Westminster Abbey was a bit of a blur, but a beautiful blur nonetheless, after the long walk there. The London Tube Workers strike has officially begun, and with it tube closures (we support you, tube workers! The walk was worth it!). I’ve also been dying to see stained glass and gothic arches, and Westminster Abbey was filled to the brim. As we passed by poet’s corner, and crowded around our tour guide, Molly, I couldn’t help but think of what a full-circle moment it was. Two years ago, before I had even heard about this trip, I was writing a story in-verse about the difficulty of being caught between adventure and home. One of my protagonists said something to the effect of, “I’m going to Britain to see and learn, to visit Byron’s grave.” Not going to lie, I might have been a little misty eyed as I stood on Lord Byron’s plaque at poet’s corner yesterday. It just reminded me, I guess, that if you work at something softly, and diligently, and steadily it will become real whether you’re ready for it or not. 

I think one of the things that surprised me the most about seeing so many memorials to artists, writers, musicians, and innovators was that the experience was so joyful. I heard a few people mention how odd it was to be standing on the names of people who had died, but honestly, I kind of love how Westminster Abbey is able to weave the lives and accomplishments of historical figures into the everyday rhythm of London’s living. One name that stuck out to me, although not in poet’s corner, was a watchmaker by the name of Thomas Tompion whose gravestone mentions his “curious inventions…whose accurate performances are the standard of mechanic skill” (“Thomas Tompion”). The idea of watchmaking in general, I think, is a fascinating one because it’s literally the study of how we organize our energy and our lives, but it’s also interesting to think about how Tompion’s inventions have lived on. Everyone has a watch in some form or fashion, and we’ll likely always need them. What a privilege it would be to know that your work allowed someone to sketch a map everyday about what they wanted their life to look like. 

After looking into more information about Tompion, it’s also interesting to note that so much of his life and training in clockmaking is lost to us. Westminster Abbey’s website, for instance, notes that “nothing is known of his early life and education, but by the 1670s he was making turret and long-case clocks for the nobility” (“Thomas Tompion”). We know that Tompion was esteemed in his field, but who taught him what he knew? What led him to become so enthralled with measuring minutes that he became “the finest English clockmaker of all time” (“Thomas Tompion”)? Tompion’s first and most prominent mark in history, it seems, is the faint ticking at the edge of your thoughts: always present, always guiding, but unobtrusive. There’s something deeply moving about people that are both talented and unassuming, and I’d wager that Tompion, someone known purely for the good of his work, was one of those people. 

Yet as I look into the work of W.H. Auden, a 20^th century poet who has a memorial stone in Poet’s Corner, I’m reminded just how important it is for your life to speak beyond your ambition. W.H. Auden, according to Westminster Abbey’s website, was an incredibly accomplished writer and became a professor of poetry at Oxford (“Wystan Hugh Auden”). Yet, before Auden was a celebrated poet, he was a post-office worker who wrote about the importance of communication and how valuable his job was. He was married, but as Westminster Abbey’s website mentions, Auden “married Erika Grundgens but only in order that she could escape from Nazi Germany” (“Wystan Hugh Auden”). So much of being a poet, from my limited understanding of it, is about looking deeply at things that don’t necessarily ask to be seen. More than words, Auden gave time to other people, and as his memorial stone mentions, this act wasn’t always easy. “In the prison of his days/Teach the free man/how to praise,” the memorial stone quotes from a poem Auden wrote to memorialize W.B. Yeats. Although I doubt I’m picking up on the whole scope of these lines, they remind me of what Auden’s small acts of kindness must have felt like: brief moments of praise in an otherwise ordinary, sometimes tiring world, which is almost more worthy remembrance than anything Auden wrote.

Coincidentally, Dylan Thomas’s memorial stone sits close to Auden’s. I know of Thomas because I fell in love with his poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” in high school, which is a reflection on his father’s death. However, I knew little about Thomas actual life. According to poets.org, a website funded by the Academy of American Poets, Dylan Thomas was known for “his reading tours of the United States, which did much to popularize the poetry reading as a new medium for art” (“About Dylan Thomas”). Yet, despite Thomas’s insistence on fighting death in “Do Not Go Gentle,” he died abruptly due to a bout of alcoholism when he was thirty-nine (“About Dylan Thomas”). Somehow, though, even after learning that Thomas couldn’t quite fight for his own life the way he asked his readers to, I still believe his poetry. I think, in a sense, that’s the impression that stuck with me the most after walking through Westminster Abbey: it’s a place filled with the ghosts of flawed human beings, but even art made from the remnants of their brokenness can heal. Even the cracks in the walls of an Abbey can be lovely. 

