A Very London Week

I have been trying to soak up London as much as possible before school starts. And I am quite proud of myself for all that I have accomplished. Here are just a few of the highlights:

My college (community where I live, not my actual university) organized a tour of the House of Parliament and it was amazing. We started the tour at Westminster Abbey, the famous church which was originally built in 1066. it is an incredible Gothic building that is still used today for most large state affairs. During the 1834 fire, the crews prioritized Westminister Abbey because of its lengthy history, forfeiting saving other parts of Parliament which had to be re-built later on. The building consists of both House of Lords and House of Commons. There are so many interesting tidbits about the building itself and British traditions that I won't be able to adequately explain them but I highly recommend the tour so that you can see it for yourself. The best part of the tour was that we got to meet an actual Lord, who turned out to be Jewish. He was quite thrilled to learn I was born in Israel and spoke to me in Hebrew.

My well-connected college also happens to have a box at the Royal Albert Hall and does a drawing for each performance. I managed to win the tickets for last Saturday's show which consisted of several conductors leading the Northern Sinfonia and the Philharmonic Chorus. There was also a guest appearance by The Priests, a group of three, shockingly, Priests who are VERY musically inclined. They have become an international sensation and have a top-selling album. The hall is absolutely gorgeous, designed like a Roman amphitheater with great acoustics. Again, highly recommended!

The Courtauld Gallery has a highly-regarded collection for its size. It is best known for its impressionist and post-impressionist work, including famous pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and more.

My family from Israel came to visit me for five days and we had a great time exploring the city together. One of the highlights was visiting Borough Market on Saturday morning to see and taste some of the fresh produce. It was freezing along the river but well worth it.













Fresh local mushrooms; my niece and I :)

A church has been sitting on the property of what is currently St. Paul's Cathedral since 604 AD. The current cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Located at the heart of London, it has a great view of the city... after climbing some 400 stairs.

My friend and I bought the cheapest tickets for Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which require you to stand in the "yard" of the famous theater right in front of the stage. Despite the aching feet by the end, we loved seeing Love's Labour's Lost the way it was truly envisaged by Shakespeare.