Life in London

Sometimes I take pictures of things that don't really fit under a label, but I still think are cool. Or I just don't remember if I uploaded the pictures somewhere else...this is what happens to those pictures.

Kings Cross Station of Harry Potter Fame

I did not see Paddington Bear, but he's hanging around here somewhere.

See! Paddington Bear in the Museum of London.

Pretty flowers creeping through the roof of the Notting Hill Station.

I chanced upon a parade in front of Buckingham Palace.

The view from the bridge in St. James' Park.

Horse Guards

I found a lot of the paintings that I learned about in my humanities class. It was really neat to see them in person.

Johann Van Eyck

A new painting that I fell in love with.

Nelson's Column

Abaty Tyndern

This last week we visited Tintern Abbey, or in Welsh, Abate Tyndern. Everyone in Wales speaks English, but they hold onto their cultural heritage by also using Welsh. This means all the signs are in two languages. Seeing the language made me want to learn it, it reminded me of all the neat books I read as a kid based in Wales.

We visited the ruins of Tintern Abbey because Wordsworth wrote a beautiful poem about it just a few miles up the river, and titled it as such. We are experimenting with literary tourism and read his poem there on the grounds. It was beautiful, both the literature and the landscape.

You can learn more about the abbey here: Tintern Abbey
You can read the poem here: Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey

Wales is another one of my favorite places we have visited on this trip. The forested hills were blazing with fall colors, but were mellowed out by thick mist that made everything feel peaceful and quiet. I would love to return there again.

I do have song for you today. It felt like mood music to me because it seemed to express the feeling of space between the ruins and the empty skies. If it doesn't fit the abbey feel for you, that's okay, you don't have to listen to it. I admit I had a temptation to sing, to see what it would sound like without a roof, but I refrained since there were plenty of other people there.

If Gregorian Chants are more your thing, you can listen to this. This is why I wanted to know what it would sound like to sing there:

(A replica based on the time period)