Greenwich and Great Times

Greenwich and Great Times

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today we visited Greenwich for my History of London course. We examined the area and explored its roles in the the various stages of history, from its major scientific significance to its role in WWII defense and failsafes. After climbing the large hill, we were treated to some of the spectacular views you see below. The area also featured a beautiful rose garden and an old wall still set for WWII land defense. It really makes the history come to life seeing it in such a context. Though the view has undoubtedly changed over the years, the impressiveness has not faded one bit.

After exploring Greenwich, I went home and met my friend Grace and her friend Lauren, both of whom are visiting London. We went to the British Museum and explored all around. It was a great day.

The Prime Meridian!

Rose Garden

Grace and I

 

Exploration and Learning at The Museum of London

Exploration and Learning at The Museum of London

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

After my classes today, I ventured over to the area by St. Paul's to explore the Museum of London a little more. One of my class projects is to examine two different artifacts and connect their significance to what we have learned and read about in class. It's an exciting assignment that uses the city as our classroom yet again. I love visiting all the various museums, and I keep finding that the more I learn in classes, the more I pick up on as I roam the city.

 

Also today, we received our train tickets for this weekend's trip to Bruges, Belgium and saw a fantastic play, Love and Information. It involved about fifty short scenes meant to capture a moment in time, and I really enjoyed the range that the actors had and the innovative set design that seemed dually evocative of a camera shutter and a television set.

 

Enjoy the pictures from the Museum of London, and look forward to pictures tomorrow when I visit Greenwich for class!

One of the First Fire Insurance Policies

 

Old Clock in the Museum's Collection

 

Visually-Impressive Printing Press Display

Beautiful Buddha Donated to Museum

 

Lunch Thali at Malabar Junction

Lunch Thali at Malabar Junction

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, after a long workout session with a personal trainer at the Y, I walked down the street to Malabar Junction, an Indian restaurant a few doors down from the teaching site. I opted for a Thali, which is a collection of dishes served in small portions in little bowls on a larger tray.

This Thali included: a masala dosa (pancake stuffed with potato), avial (vegetables cooked with coconut, cumin, & spices), rasam (a blend of peppers, tomatoes, tamarind, & spices), sambar (curry of lentils and vegetables in tamarind), curried green banana, Malabar chicken curry, Kerala fish curry, poori, basmati rice, yogurt, pickled mango, and payasam (vermicelli cooked in cardamom milk with raisins and cashews.

It was absolutely delicious and a wonderful treat to indulge in. I really enjoyed the broad range of dishes that getting a Thali allowed for. Malabar Junction also presented it so beautifully and with wonderful service (including a hot towel at the end of the meal!). I shall be returning for more!

 

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 3)

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 3)

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

Inspired by the beauty I saw on my morning run yesterday, I decided to go for a photography walk along the same path early this morning before we had to leave on our train. The English countryside is so picturesque. I loved seeing all the beautiful, endless green and the wildlife. The beauty of nature, for me, is in the little details. I tried to capture a little bit of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 2)

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 2)

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On this day, I started out with an exhilarating and long run out into the countryside with my roommate-for-the-weekend, Arthur. We enjoyed the crisp, clear air and the fog rolling over the river and fields as the sun rose. We made it back to the bed and breakfast in time for an amazing English breakfast. We enjoyed ham, eggs, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, tea, yogurt, cereal, more tea, jam, and more. It was probably a very good thing we went on a run.

Post-breakfast, a group of ten of us decided to rent some boats from a nearby dock we had seen the previous night. We lucked out, as they had a boat that could seat all ten of us. We hopped in and began a merry rowing adventure. It was absolutely gorgeous as we rode (and rowed) along the riverbank. It was such great company, and we even sprang into singing a few rounds of “Row, row, row your boat…” (Which induced a passing English boat to wonder aloud, “What on earth are those Americans singing?!?”) It was an amazingly fun experience, one I will not be forgetting. After rowing, we had lunch and bought cheese from a nearby market.

