The Globe Theatre and Hampton Court Palace

Sorry it has taken me a few days to update! The time got away from me, but I'm back.

Yesterday, our group headed for London to watch King Leer on the stage of the famous Globe Theatre. Before I get ahead of myself, however, I have to mention our side trip to Hampton Court Palace. When we first arrived, I really didn't know what it was, and it's not very beautiful from the outside even though it's huge in size. We received some maps of the grounds and of The Palace, and that's when it hit me: this is the Royal Palace for the former kings of England! Henry VIII lived here with all of his wives, and it was once an operating home. Among the varied trips we've taken, this one was a favorite amongst the group because of the way it came alive for us. Some of the places we've visited like Chepstow Castle or Tinturn Abbey were much more visual and less interactive. At Hampton Court, however, they had sound effects and props (including real food in the kitchens and some actual glowing fires). Although we were not equipped with headsets, each room had a story and, as you walked in, the headset narrated to you the importance of that location. It would be all too easy to lose yourself in the palace itself. The chambers of the Queen alone could fill a normal home. They had small gardens in the palace grounds called "courts"; my favorite one had a huge fountain. One interesting fact we learned is that The Queen used to ride a boat from Hampton Court to London and back whenever she felt like it. We all agreed that wouldn't be too shabby of a set-up.

Outside of the actual palace were the palace grounds complete with a maze and beautiful gardens all around. We didn't have time to even cover half of The Palace, much less the surrounding area, but we've discussed going back and getting the full experience. Our heritage pass gets us in for free with headsets, so we just might take an afternoon trip there.

After Hampton Court, our trip continued into London where we ate a quick meal (after, typically, getting lost) and seated ourselves in the historic Globe Theatre. Shakespeare's plays were once staged in that very theater before it burned down, and now a reconstruction serves us in giving a genuine experience. The seats are wooden benches without backs, if you get a seat at all. When Shakespeare lived, the poor stood on the ground level by the elevated stage, and the rank improved the higher in the theatre one climbed. We sat just above the ground, but next time we go we'll be standing. The play itself was no where near the quality of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Stratford, but the setting was captivating. It's a theater in the round, and I could truly imagine myself hundreds of years ago sitting in that spot with Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The play was quite long: a little over 4 hours, and I was exhausted at the end of it. We made it back to our college at 1 AM, and here begins a new day.

Today we plan to hop over to Stonehenge and catch up on much-needed sleep. Tomorrow, we're off to London again to do some exploring, this time hopefully with a more concrete plan of what we want to do when we're there.