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Showing posts from July, 2012

England: London Day 5

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This is our last full day in England. (Insert sad face.) We finished our sightseeing with a visit to Kensington Palace as well as a trip to Notting Hill, topped off with a show. Fun! This is a statue of Queen Victoria (longest reigning monarch in Britain's history) in front of Kensington Palace. This is the palace where Princess Diana lived and where Will and Kate will move in soon. The throne of George I This is a unicorn on the throne--for Gracie who LOVES unicorns. A lovely fireplace in Kensington Palace More lovely scenes from Kensington It took 6 boys to carry George's train. Victoria's dollhouse--also for Gracie Victoria and her husband--Albert--had a truly loving marriage. When he died, Victoria donned this mourning outfit and never wore anything but black until her death. Kensington Gardens This is the Royal Albert hall. Anyone remember this from the movie "The Man Who Kn

England: London Day 4 (and some observations)

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We didn't see and do as much today as yesterday, so not as many pictures. We spent the morning in the National Gallery ...a beautiful (free) art museum. I viewed original works from Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Peter Paul Reubens, and Paul Cezanne to name a few. Then we followed a (modified) walk that a friend let me borrow for this trip. We visited the John Soane museum (another freebie) which you can learn more about here . After that, we walked back to our hotel via Oxford Street, famous for its shopping. (Right up my alley!) Beautiful street! Another beautiful street! Olympic spirit and national pride. I liked this angle. This is the street of the Soane Museum...(almost) just like during Charles Dickens' era. I found China's flag among all the Olympic nation flags on display in this part of London. Having been in London for 4 days now, I've come to realize a few things. These are just my own observations. By far, the acce

England: London Day 3

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Today was another FULL day. We're trying to make the most of our time here. We've also become experts (well, not quite) at using the Tube--London's subway. It's such an incredible network of trains. It's surprising, really, how well they all run. Today's highlights included--the Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and 10 Downing Street. The outside of the Globe replica...the only wooden building and thatched roof in London. Some very famous people helped rebuild the Globe. I was a rebel and took a few photos inside the Globe when I wasn't really supposed to. These are the benches that  would have cost 2 pennies for the middle class in Shakespeare's day. Some actors are actually beginning rehearsal for the play Richard II. The upraised flag told theatergoers that a performance was in town. The Tower Bridge, taken from the Millennium