More tomorrow,

Kath

Sources

“Thomas Tompion.” About the Abbey, Westminster Abbey, https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/thomas-tompion

“Wystan Hugh Auden.” About the Abbey, Westminster Abbey, https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/wystan-hugh-auden

“About Dylan Thomas.” Poets, Academy of American Poets, https://poets.org/poet/dylan-thomas

Westminster Abbey is home to graves, tombs, and memorials of many famous people. Full of stunning architecture, it is no wonder a building such as this is home to kings and gods. From names like Mary, Queen of Scots, to Stephen Hawking, The Abbey was home to many a stone of note. Here are just a scant few found in the Poets corner, home to artists of theatrical and literary persuasions.

Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, the author, poet, and mathematician was most known by his pen name of Lewis Carroll. Notable works include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass (1871) as well as the poems Jabberwocky (1871) and The Hunting of the Snark (1876). On the 27th of January, 1832 he was born, and at the age of 65 he died (the 14th of January 1898) A memorial stone to Carroll can be found in Westminster Abbey and it reads as follows: “Student of Christ Church Oxford. Buried at Guildford. ‘Is all our Life, then, but a dream?'”

George Gordon Byron, born on the 22nd of January, 1788, would grow into one of the leading figured of the romantic movement, be regarded as one of the greatest poets in England, and experience before anyone else what we would call “modern celebrity”. You might know him by the more straightforward name of Lord Byron. A memorial stone is placed in Westminster Abbey that states the following: ” LORD BYRON DIED 19 APRIL 1824 AGED 36 AT MISSOLONGHI GREECE ‘But there is that within me which shall tire Torture and Time and breathe when I expire'”

Jane Austen was born on the 16th of December, 1775 in Hampshire. She was known for her her six novels which act as a commentary on the British landowning social class, often focusing on the role and lives of women, and often critiquing “novels of sensibility” that came before. She died aged 41 in 1817, on the 18th of July. Mostly published anonymously, she gained much of her true success and legacy posthumously, as they were republished under her name. A simple memorial stone for her can be found in The Abbey, simply stating her name and year of birth and death.

  The moment I arrived in London the first thing I took notice of was the people. All sorts of different people live and work here, and it is a big mix of different cultures, backgrounds, and unique stories. If you tune in at any given moment in a public place, you’re bound to hear at least three different languages being spoken around you. It is a very curious place to wonder, but an even more fascinating place to inquire.

              When we arrived at Spitalfields Market on we were immediately granted with the opportunity to do just that! I was with my shopping and travel buddy Leah, who is studying costume design and is the go-to fashionista on this adventure. She immediately noticed a pair of flowing green pants that she fell in love with and decided she wanted to try on. She ended up buying them, and when I returned, I found her chatting with the vendor who ran the booth. We discovered that he designs all the clothes that he had on display! This was exciting even for me, who knows nothing about fashion.

              My grandmother is multi-lingual, and she always told me growing up that knowing different languages is like having all the keys to different worlds. She enthused me many a time about how speaking someone’s language will open them up and show you a portal into a different part of someone’s soul. I was reminded of her as we continued to speak to this fashion designer.

              His name was Hector, and as we continued to get to know him, we found out he was from Colombia! Leah began to speak Spanish with him and his whole face lit up and he became so animated and excited! He told us about all his favorite places to eat and dance in London! We learned that he loves to Salsa, and he gave us recommendations for the fun salsa dancing clubs in London. He showed us his drawings of his design process and we found out that he designs the clothes, and his mom makes them! He told us that sometimes his dreams of what he wants to create are limited because of the cost it would take to make them. I was fascinated by this, I wondered how much of our creativity is limited by things such as materials and monetary cost. He told us the story about how he worked for one of the most famous fashion designers in the world at Dior, and then left to open his own company. I had so much more admiration and respect for this man who I wouldn’t have known a single thing about if we hadn’t taken the time to ask. I asked if I could take his picture and we follow each other on Instagram now, I unexpectedly made a new friend!

              With this experience now under my belt I wanted to keep going. I walked across the way to a booth that was full of handmade greeting cards. The cards had different sayings on them that the vendor described as “mean and nice.” Some of the cards were pointedly harsh, but hilarious. The others were sentimental and sweet. As I read through her designs I chuckled at her sense of humor. She opened to me and told me that she has been in two difficult and painful relationships, and this is what inspired her to make the cards.

