"Study Day"

Yeah did do all that much studying today on my study day! I did some, but mostly I gave myself a day off to roam the city and relax from my stressful last few days. Today was good overall but with some frustrating moments!

First my alarm went off at 9:15. I was hoping that I would wake up on my own before that, but I guess I needed the sleep! Then I just laid in bed! So I didn’t get out of the door until close to 11! Oh well! Oh before I left I did accomplish something! I called HSBC and said where is my debit card. It was mailed to my flat on Oct 13th… yeah. They canceled it and ordered a new one which I can pick up at my local branch in 4 working days. FINALLY! I would really like to withdraw money from my British account and use my loan money instead of my American Five Star bank account. One thing down, Council Tax and registering for a doctor to go!

I left around 11 and headed to Westminster. I hadnt been to the pier yet so I wandered down that way and finally saw Parliament from the famous side! The river! I saw the Eye up close, and went to see my favorite person…. Queen Elizabeth I. If you are confused I went to Westminster Abbey (where I became even more jealous of Kate Middleton that she was married there. Impressive! I cant even imagine what it felt like to be walking down that nave in that dress! Sigh) I went in the gift shop first so I could get a postcard of Elizabeth’s tomb because I knew that pictures werent allowed inside. Then I went in the closest door (later I realized I went in backwards and I didn’t buy a ticket so I think I cheated the system somehow) Once inside I searched for Elizabeth (obsessive I know but wanted to see her!) On the way I looked at everything. I LOVE the portraits on top of tombs. They are so peaceful and tell so much about fashion. I tried not to think about the rotting flesh and crumbling skeletons that were under them, but it was really hard. There was one tomb that was so poignant. I cant even describe it.. I wish I could take pictures! Oh and there was a group of boys there on a school field trip with little uniforms. Katie.. if I could have I would have taken a creepy picture just to show you how adorable they are! :)

I finally found Elizabeth and walked around her. Mary Queen of Scots is in the same room with her and I thought that was kinda mean to put the Queen would was beheaded by the other in the same room. Then I thought about it and it’s the wrong Mary! Haha Its James I mother, not Bloody Mary!

Oh also very exciting thing happened today! While in the gift shop I found….. a poster of the Kings and Queens! YAY! I am so pumped. I also got the pocket guide so I can study whenever. I love kid things. They are actually really helpful and visual. I have to start memorizing kings and queens! I also got a postcard with Will, Kate and my friend Rowan. Ok I only met him once, but he was the nicest person. A skinny santa…. That how I would describe him! (Rowan is the Archbishop of Canterbury btw)

After Westminster I headed to do school work. I went to the V&A to look at my object for my artifact analysis. This is the extremely frustrating part of the day. I couldn’t find the Renaissance Gallery that I wanted. Yeah I basically cant use a museum map. (and the map kinda sucked!) Anyways I think I walked around for 45 minutes before I found it and when I found it, I realized it was right off to the side of the main museum entrance that I went. Awesome. I did see my professor though when I was wandering around. He apparently was the curator of the V&A before going to Christies. Impressive. I learned so much in the 10 minutes that we hung out. I wish I could have a personal professor whenever I went to museums. He told me some stories about the museum itself. It was fun. I did eventually find my Pilgrim Bottle also, so everything turned out. It was just a frustrating 45 minutes. (side note, it may have not been 45 minutes if I hadn’t got incredibly distracted in the Roccoco interiors section. I was drooling)

I decided that although I was tired, that I would head to Kensington Palace because it was so close. I wandered through the park (my favorite I think) and headed towards the Palace and my favorite thing in London. I got there and the outside is under construction so it looked very ugly. Gah! I feel like everything is under construction now because the tourist have gone home and the Olympics are coming. A lady asked me to take her picture in exchange for taking mine so I have my picture outside of Kensington which is cool! I went to the entrance and I was pumped the “Enchanted Palace” exhibit but a little worried because there was a huge a sign that said “Let go of all expectations traditional experience –The New York Times” I thought Hmmm… that could go both ways and it seemed like it was almost a desperate move to get a quote from the New York Times that wasn’t killing it. I have to say it was the WORST exhibit I have ever been to. I want to meet the curator and ask what the HECK he/she was thinking. It was horrible. It was supposed to be Enchanting which meant there was all of this weird lighting that you couldn’t see the best part… the ART in the walls, ceiling, and the interiors itself. Maybe its just me and I love it so much that I feel like they ruined the best thing in London. Thank goodness it was free for me (im a member of the historic palaces) and I can not wait to go back when they have the palace back to normal. I think the Enchanted Palace ends in January.

I then made my way back home. I need to head to the library to post this and then come back and do things around here. I need to get caught up on “life” things!