Friday, August 8, 2014

Shakespeare's Globe

Thursday afternoon, my Renaissance Tragedy class took a field trip into London to see Antony and Cleopatra at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre! We had time to wander in London along the Southbank before the play started, and the sun was shining, perfect for exploring.

I heard of the art installment Books About Town, running from July to September in London and I was delighted to find some! The benches scattered around the city are artist's interpretations of popular books. Art + books + London= Perfection!

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond. 


Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Katie's Picture Show by James Mayhew (I didn't know this one but it was adorable).

Mary Poppins by P.L Travers



High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Peter Pan by JM Barrie (!!!!!) 



A bench dedicated to Shakespeare, appropriately right outside the Globe.  
We walked along the Southbank and crossed over to visit the Tower of London, stopping at the Southwark Cathedral and the Borough Market along the way. The market had a whole range of yummy treats from authentic Turkish delight, salty licorice, homemade breads, cheese sandwiches and so much more. The smells were amazing!


The Southwark Cathedral began in 606 as a convent, and was used for various purposes until it became a cathedral in 1905.

We saw the choir was rehearsing inside.


Why thanks! :) 
The Shard, the tallest building in London.
The Tower Bridge
Karina, Jessica, Danielle and I in front of the Tower Bridge.
The Tower of London is the sight of another art installment was taking place, this one to commemorate the centennial of World War I. Red ceramic poppies were planted in the ground, make to look like a sea of red blood.
It was absolutely stunning to see the rich red against the grass and brick of the tower, which itself holds such a bloody history.













Then, we made our way to say hello to St. Paul's Cathedral. The Cathedral has a history of over 1,400 years, and the current building was erected in 1675. It was the first cathedral built after the English Reformation in the 16th Century when Henry VIII removed the Church of England from under the Pope and the Catholic Church. The building was incredibly impressive, my neck hurt from looking up and trying to take it all in.












Karina, Danielle, Jessica and I in front of the cathedral.
On Millenium Bridge (AKA the bridge that the death eaters destroyed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) with the Globe in the background. 

St. Paul's Cathedral from Millennium Bridge 



Then it was showtime for Antony and Cleopatra at the Globe. It's amazing to watch a show where so many people have sat before, dating back to Jacobean England when Shakespeare first wrote the script for Antony and Cleopatra and performed it for locals. The show was amazing! The actors were so talented, and the costumes, music and props helped transport me back in time. 






Shakespeare's Birthday Goblet. 






Besides traveling to and from France and home, this was my last trip into London. Oh how I will miss you. :)

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