I admit I’m being horrendously slow with posts about my recent holiday, but I’ve been so busy that blogging has been the last thing on my mind! Here is the much overdue next post.
Day three of our time in London started with a tube ride to the Cannon Street station – a very crowded ride, unfortunately, and I went pretty much the whole way with my face shoved in someone else’s armpit. Not the best way to start the day, but a reasonable price to pay, as we were on our way to Shakespeare’s Globe!
Crossing the bridge!
Some of London’s familiar skyline is visible from the bridge.
Look familiar to anyone?
Looking east towards Tower Bridge from Southwark Bridge.
Before all that, however, we had to cross Southwark Bridge to get there, which was in no way a chore. Fans of the BBC series Luther might recognise this bridge as the location of the last scene in Series 3! Cool weather and a stroll along the Thames to take in the sights of all sorts of famous London landmarks was quite enough to make me forget the unpleasant ride.
Along the Thames.
We arrived at The Globe right before opening time. £11 for admission is a little steep for my tastes, but being an avid Shakespeare enthusiast, I felt obligated to shell out the money, although my sister was probably not very pleased about it. We joined a tour of the theatre, and I was reminded of my own unpleasant time working on set constructions last year as we observed the workers setting up for a later performance of Macbeth. The tour was mostly about the theatre and not Shakespeare himself, but I didn’t mind, as I found all of the information very interesting. After some time in the yard and around the inside of the theatre, the tour ended in the gift shop, just as predicted. Instead of buying something from the shop, I opted to make a small donation, and received a nifty little “I ♥ Shakespeare’s Globe” bracelet in return. There was also a museum that displayed things like costumes from previous Globe productions, models showing the development of The Globe, and some objects from and information about Shakespeare’s life and times.
Arriving at Shakespeare’s Globe!
The inside of the theatre.
The fruits of a project 27 years in the making, The Globe is a faithful reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, which was demolished in 1644 due to Puritan pressures. It’s built fairly close to the site of the original Globe as well, and plays are still staged in the old ways. Seating is also arranged based on the original system – the cheapest tickets are for standing in the pit (we call these audience members the “groundlings”), and for a bit more, you can get actual seats, though you’ll have to pay a little extra for a seat cushion – just like in Shakespeare’s time.
After The Globe, our next stop was South Kensington, which boasts two of London’s most famous museums: The Natural History Museum and The Victoria and Albert Museum, neither of which charges an admission fee. So naturally, we’d planned to visit both. A brief tube ride west, and we were there! Unfortunately, we had to queue for around an hour to even enter the Natural History Museum. It was Saturday, after all, and the museum is a popular destination for tourists and local families alike. But it was a gorgeous day, so I didn’t mind having to stand outside for a while.
Nice day today!
The Natural History Museum boasts some impressive architecture.
As we felt absolutely famished, having skipped breakfast earlier, we made a beeline straight for the museum’s restaurant upon entry. Based on previous experience dining at museums, the food is usually hideously overpriced and not all that great, so I wasn’t expecting much – just something to fill me up and give me some energy to continue on with the day’s activities. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the fact that the food was actually quite decent, and quite affordable. My sister and I shared a “tear and share garlic pizza bread” with a side of garlic mayonnaise for just £2.95 and a hearty cottage pie with buttered vegetables for £7.95. Despite being under the “small bites” section of the menu, I actually think the pizza bread would have been enough to satisfy us. Full and happy, we continued on our way to explore the museum.
Cottage pie and buttered vegetables.
Garlic pizza bread! So yummy!
My favourite thing about London’s Natural History Museum is the architecture. Built quite similarly like a cathedral with a nave and aisles, plant and animal imagery were incorporated quite cleverly into the design. We took our time strolling around the museum and making our way to each of the displays. Some of our favourite highlights included a massive preserved coelacanth, a Glyptodon skeleton, a piece of moon rock, skeletons of primates and Neanderthals demonstrating human evolution, Iguanodon teeth, a rare first edition of Darwin’s Origin of Species, and the skeleton of a dodo bird. Though the museum was extremely crowded, it was still very enjoyable and my sister and I both loved it. The way the museum’s built makes it feel quite open – it wasn’t at all just a severe, solemn stone building with some centuries-old bones. Many of the exhibits were also interactive, making the museum a wonderful educational place for children. No matter what your age, though, I do think anyone would be able to find something they think is cool and fascinating here!
The interior of the Natural History Museum.
The dodo bird skeleton.
A piece of moon rock given to the UK by the US!
After we’d had our fill of scientific discovery, it was time to head to the Victoria and Albert Museum, located just next door. I’d always longed to visit this museum, as it boasts one of the largest art and design collections in the world. The museum is massive, so we didn’t have time to explore everything – and we were already quite knackered at that point. Not to mention that we got a bit lost inside. OK, fine. We got very lost. But we did manage to look at things that met our interests. We saw many lovely examples of Roman, Byzantine, and medieval art, which I found to be quite exciting. I particularly liked looking at illuminated manuscripts. My sister’s more a fan of art from a little further ahead in time, so she enjoyed the vast collection of objects characterised by 18th-21st century design. But my favourite was the exhibit about theatre and performance, which featured an impressive array of costumes and props used by all sorts of performers, from the great Sir Laurence Olivier to Chris Martin of Coldplay fame.
The Victoria and Albert Museum!
Costumes worn by Laurence Olivier and Richard Burton in Oedipus Rex and Henry V, respectively.
A medieval book of hours. Sorry about the shadow!
Despite being well worn-out (turns out walking around museums is a workout in its own right), we walked to Kensington Gardens and took a break in the grass, enjoying the sunshine and greenery. I could feel all my worries melting away as we rested there amidst the trees and grass. The royal parks are such a breath of fresh air and a wonderful place to come escape London’s mad hustle and bustle. We also visited the Serpentine Gallery and the famous Peter Pan sculpture commissioned by J.M. Barrie himself. From there, we made our way across the Serpentine and into Hyde Park, walking diagonally across the park towards the Marble Arch. I was grateful for having worn flats that day, as I don’t think I’ve ever walked quite so much in one day before. By the time we reached the Marble Arch tube station, my feet were once again screaming for rest.
The statue of Peter Pan, commissioned by J.M. Barrie
The Serpentine.
The twins having a rest in Kensington Gardens!
But we weren’t quite finished yet, much to the disappointment of our poor feet. We took the tube to – once again – Piccadilly Circus and made another quick stop at Whittard to grab a tea infuser for my older sister back home. Strangely enough, being back in Piccadilly Circus brought the strong urge to visit Fortnum and Mason again. Once you’ve been in there, you’ll understand why we were drawn back by its elegant charm. This time, we only took another look around the various wares for sale. I was sorely tempted to buy some tea or biscuits – the packaging was just too damn pretty – but resisted under the thought that we still had several days of our holiday ahead of us and I really needed to save my money.
The BAFTA office at Piccadilly!
Dinner came in the form of takeaway fish and chips from Fish Bone, a yummy and reasonably priced local chip shop in Fitzrovia. A big, battered piece of cod for £6.90 and chips for £1.60 was quite enough to fill us both to the brim. We ate as we watched telly, enjoying a relaxed night in after a busy, exhausting, and wonderful day.
Dinner time!
A day well spent exploring literature, science, and the arts, followed by sunshine in the park and the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus and finished off by a satisfying meal of deep-fried goodness. Could I really ask for anything more from a holiday?
♫ Song of the Day: I Wish I Knew by Years & Years
The Tragedy of Errors. 