              “Every time I had a bad feeling, I made a card about it.” She told me. This really touched my heart. I admired her way of using art to express her feelings. She told me she couldn’t even draw a straight line when she started, and I told her how amazing it was that she had created her own art style from scratch like this! Even more proof that art is meant for everyone. “I started out making the mean cards,” she told me, “And then I met someone really sweet, and I started making the nice cards.” At this point I was falling in love with this woman’s story. I was picking out all the cards that I liked to take home with me and I saw a card with a cow on it that I really liked about being ‘moody.’

              “My family would get this one for me.” I told her, “My favorite animals are cows and I’ve always been the ‘dramatic’ one of the family.” She giggled at this and proceeded to show me all the cards she had made with cows on them!

              Then she showed me two cards. “This was the first card I made, and this was my most recent one.” The most recent card had a big red heart and three keys. It read, “when you gave me the keys to your heart, I wish you had told me that you had made duplicates.” Tears immediately sprung to my eyes. I related to this woman and her story so deeply, and I loved the way she had chosen to turn her pain into something beautiful for others to connect to. I ended up buying about twenty of her cards, and she gave me a discount and then said, “throw in that cow one on me,” and gave me what she could tell was my favorite cow art for free! I asked if I could take her picture and she told me that she is from Michigan! I won’t be forgetting her and her story anytime soon.

              As we moved along, all the people at the market were so friendly! They would strike up conversations with us and crack jokes. It was such a welcoming environment.

              When we got hungry for lunch we were absolutely overwhelmed with options. We joked that we could come back here every single day and have something different for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each time—but this wasn’t an exaggeration! Everything looked amazing! They even had a food truck that was just different types of cobbler. Even the things I’m used to having in America were vastly different, the burgers, the cupcakes, everything! It’s making me hungry right now just thinking of it. I decided to go with Piadina Bros, the Italian Artisan flatbread. The way the smells of the grill called out to me was irresistible and I immediately knew the choice had been made for me. Leah chose something yummy from an authentic Greek food truck. That has been one of my favorite things about the food experience here so far; if you’re choosing food from another culture, it’s typically made by the people of that culture, and you get the sense that you’re genuinely experiencing something from another part of the world!

              My piadina was absolutely delicious, the vegetables were fresh, and I watched the man cook it right in front of me! He was an interesting character too, covered in tattoos with cool hair! I almost asked to take his picture, but he seemed overwhelmed with orders, so I didn’t bother him. Leah let me try a bit of her Greek food and it was also fantastic.

              After we had walked around a bit (and I spent plenty of money), we saw a sign that said “Best Chai in London!” I normally don’t like chai, and the chai latte I had when we first arrived in London wasn’t too impressive. However, I decided to take a risk. I was sure the advertisement was just an exaggeration, but I was trusting. The vendor allowed us to sample the chai we were ordering before we committed to it and I picked the chai that was ‘best for coffee lovers.’ After I got my hands on that sample, I very emphatically ordered a full cup. It was delicious, truly the best chai I’ve ever had.

              “I’m not even sure you can call this chai, it’s so good.” I told Leah. It was like a drink sent down from the heavens; the perfect level of cream mixed with spice. The flavor hit just right, and I can’t wait to go back and get more as soon as I’m able.

              We found several stores and vendors that we want to go back and visit once we have some more time. I found a vintage store that is so on brand for me they might as well have named it “Margaret’s.” They have vintage dresses covered in flower patterns! My favorite!
             

              This was one of my favorite days in London, it was so peaceful and perfectly encapsulated everything you’d want from a shopping trip in London. I was impressed by the quality of everything. Contrary to most things I’ve found in America, everything there was well made. You could tell a lot of time, thought, and quality materials were put into the creation of everything there. From the clothes and the hair accessories to the food and drinks, everything was top of the line.

              I’m officially a fan of Old Spitalfields Market! I’m also endlessly thankful that I have a travel buddy like Leah; someone who is open to new experiences and loves to talk with a stranger just like me! You never know what is waiting at the end of a good conversation. Having someone likeminded and willing to try new things with me has been a true gift. I learn new things from her every day, and she makes stepping out of my comfort zone not so scary! She inspires me every day, and I can’t wait to travel to Amsterdam with her at the end of our London adventure!

              But for now:

Signing off from London,

                                           Margaret

June 7th, 2022

After touring Westminster Abbey, I totally understood why Molly said there was a clear difference in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. While I awed over Westminster’s architecture and history, I can see how St. Paul’s is considered the people’s church, while Westminster Abbey is deemed for royals. Its longstanding history is truly remarkable, especially seeing the coronation church. I especially thought it was a little disheartening (but also realistic) when Molly said that a few school-aged boys wrote on the chair, so now it will forever be graffitied. 

