We walked from the Blackfriars tube stop over the Millennium Bridge to Bankside in Southwark to the new Globe theater. Even though it was cloudy, the walk still provided many good views.
Yes, in this last picture that is St. Paul's Cathedral in the background. Once you get almost over the bridge, you can see the reconstructed Globe Theater. It probably is only about a ten minute walk (if that) from the Blackfriars tube station, which I duly noted for the next time it's my turn to take to students to London in 2018.
Here we are in our obligatory (they are all "obliging" me) group picture outside . . .
. . .and one later inside.
We had an excellent tour guide who clearly was an actor himself but also someone who understood the importance of people understanding the popularity of Shakespeare and the necessity of seeing his plays live to really understand why they are so lasting. We also learned all about the recreation/reconstruction project, which was fascinating. It is really beautiful inside.
This last picture is of the ceiling of the stage. What I found most fascinating about the tour and then going to the exhibition afterwards was the excavation done by the Museum of London (I think I may want to add that to the trip the next time) and the artifacts found for different theaters that were along that side of the Thames as well as the dedication of Sam Wanamaker in trying to get the Globe rebuilt (see http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-us/history-of-the-globe/rebuilding-the-globe). I have to say though that the most interesting thing that I learned was that they used to use urine to clean clothes during Shakespeare's time, especially the urine of pregnant women. Apparently, the extra estrogen in the urine made an excellent stain remover.
After the tour, some of the group went to St. Paul's cathedral (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJzhVRjv48) with Jane. They did a tour and had lunch in the cafe ( I would not have thought that the cathedral would have had a cafe). Some other students went right next door to the Tate Museum, which holds art collections from the 1500s to the contemporary period (http://www.tate.org.uk/about). I retraced our subway journey with another group of students back to Russell Square station to walk over to the Dickens Museum (http://www.dickensmuseum.com/), which is located in the house he lived in during the time he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. My students read the former in my 19th-century British Novel course this past fall.
I have been here before over twenty years ago, so it was good to come again and see everything. It is really worth the visit, even if you are not a fan of Dickens, just to see what life was life behind the facade of one of the beautiful Victorian row houses we always see. I did not take pictures outside because we were trying to finish eating before we went in (crazy. slovenly Americans eating while walking--Jane told me after I saw her this evening that eating while walking is "just not done" in England and marks us as foreigners--oh well). However, I did try to get some group shots inside--a difficult task because they were trying to recreate the lighting of the time, which meant it was pretty dark with no sunlight outside.
I thought this was an interesting picture of each one of my students (and Dan's wife) looking at different items in the drawing room. They also included the copy of Household Words that included a personal essay by Dickens addressing the "wicked" rumors surrounding his troubling domestic situation (when he decided to separate from his wife).
After that I went back to the flat to check messages and to see where I was going to meet my friend, Maeve, for dinner. I met Maeve when I was studying in Seoul. Actually, she was the first person I met. I was walking to the corner looking at the signs trying to figure out where to catch the bus, and she said to me, "Are you going to SNU to the language school?" I remember thinking, "How did she know that?" and then immediately realizing that I was obviously a foreigner (just not that many Black women at the SNU subway station stop) and the only person looking up at the signs as if I didn't know where I was going. I have not seen her since we all left Seoul in 2013. She is French, but has been working at the Shangri La Hotel in the Shard since January (you can see it in the second picture in this blog post). When I knew I was coming, I immediately contacted her to see if she would have any time with her crazy hours; of course we went to have Korean food. I felt like such a world traveler (like I said in my facebook page) eating Korean food with my French friend in London.
We had mandu, kimchi pancakes, bulgogi, and dwaeji bulgogi. For my students who may not know what you see in the picture above is the grill that is in the middle of our table surrounded by bowls of sauces and side dishes. The bulgogi (marinated beef) is grilling on it and in the far upright corner is the marinated pork waiting for its turn. We had rice and lovely fresh butter leaf lettuce to wrap the meat in. I was in heaven.
Tomorrow, we are off for a quick peak at the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon and to Oxford where we will visit the Story Museum and the Bodleian Library.
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