One month and not counting...
Trip Start
Sep 02, 2008
1
6
11
Trip End
Dec 16, 2008
Windsor,
United Kingdom
Monday, October 1, 2007
This week was extremely busy but I got to do some really great things! On Monday we came into our Shakespeare class and our proffessor suprised us by saying we were all going to see "The Merchant of Venice" at the Globe theater! We went on Wed
Jack the Ripper Tour
. night and it was absolutely amazing. I wish the season wasn't getting ready to end because I would love to go back and see another show. It was FREEZING and I honestly thought I was going to have to leave at one point because it was so cold, but besides that the production was great. I never realized how much you miss out on when you just read the plays and don't see them live. It was hilarious and bawdy and so much fun. The theater and all of the actors seem so authentic. I really feel like it's what watching a Shakespeare play back in the Elizabethean era would have been like.I also went and saw a movie here for the first time. We went and saw "Atonement". It's with Keira Knightly and is based off a very famous novel. I'm not sure if it is playing in the states but it was fantastic! The movie theaters here are not quite up to par with the ones in Orlando though! We are quite spoiled back home.
On Thursday night my friend Jenna got us free tickets to go see the musical Footloose through her internship. I was very surprised at how good it was! It was very fun and made you want to get up and dance, which some people actually did! I can't wait to go see some more musicals here. There are so many I want to see I'm going to have to narrow the list down a bit.
Friday night I went with Mike and my roomate to go see a band that his co-worker is in. Mind you he works at Parliament so it was pretty funny to see this man who I'm sure wears a suit and tie every day rock out on stage
The Ten Bells
. I felt like such a local!Saturday was a wonderful day because I got to see Ed and Sherri! It was so great to see some people from home. We had a great day in Windsor. The castle was so beautiful. I love anything old and elaborate and this was deffinetely both. I loved seeing all of the historical pieces and paintings they had throughout the castle. The chapel that is on the grounds is also extremely beautiful. It was all gothic style architecture and King Henry VIII and one of his wives were buried there! I think this weekend we are going to try and go to Hampton Court to see his castle. If you've read any Philipa Greggory you will understand my slight obsession with the Tudors. We also got to see Eaton way off in the distance from the castle. I kept thinking how nice it must have been for the Princes to just be able to go up the road for dinner at Grandma's house!
Ed and Sherri were also kind enough to bring my goodie "boxes" from home. Needless to say as soon as we got back on Saturday I made some macaroni and cheese! I couldn't even handle how good it tasted. I was so happy to see familiar things from home! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who sent me stuff... it really means so much!
Yesterday was another exploring day. I wandered around the city for a bit with a couple of my roomates and then we went to the National Gallery. I forgot how much I enjoy looking at art. Some of the pieces in the museum almost took my breath away
Excited
. They have something from most of the major painters from 1500-1900. My favorites were the Italian and Flemish painters. So many of their paintings seem to jump off the canvas they look so real. Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures inside the Gallery so I'll have to get some postcards or something of my favorites!Last night all of my roomates and I went on the Jack the Ripper walking tour! It was fantastic! And... creepiest part of all.... last night just happened to be the anniversary of the night when he killed two women. Talk about dramatic effect! While many of the original places are no longer standing you still got the general idea of what it was like during that time period and the relative location of things. The pub where all the prostitutes used to go and where one of the bodies was found is actually still standing though! Going on the tour was def. one of my favorite things I've done since I've been here. After that we all came home and watched From Hell! *The Johnny Depp movie about Jack the Ripper*
I keep wondering why I'm so tired and then I realize how many things I do in a given week! This week I'm sure will be just as busy! Tonight we are going to see Macbeth with Patrick Stewart as Macbeth! We also have a couple of meetings this week for our program and I'm sure we will go somewhere for the day on Saturday. Oh, and I'm going to see Damien Rice on Saturday night!! Can't wait! :-)
Hope everyone is doing well and soaking up all the sunshine for me!!!!
Comments
Ripper
hey! Sounds like another thrilling week. Yay for that. You are managing to see a TON of musical and theatre shows! That is so fantastic. Glad you had fun with my parents this weekend! I need to figure out our time difference so I can Skype you. that Jack the Ripper tour sounds so supercool. ** hugs ** ~Shannon