My favorite part of the tour of the abbey was seeing the writers whom I have looked up to and learned from to be memorialized and/or buried there. I have studied individuals like George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), T.S. Eliot, and Lord Tennyson, all of whom are commemorated in the abbey.

Mary Ann Evans, or otherwise known as George Eliot, was an English novelist during the 1800’s. Evans is famous for her work, as she believed her pen name made her work able to be taken seriously compared to other works which were written by women. Through growing up and studying her, I found that I looked up to her because of her desire to redefine what women authors wrote about. 

T.S. Eliot is another author who is buried at Westminster. During my first year of college, I became really fascinated in the modern era, which in turn made me interested in Eliot’s work. His works have stood the test of time, and I will always hold dear “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “The Waste Land.” Through his attempts at redefining literature during the modern era, he has ultimately changed the way writers interact with their pieces, especially as it relates to disillusionment, war-hysteria, identity fluidity, etc. In my opinion, Eliot remains the first modern day poet and will continue to hold this title.

Lastly, Lord Alfred Tennyson, an English poet, is also buried in the abbey. Living in the 1800’s, Tennyson wrote poetry and was deemed the Poet Laureate due to his impeccable publications. Being one with the times, his poetry often dealt with nature and the sublime, as his imagery was often very descriptive and beautifully written. Even with his death in the late 1800’s, Tennyson’s name will live on, as seen through his burial site location. 

I found it interesting that Charles Darwin would be buried in Westminster Abbey due to his controversial studies in evolution. However, I believe that it just goes to show that during this time period – and through today – there are individuals who believe in a balance between religion and science: with the two of them being able to coexist with one another. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at Westminster Abbey’s architecture and stained glass. The design on the ceilings are wonderfully made, and I will indeed be recommending this tour to any and all who visit London.

-Maggie Martin

Hello everyone! There’s a lot to cover today, but I will start from the beginning. I slept in a little today and got Wasabi again for breakfast. I decided to go a different route today and get their curry and chicken katsu which was really good! I’ll definitely be getting it again.

After eating in the company of my roommate Tabi, we realized that all the tube stations would be down for the strike that has been ongoing during our trip. I found out the strike is happening because of a dispute over jobs and pensions (very specific, I know).  After learning this, we found out the walk to our next destination, the Westminster Abbey, was a 50-minute walk away. I already knew there wasn’t much of a chance I would walk for nearly hour and then do a tour, so Tabi and I decided to go via bus which was a great idea! We got there quickly, and we went at a good time since there weren’t huge crowds for the buses yet.

We got to the Westminster Abbey earlier than our group did, so to pass the time we got tea from the Cellarium Café & Terrace. The tea was refreshing and exactly what I needed before a long tour!

We then met up with our tour guide Molly outside of the Abbey gift shop, and as always, Molly had all answers to our questions! Before we even walked into the Abbey, we learned stuff like what the difference was between a cathedral and an abbey, and what exactly the abbey was used for. To answer these questions for you guys, abbeys house monks and nuns rather than archbishops, and it is used as a church for royals. Some more things we learned were that the Westminster Abbey is where royals have coronations and weddings, and it is much smaller than the St. Paul’s cathedral that we previously visited. That’s a lot of information to give you all right off the bat, but it’s just a taste of what we were able to learn before our tour started! I don’t think our group could have gotten any more lucky with who our tour guide was. Throughout our time together, Molly as very knowledgeable and had an answer for every question we presented to her.

When our group had everyone in it, we made our way into the Westminster Abbey. Even going through the entrance was breathtaking because we went into an alternate entrance, and as soon as we walked in, the walls were covered with memorials and sculptures. It intimidated me a little bit, but I knew from the moment we walked in that there was so much history and general knowledge I would be able to gain from our tour. I quickly learned that the Abbey is full of memorials and graves. It is virtually impossible to walk without stepping on someone’s grave, which I tried to avoid if at all possible. Something interesting about the mapping of these graves is that the some of the people buried are divided accordingly into groups such as the musicians’ aisle, the statesmen’s aisle, the scientists’ corner, and the poets’ corner. I really enjoyed both the scientists’ corner and the poets’ corner. In the scientists’ corner, I got to see memorials for Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawking. It was amazing to see how these people were represented in their memorials. For example, a lot of detail went into Sir Isaac Newton’s memorial. His memorial made reference to his four novels and depicted cherubs carrying out his life’s work.

In the poet’s corner, I was especially interested in the graves of Lewis Carroll, Percy Shelley, and William Shakespeare. Lewis Carroll was the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and was also a mathematician. Lewis Carroll is a household name because of the fame he garnered from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. There are so many spin-offs of this novel that have and are being created! His memorial was on the floor, so it was easy to miss. His memorial also queued me into the fact that he was a student of the Christ Church of Oxford and is currently buried at Guildford.

