Day 7: London Art

THE WEDNESDAY ITINERARY: Walked across the Milliennium Bridge, went to the Tate Modern Museum, saw As You Like It at the Globe Theatre, walked to Buckingham Palace and through St. Thomas Park, returned home tired.

On the Millennium Bridge overlooking the Thames River

The Millennium Bridge and a view of St. Paul's cathedral (when viewing the Harry Potter 6 trailor, when you see the Death Eaters destroy this bridge, pause it, and you can see St. Paul's, and across the Thames you can see the Globe and the large building adjacent is the Tate. We had great fun discovering the Globe's appearance in the movie.)

Where the magic happens.

Anxiously waiting for the play to start (notice the unfortunate groundlings below).

The "obstructing" pillar that made our seats half-price, it actually provided nice shade when the sun beat down towards the end of the play.

Outside Buckingham palace

The entrance to Madeline's future house (please wipe your feet before coming in)

Outside the palace having our picture taken by some friendly Italians.

Gabrielle: I am so exhausted I can barely make comprehensible English but Madeline is holding an axe to my neck so I figured I better be comprehensible. The Tate Modern was lovely, some mind-blowing pieces by Picasso and Magda Conwell and Andy Warhol that really made me think about what we classify as art. The Millennium bridge was fabulous for the view and for the upcoming scene in Harry Potter. The Globe was pretty much the best Shakespeare I've seen in my entire life, and it's pure delight to watch. We had so much fun they need to reinvent cliches to describe it. Here's one: if I don't go to sleep RIGHT NOW, I will be deader than an aardvark who met an unhappy end to tooth floss... or was that the lion... dear God I need sleep.

Revie: Our last day in London was an extremely memorable one, but at least we were able to walk for three hours and then sat for three hours, fairly balanced. The Tate Modern Museum overlooking the Thames is one of the best uses of a old factory I have ever seen. Their collection was fascinating and a wonder to have beheld. Being able to study works of art done by masters of their craft;Picasso, Pollock , Andy Warhol...The globe was wonderful and exciting, I was never bored throughout out the play which has defiantly happened in three hour plays. We were able to see if the queen was home at Buckingham Palace(which she was, because the flag was up). I hope you will have a wonderful Thursday, tomorrow we will be going to Anne Boleyn's' family home.. Good night.

Madeline: As you can probably tell, we are all quite tired. But it was an absolutely wonderful, if not scorching hot day. After spending a considerable amount of time in the Modern Art Museum, we went to see As You Like It at the Globe Theater. It was probably the most fulfilling experiences while in Europe thus far, it was so well done and made me reconsider my whole view on Shakespeare's plays. For a while, I was quite convinced I was the only person in the world who didn't like Shakespeare, but the truth is, it isn't Shakespeare I don't like, but rather I've never liked the way Shakespeare has been presented, and I didn't know what I was missing until now. Shakespeare wasn't meant to be acted by amateurs, it was meant to be the best of the best, His plays were not meant to be acted out in large concert halls, but rather in the intimate nature of the Globe Theater itself, and the language was not meant to be spoken with a poor British accent faked by some unfortunate American, or even a normal British accent from a native, but rather a refined and practiced voice. Saying good bye to London was such sweet sorrow, until next time, good friend.