Angel of Music

Everyday is so packed here. We have class Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Excursions outside of London on Wednesday, then scheduled walks and other sites on Friday. We keep seeing so much yet there is always so much more to see. I feel like I will not be able to fit everything in. This week the highlight was definitely going to see Phantom of the Opera. I made a bucket list sometime in high school and to see that show was one of the items. To see it in London made it even better. We got student tickets for 26 pounds and ended up on the 6th row. It was amazing. My heart was pounding and I was numb the whole time. I was so enraptured and the actors were so talented. It was a last minute decision and I am so glad we did it.

Inside Her Majesty's Theater

Sitting on the 6th row

Freaking out before the show

Here are a few places around where we live. I love just walking around the streets, there is always something beautiful and new to see. I am afraid I am going to get used to all the sites because I live here and not appreciate how gorgeous and unique it really is 

This is the Hyde Park church. Where we go to class everyday

My favorite street by where we live

Part of the Imperial College of London

Prince Albert Memorial

On Wednesday we got to go to St. Alban's Cathedral. It is the place of the first Christian martyr in England and is used as a Pilgrimage. It really is a beautiful place. The town around it is so quaint. The parks here are gorgeous. Then we went to a museum about the surrounding town.

In front of St. Alban's

Lighting candles for those who need extra blessings

The ceilings here are beautiful

St. Alban's tomb

Abbey Gale House. Everything here has the word Abbey in it. 

Hope Cottage

The Museum of Verulamium

After that we got to go to Cambridge University. I can't even imagine going to such an elite school with so much history and beauty. We went inside the Wren library where we saw the original manuscript of Winnie the Pooh and Isaac Newton's hair and walking stick. We also got to go to Evensong in the King's College Cathedral. It was my first time going to a different church service and it was really neat. 

Trinity College

Our tour guide: Hugh

The students pulled a prank and put a chair leg in Henry VIII's hand

King's College Chapel

The fan ceiling and stained glass are my favorite

Where we went to Evensong

We were all exhausted that night but had to finish some homework. The next day we went to see the production of Hamlet. It was extremely long and I may or may not have dozed off a couple times, but it was extremely well done. 

After the show

This is our tube stop. High Street Kensington is home

Today we went on one of our London walks and saw things like the Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Tate Museum, and the Millennium Bridge. The Millennium Bridge is in Harry Potter 6 at the beginning when the death eaters come and destroy parts of the city. See the video below. I was on that bridge and walked by all those building you see in the shot. 

Starting the morning off right with these beautiful girls

Our walk along the South of the Thames group

Tower Bridge

We got rained on while we headed to the Globe Theater. This is where Shakespeare's troupe of actors put on all his plays. I have seen so many pictures and learned so much about it that it was pretty surreal to be there. We got a tour then visited a museum afterward. I am so sad we can't go see a show there. They don't open until April after we get home. 

Listening to our audio tour cell phones

Tonight we went to the National Art Gallery and I got to see original Van Gough , Picasso and Monte paintings along with many others. It was amazing, but no pictures. I am speaking in church on Sunday so I need to prepare my talk and there is also always more homework to be done. Things are coming a bit easier now but I have always been a home body so sometimes its still hard. I have made a lot of good friends already and they keep me busy and entertained.

Cheers!