Percy Shelley is another name that I recognized instantly; however, it is not because I know him, but rather his wife Mary Shelley who authored Frankenstein.  Some of Percy’s work includes The Cenci and Prometheus Unbound. I have not read these books, but I think I will have to check them out! I honestly thought his memorial was for his wife until I noticed that the birth and death years were off. Seeing this memorial made me wonder where exactly Mary Shelley was buried, and I came to find out that she is in Bournemouth at St. Peter’s Church.

The final name that interested me was William Shakespeare, and not just because of the sheer beauty of his memorial. It is because I have a newfound interest and respect for William Shakespeare after reading about King Lear and analyzing it with my fellow study abroad students. Shakespeare was prolific in that he wrote a ton of plays, and many of them grew to be very popular. Just seeing his memorial and how opulent it was made me excited to read more of his plays to understand why he deserved such a grand memorial.

The Abbey itself was beauty personified. It has been maintained well enough to where you’re in awe when you first walk in. When you go to the Abbey, make sure you look up! There was so much detail in the ceilings that you appreciate the effort that went into the building to a greater extent. I think my favorite part of the whole tour was when we got to learn about the grave of the unknown soldier. This was a grave that represents the fallen soldiers of the First World War and is never to be stepped on. This grave was built to bring comfort to the families of these lost soldiers by allowing them to associate their loved ones with a proper burial. The grave was also surrounded by poppies, which were the flowers that surrounded the battlefield that the soldiers fought on.

After our tour of the Westminster Abbey, we said our goodbyes to Molly. Hopefully we can meet her again one day in the future! From Westminster, I met back up with my mom. Today was her last full day in London, so I 100% wanted to see her before she went back home! We walked to Chinatown, and I took her to Rasa Sayang, the Malaysian restaurant I went to at the beginning of the trip. The food was just as delicious as it was the first time around! I got the salted egg prawns, and I was surprised by just how good they were. We both got some great drinks as well, so I want to go back sometime during my trip to try out the other drinks they had on the menu! After Rasa Sayang, we got a dessert which I had never tried before that had herbal grass jelly. Underneath the herbal grass jelly there was shaved ice, and it was topped with mochi. This dessert was very refreshing! I would have never tried it on my own, so I’m glad I was able to share the experience of having it for the first time with my mom.

After we ate together, it was time to part ways with my mom and head to the show of the night, The Glass Menagerie. We were lucky enough to be able to see Amy Adams perform in this production – I absolutely love her films! The Glass Menagerie is about a southern family figuring out how they will support themselves. It centers around Tom Wingfield, Amanda Wingfield, Laura Wingfield, and Jim O’Connor. Laura and Tom are siblings, both mothered by Amanda. Jim is Laura’s love interest who turns out to be engaged to a girl that he is “going steady with”. It is important to know that Amanda is hell bent on Laura finding a husband to care for her, since she worries about Laura’s physical disability and severe shyness. Something important about this play in terms of symbolism is that Laura has a glass collection, which her mother calls a “glass menagerie”. This glass collection shadows the fragility and transparency of Laura’s life.

Seeing a quintessential American play in Great Britain was an interesting experience. To be honest, the magic of being immersed in the plot was ruined whenever I was able to hear incongruities with a true southern accent. There was also a lack of character in the portrayal of characters if that makes sense. For example, as talented and amazing as Amy Adams is, she gave a very monotone performance. I wish she would have given more emotion to drive home the point of Amanda reaching her wits end in her confrontations with Tom. Without a large range in character portrayal, I think that the most this production had going for itself was its script. I was hoping that the production we saw would make more artistic decisions than it did, and because of this, our viewing of the play just felt like a reread of the script.

Another issue I had with this performance was the set design. I have seen shows in London where the set design absolutely blows my mind. I understand that not all shows will do this; however, I was expecting there to be more meaning behind the set. I feel like nothing was placed deliberately enough for symbolism to be seen in the staging. Despite this, I will say that I enjoyed the use of the physical glass menagerie. A lot of times, you could see a character looking through the glass, and it signified that character seeing the performance as more of a memory, or from an omniscient point of view.

This play is also set in St. Louis, Missouri, and I do not think any part of the play was unique to this area. I wish that there were more artistic decisions made to play into the authenticity and essence of the setting of the play. If I viewed this play without any context, I don’t think I would know where it took place at all.

