Museums, Parks, and Performances, Oh My!

It has been another great week in London (#4). It was a museum-intensive week for our students, beginning with a trip to the new Darwin Centre at the Museum of Natural History. For anyone coming to London, I highly recommend a visit. The museum itself is amazing for its architecture and beautifully colored facade. The galleries inside are no less impressive. The Darwin Centre is a 7-story cement cocoon that houses hundreds of thousands of animal specimens and really cool, high-tech exhibits to orient visitors to Darwin's legacy. The students were really impressed by this exhibit, and they were able to connect what they saw to the functionalist movement in psychology; thus, I was happy. Before I had to teach again, I had made it through only one-half the museum, so I will save the other half for a rainy day (which has been very rare). The picture here is from Primrose Hill in Regent Park. You can see the London Eye on the right.

The following day found us in the Museum of Science. I found the space less impressive than the Museum of Natural History next door, and the exhibits lacked the same technological pizazz. The psychology section was an incredible disappointment compared to the History Museum's exhibits on child development, memory, and perception. But there were quite a few important exhibits for our students in Terri's math course. After leaving this museum, I took a casual, two-hour stroll through Hyde Park. I walked along the Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, took a few photos at her memorial fountain, and then headed to Marble Arch for dinner with a new friend who is a sociologist from Texas.

On Friday, Chuck, Terri, and I struck out to the Borough Market, London's oldest food market. I have mentioned this market in an earlier post, and it was no less incredible this week than when I first went. I literally gorged my way through the stalls of organic products. The highlights: a caramel jar, ginger granola, three kinds of burnt sugar candy, fresh oysters on the half-shell, a haloumi sandwich, and mushroom/goat cheese pate. Words fail to describe just how wonderful the pate was, and I considered it God's gift to me for going vegetarian.

After my food-induced coma (thank goodness I am walking my bum off here), we took in a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. "As You Like It" was charming, but sitting on hard wooden benches for 3 hours was not the most fun I have ever had. Even with the seat cushion I rented, it was difficult to find a comfortable position, especially as the sun set and the wind chilled. But it would be sinful to spend this much time in London and miss a performance at a reproduction of one of history's most famed theaters. My evening ended with a few caipirinhas at Wax Jambu in Islington. Thanks, Emidio, for introducing me to this drink and bar!

On Saturday, I took Chuck to Leicester Square because he wanted to go to Chinatown. We made a quick pit-stop to Covent Garden for a gift, grabbed lunch at one of a seemingly endless number of Chinese restaurants, and made it back to the flat in time for lunch and a quick nap. Later on, we went to the National Portrait Gallery and then to St. Martin's in the Fields for a chamber concert that included Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". The music was not flawless, but the setting was ripe for reflection....candlelight, stringed music, and a beautiful church. I will have to go back to explore the crypt and take in a lunch concert. A quick trip through Trafalgar Square to admire the lights and fountains and we were on our way back to the flat.

I thought Sunday should be leisurely, so I took a 6-hour stroll from the flat to Regent Park and Hampstead Heath. I thought Kew Gardens had an impressive rose garden, but it couldn't compare to the roses at Queen Mary's Garden in Regent Park. For as far as you could see and in as many colors as you can imagine, roses. Roses, roses, roses. I dare say that even the Biltmore would pale in comparison. I wish my gram could see and smell all the roses. Along the way, I stopped by the Wellcome Centre for an exhibit on anatomical and medical models throughout history. Strange though it was, it was an interesting exhibit. I could have done without the models depicting STDs, but hey--you take the good with the bad. I had hoped to stop by an art exhibit on depression in women at St. Pancras Church, but it never opened. I will try again later this week when I can also tour the crypt.

Busy week and weekend! Next weekend will be quieter, though I am thinking about a last-minute excursion to Scotland. Let's see how much energy I have left by Friday.

This was a very interesting exhibit at the Wellcome Collection: ‘I Can Not Help the Way I Feel’ by John Isaacs, 2003. The artist was depicting emotions coming to the surface of the body. From a psychological perspective, this was a very thought-provoking piece.









This is the train station that I use just about every day, King's Cross/St. Pancras. I LOVE the train stations here.












A view from my seat at the Globe. Those poor blokes stood for 3 hours; no sitting is allowed among the common folk. ;)










Enjoying my local oysters outside Southwark Chapel (pronounced /suth ik/) near Borough Market. They were excellent.











Self-portrait at the memorial fountain for Dianna in Kensington Gardens. It was overcast, but the light reflecting off the clouds was killing my eyes.












I simply love this picture and plan on framing it for the house. This cherub sits under the basin in the fountain that you can see behind me in the above picture.













One corner of the monument honoring Prince Albert with a focus on the Asia Group at this corner. The Royal Albert Hall is behind me.












Looking down from the top of the Cocoon in the Darwin Centre.













Smiling at the beginning of the Globe experience. By hour three, the hard seat had erased my smile.









The Westminster London crew outside the Science Museum.











Chuck and I standing on the Millenium Bridge. The Tate Modern is the building behind us. I have no idea what I was looking at or saying.








This is my "home" Tube station, Angel. It has the longest escalator of any Tube station in London. Any thoughts on why the good doctor is walking UP the DOWN escalator?