Later that day, we saw an outstanding production of Richard III. It was action-packed and had an extremely-talented actor playing Richard III himself. After a short break for a walk around and a deliciously spicy Thai dinner, we came back to the theatre to see A Comedy of Errors. It was my favorite Shakespeare play of the three we saw this weekend, but they were all so impressive. It was absolutely amazing to be treated to three shows in Shakespeare’s hometown. I will never forget it. Enjoy the pictures (and video of our merry round-singing) below.

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 1)

Stratford-Upon-Avon (Day 1)

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Today, we made the voyage via train to Stratford-Upon-Avon for a weekend of theatre, history, and fun. It was a wonderful day. We saw Shakespeare’s grave and birthplace while exploring Stratford-Upon-Avon and then went to see a production of the Tempest. It was quite magnificent and so impressive to see the play come to life right here in Shakespeare’s hometown. The town is gorgeous, with an idyllic countryside setting a gorgeous backdrop.  It seems almost a city lost in time.  Tomorrow we see two plays and get more time to explore the city!

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Shakespeare’s Burial Church

Shakespeare’s Grave

Michael and Grace

Shakespeare’s Bust in his Birth Home

Fish and Chips

The Tempest Set

First Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum

First Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum for my art history class. It was the first of (I hope) many visits for me. The V&A, as it is commonly called, houses pieces from around the world and through various times. The focus is on good design and craftwork. We went to examine some Donatello pieces. (The museum hosts the largest collection of Donatello pieces outside of Italy.) They were amazing to look at, and seeing the pieces inches from us, rather than in a book, made the pieces so much more accessible from an intellectual standpoint and yet more intricate at the same time. It's amazing being in a city where so much art is. I am constantly astounded by the quantity and quality of the museums. Today's moment of “Wow!” came when I walked by a little nook where none other than one of Da Vinci's journals. What an amazing city.

From Outside

Class in the Gallery

By Donatello

 

Da Vinci's Journal

St. Francis

 

St. Sebastian

 

The Kayak Adventure!

The Kayak Adventure!

by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

I used the website meetup.org (thanks to Caitlin Beckwith-Ferguson for the tip!) to find a fun opportunity to meet other Londoners. This particular meetup was a kayaking group that was beginner-friendly. I had so much fun.

 

This was my first experience kayaking. Though it was tougher than expected, I started to understand it better by the end of the trip down and up the River Thames. We went under bridges, around small isles, and down and up with the current. Near the end of the session, with about 500 meters to go, a massive rainstorm was unleashed upon us. I fought the torrential rain and harsh winds in an exhilarating effort to make it upstream and disembark. I had a great time, met some incredibly nice people, and learned a new skill today!

Post-Kayak

The Cheswick Garden Tour + Lunch

The Cheswick Garden Tour + Lunch

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

This past morning, we went to Cheswick (way to the west of us) for a tour of the Cheswick Gardens. These were an impressive set of grounds. The original owner/designer was nobleman with a great love for the classical style. We wandered the grounds, seeing tons of interesting architecture, statues, and natural features. It was a great way to spend the morning, especially when we followed it with brunch! (Adriyel and Aniela had crepes, whilst I had a breakfast sandwich.) Enjoy the pictures!

My Brunchfest Sandwich

Happy with Her Crepe!

 

The Wonderful Walk to School

The Wonderful Walk to School

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

It never fails to amaze me how incredible it is to be going to school in the heart of London. My daily walk to the teaching site seems designed to make sure I stay impressed. I get off of the bus at Museum Street and walk directly north to Great Russell Street. As I turn onto Great Russell Street, I am greeted with the sight of the majestic British Museum. It's impossible not be impressed by its immense size and incredible architecture. I continue walking down Great Russell Street, a wonderful road lined with shops, restaurants, and miniature museums all encased in beautiful and old buildings until I reach number 99. This is the teaching site, and even it astonishes me daily. It is housed in an ornate historical building, and has a massive mural lining its ceiling in the entrance foyer. It is absolutely incredible to see all these amazing sights and it boggles my mind that this is my daily routine.

 

The British Museum is One Block Away

 

 

Great Russell Street

 

The Teaching Site, #99

 

Just Inside the Front Door