Sadly, I was very underwhelmed by this production of The Glass Menagerie. I have heard great things about other performances of it, and I was especially excited to see it after all our interesting discussions in class. If you are going to view this play, I would recommend you check the reviews of the production you will be seeing! This is because I know there are many directions to take in this play, so even though the production we saw was not a hit, the one you see may be amazing! In spite of my less than stellar review, I was still happy to see Amy Adams, and the performance by Jim’s actor was very believable and personable.

Phew! Long post, but it’s done! Tomorrow will definitely be shorter, but we did a ton of important stuff today that I am ultimately glad I did and needed to document. Until next time! 🙂

Blogs 9 and 10

By Isaac Overman

June 6 2022

For our journey today, we ventured to Westminster Abby. The church was glorious—but I have the feeling that if not for our wonderful guide Molly—we would have had a much greater chance of missing out on the beauty and significance that this church has maintained throughout the centuries. In one of the corners of the church, there is a small section devoted to the artists, poets and writers. This section had members such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen whose bodies did not reside there and others like Lord Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens. Honestly, the Poets Corner, as it is affectionately called, is filled with pretty much every single major player in the British literature scene. But for me at least, the graves of Charles Dickens and Handel were amazing to see. I know Handel is not technically a poet or writer but he is close enough. I was curious more than anything the story behind Charles Dickens being buried at Westminster. After a little research, I learned that he almost was not buried there at all. In fact a grave had been dug at Rochester Cathedral near his home. He even asked that he be buried there in his will but in the end he was given a spot at Westminster. It might not be exactly what he wanted but he definitely deserves to be amongst their ranks. Handel on the other-hand bewildered me because he was born in Germany. I learned that the reason he was entombed there is because he changed the landscape of British music and wanted to entrench himself as being that figure rather than being a German outsider. He left 600 euros which was a lot for the time, in his last will and testament so that a monument could be built for him. Both men had a massive impact on their eras but both ended up at Westminster for polar opposite reasons. It was beyond amazing to see all these great authors in one place.

Following this great tour, we all had some time to catch a light dinner. I ate at Prima which was a small trattoria. I dined alone in the back of the restaurant and the food was good. After we all regrouped to see The Glass Menagerie featuring Amy Adams. My fresh impression is that it was a very safe interpretation of a play that should be anything but safe. I love Tennessee Williams and this play is near and dear to my heart. But it took very few liberates from the script. It did not feel free in anyway. It felt more confined by the script than anything else. I am glad that Amy Adams was there though. Her midwestern/southern bell accent was on point and I feel like she captured the uniqueness of the mothers mental state. But that is where my compliments end. I think the lighting was strange and could have either been brighter or darker. It felt far too in between the two extremes. And then there was the portrayal of the sister. And I do not understand why she made the sister borderline inept at dealing with day to day life. In the script she clearly has anxiety issues but in this version it felt like she was closer to a severe mental illness rather than a struggle to be overcome. I feel like the beauty of the play is that every character is culpable for the dysfunction of the family unit but it did not feel like she was in anyway. She was more of a bystander rather than apart of the family. The accents where solid in my opinion. But it is weird to be an American watching the British in England playing Americans. As an American I think the plays setting is less important then many make it out to be. I do not think that the play would lose any of it luster if it was set in Liverpool instead of St. Louis. It was a play that described something very personal to Williams and I think that if nothing else came across the fact that there was pain, real pain there is undeniable. I hurt for Tom and that is why even though it was not perfect—I enjoyed my time with it. That being said, I struggled with the seating. I am a 6 foot three and this seating was brutal. During the last half, I basically lost all feeling in my legs. And on top of that the guy behind me kept telling me to move my head, or that I was moving too much. At one point he started kicking the chair when I did not respond to his insistent prattle. This pretty much ruined the experience but at least it was not while watching Life of Pi or Straight-line Crazy. Today was heaven in the morning and hell after dark.

June 6

Westminster Abbey

June 6^th

I knew the Abbey was a popular place for tourism, but I think it was increased due the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Westminster is the church for the royalty’s use where many of their weddings and all the coronations take place. I find it mindboggling that we went through another place older than our entire country. Molly, our tour guide, was a delight as usual and she always added some fascinating details about the royalty. It can be hard to separate the differences between an abbey and a cathedral, but Molly created easy distinction between a church for the people (St. Paul’s) and a church for the royals (Westminster Abbey). My favorite part was the stained glass and the extensive ceiling design.

One of the gravestones that immediately caught my eyes was Lewis Carroll. I found it mesmerizing that his memorial curved around in a circle. It highlights his pen name while his biological name is left smaller in the center. The artistry reminded me of his bizarre stories and how he is known to have visions/hallucinations that inspired his stories. Westminster wanted the quote, arrangement, or statue to reflect the type of person buried beneath it. Carroll wrote the incredibly famous Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which has become a classic and helped introduce the ideas of alternate worlds and fantasy. His stone reads “Is all our life, then, but a dream?”

