had a chance to find van Gogh’s Sunflowers, probably the most popular the painting I saw there. It’s always really cool to see a painting in person that I had previously only seen images of or studied, and I’ve gotten to do that a few times here in London, something I haven’t had much opportunity to do before. Van Gogh, in particular, has been one of my favorite painters, not in the least because of his physical use of paint so having the chance to see one of his most famous pieces was incredible (though I can admit that, like many others, Starry Night is perhaps my favorite).

Sunflowers

Also on Thursday, I got to see my first West End show! I’ve never been to a Broadway show in the US so I’m taking advantage of being able to go to the West End here while I can. It was a bit of a spontaneous decision to go see The Lion King, especially since I went by myself, but I’m so glad I did! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see the other shows I have plans for.

The Lyceum Theatre

Friday was a full, very fun day spent with friends. We started off at the Sky Garden, the highest garden in London with amazing views of the city that is also free to visit and complete worth it if you ask me.

Panorama from Sky Garden's terrace

Then we hit Borough Market for lunch, easily one of London’s most famous, as well as one of the oldest. It’s a wonderful place to find a huge variety of food for some pretty good prices.

Entrance to Borough market

We stopped at the Museum of London for a bit before ending up at an escape room. I had never been to one before, though I’d wanted to try it. And with the mission of stealing the Queen’s crown jewels, we were sold. It was a lot of fun and a good mental workout, even if I had been a bit tired from a slight head cold I’d had this past week.

Yesterday was our USAC trip to the city of Bath and then to Stonehenge. Bath was really interesting, though our time got cut a bit shorter than usual since it was apparently the Bath Carnival so we really only got to see the Roman Baths, which is definitely the historical highlight. I did try a sip of the water, which mostly had the iron come through on taste from than anything else, but it wasn’t as bad as it seemed it might me.

View from the top level of the Baths

Stonehenge was also awesome to see and something I’m so glad USAC organized for us, since it’s such an iconic sight. I had thought the diameter of the overall circle was wider but it seems like, depending on the angel you’re looking at it from, you can get different senses of grandeur, of which farther back is more grand than fairly close.

Stonehenge from side/back

Today’s most notable event was having my first full English breakfast in London this morning, which I quite enjoyed. I’m a little sad that I’ve only got two weeks left but I’m ready to make the most of them!