William Wordsworth was my favorite memorial for its combination of beautiful sentiments and the thoughtful statue. He was a revolutionary romantic poet and started to change the atmosphere around writing in the early 1790’s. He is the earliest writer that I am focusing on in this blog. I am not sure who wrote his memorial, but it mentions how he gave the public “nobler loves” and “made us heirs of truth.” It was a lovely remembrance for the beauty he brought to poetry.

Dylan Thomas was the one I was the most surprised and delighted to see. Thomas has become one of my favorites to study within poetry and I still remember writing a whole paper on a few of his lines. It is the simplest structure, but I thought it was profound. His most famous poem is “Do not go gentle into that good night” and it is a realistic reflection of his struggle against time. This was referenced on his stone by saying that he sang in his chains.

Westminster Abbey was a beautiful church with so much historical weight. Once you walk through, you will be transfixed by the architecture and the immense number of memorials for famous English figures. A few were Darwin, Austen, Dickens, Hawkins, and Shakespeare. The three writers I have touched upon were all buried in different places as is often the case. But make sure to see the tombs of Mary and Elizabeth I.

-Tabi is Booked

            On the morning of May 30^th my trip to London took an unexpected turn. I woke up with sweating with body chills. Every bone in my body was aching and every muscle was sore. I was feeling sick to my stomach and my eyes hurt like they had been pierced with lasers.

            We weren’t meeting in the lobby until 11, so I had planned to spend a relaxing morning taking a walk to the park and reading. Instead, I spent it seeking the cold comfort of the bathroom floor. After a couple hours my symptoms started to fade, and I was feeling better. I really didn’t think much of it, I was just excited to begin my day. I got dressed and headed downstairs.

            We began our walking tour to The National Gallery. As we walked, I noticed my legs weakening, but that morning we had discussed how everyone had tired legs from all the walking we had been doing. I chalked it up to exhaustion. Once we arrived, I was immediately overtaken by the sights in the courtyard. The statues towered above me, and the children giggled as they climbed on the lion figures and splashed in the fountain. On one of the statue podiums there was an art piece of what appeared to be a giant pile of whip cream with a cherry and a drone perched on top. It caught all our attention as we questioned its purpose. Shawn informed us that it was a rotating art exhibit! While I still didn’t really understand the purpose of this one or see it as aesthetically pleasing next to all the other much older statues, I had a greater appreciation for it as I thought about what I would put in its place if given the opportunity.

            When we went inside, I made a beeline to the café as usual. This time, as I sat and ate and enjoyed my mocha, I could feel my symptoms coming back and started to panic a bit. I googled symptoms of ‘study abroad burnout.’ I was sure that I had just pushed my body too hard, walking everywhere and constantly out and about.

            So, as I began to explore the museum, I decided to take it easy, sitting and studying the art where I could. As soon as I entered the exhibit I was overtaken with fascination, and I completely forgot about any limits my body was trying to put in my way.

            I absolutely adored this museum. I must take back what I said in my previous blog about modern art being more colorful, the colors in these old paintings popped. How did these artists create such vivid images like this? What has always fascinated me about period art is the clothing. The way these artists paint fabric to make it look as if you could reach out and touch it and the satin would fold under your fingers. The brilliancy of the colors is truly indescribable with words. The folds and creases in the dresses made by a paintbrush?! The details in the lace and the brightness of the colors, it was all so realistic and strikingly sharp.

            The amount of detail work in some of these paintings was fascinating as well, and I wondered how much time was spent slaving over just one part of these paintings to achieve that level of specificity.

            As I walked around, I noticed a lot of the paintings were of a religious nature, depicting Jesus after his crucifixion for example. I found it a lot easier to connect with the biblical stories this way, regardless of personal belief. Such as The Dead Christ Mourned by Annibale Carracci. The emotion that was captured in these paintings was undeniable. It allowed me to think about other aspects of the story that I’m not typically faced with, and it was impossible not to empathize with the grief that was depicted. It made me think about the artist, and their purpose in creating art like this. What were they feeling and how heartbreakingly beautiful is it that this was the only true way they could find to express it?

            Before we had entered the building, I heard that there was a Van Gogh piece in this museum, and I was beyond excited. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists and so the moment we stepped foot in the art rooms I had my eye out for his name. As I explored the other galleries a museum employee struck up a conversation with me about where I’m from and my study abroad experience here in London. He was a very sweet man, and at the end of our conversation I said, “I heard there is a Van Gogh in this museum?”

            He put on a knowing smile and told me where to find it. As he sent me on my way, he uttered four magical words: “He’s waiting for you.”

            Indeed, he was. I entered the room and knew immediately I was in the right place when I saw the swarm of people gathered around one painting. Then, I saw it. One of my favorite paintings of all time, Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I stood in front of it. I couldn’t believe I was seeing it in real life! The brushstrokes were so fascinatingly detailed, the colors particularly chosen. I felt like I was meeting Van Gogh himself!

            In the same room as Van Gogh, I got to see a Georges Seurat painting, the same artist who inspired the play Sunday in the Park with George. His style was immediately recognizable. One of the famous Water Lilies paintings by Monet was here as well!

            Because I had saved this painting for last, I went to the gift shop and bought up all the Sunflower related merchandise I could find and headed out.

            First, by Brendan’s recommendation I found the painting entitled “The Beheading of St. Margaret” and took my picture with it.  Right next to this there was a man sitting and recreating the artwork in front of him—his work was gorgeous. I wondered if the artists who created this piece all those years ago knew that one day their work would be hanging in a museum like this and someone generations ahead of them would admire it so much as to draw it themselves. I wonder if any of us can even hope to leave an impact as great as that one, proof that art and ideas can change the world, even if we aren’t around to see it.

            After the museum I was feeling quite awful again. Pressed up against the door of the crowded subway I watched the walls of the underground race by and wished to be zapped from existence. I got back to the hotel and took a much-needed nap. I woke up feeling better, but I could still feel the symptoms lingering.

            We went to go see Lift, which was not at all what I expected it to be. It was a show about a man in a lift, and he creates the stories of the people around him in his head! Just like I had written about in my previous blogs! I thought the set was creative, and the way the story progressed kept the audience on the edge of their seats to be sure not to miss any details. We weren’t at all sure what exactly was happening until the end of the show. The story arc of this man getting through a heartbreak by projecting his feelings and issues into these stranger’s lives was impactful for me. Being inside of his head felt a bit like what it’s like in my head, and it was a musical! Right up my alley!

            The moral of the story was saying how you really feel. Quite ironic as we exited the theatre, I had no choice but to admit that something wasn’t right. As I began to cry, I realized that I truly was sick in a foreign country. But when I signed up for this trip I asked to be thrown in the deep end. I wanted to learn all that I could, and it seemed the next lesson London had in store for me was how to survive on my own; really and truly on my own.

            I tested positive for Covid that night. I’ve been in isolation in a hotel room all by myself ever since. I plan on coming out of quarantine tonight; masked up of course! So, for now my next few blog posts will be reflective of the ‘before covid’ portion of my trip. As I said when I first got my test results, everything happens for a reason I just have to figure out the reason for this one!

            I’m thankful to be feeling better, and that I got to experience such an amazing day even if I was experiencing the beginnings of covid all at the same time.

Signing Off from London,

Margaret

Our day at regions park was some of the most fun I’ve had on this trip, but Legally Blonde was a little disappointing. It was my first time seeing theatre outside on a stage of that scale and it made me realize how many challenges arise with operating an outdoor venue. The Play started at 7:30 so it was bright out until the second act and that caused for a total absence of stage lighting in the first act. The lack of stage light was a huge disadvantage for the production. From an audience perspective it felt totally nonimmersive and I’m sure this put a lot more pressure on the actors to just sing and dance their faces off but there’s really not enough you can do to compensate for that kind of thing. It was cold and windy for most of the show and in the second act it started to lightly rain which made me extremely anxious that the performers could slip on stage. There was an impromptu intermission where the stage management dried the stage with towels which was done quickly and smoothly. As a lover of theatre, I enjoyed seeing the stage management act on their feet and dry the stage, that to me is the embodiment of the theatre saying that every show is different.  As far as the actual show went, I have mixed feelings. This was my first time seeing Legally Blonde the musical. It was clear to me that most of the audience had seen the musical many times because applause brakes happened when characters simply appeared, which I guess was fun for those who knew the play but for me not so much. I liked the music and the script is funny, I just felt like it could’ve been executed funnier. Since watching the show at regions park, I have watched youtube videos of how the show is usually done and I am able to see now that this rendition of Legally Blonde was extremely camp. I think the problem with this is that Legally Blonde is already inherently camp so making it more campy feels just goofy and takes away from the actual humor of the show. Despite all these criticisms of the show, I did enjoy myself. I spent a day drinking and hanging out with my friends in the park and got to watch professional theatre, it doesn’t get much better than that.