Today was the first of our two free days in London. Most of our class started the day at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of Guard ceremony. I was especially interested in visiting because I had researched and written a travel entry about the Palace. I never expected there to be so many people trying to squeeze in and take pictures! Fortunately, my friends and I had a great spot along the main gate where the guards exited at the end of the ceremony. It was so exciting to see so much tradition and know that we were the closest we would ever be to royalty!
After Buckingham Palace, we headed to the British Museum. Although we did not have as much time to explore as I would have liked (though it would take several days to see the whole museum), we were still able to see the Rosetta Stone, Easter Island Statue, Egyptian mummies, Ming Dynasty pottery, and medals for the 2012 Olympic Games. Another highlight of the day was high tea at the Russel Hotel. Tea was served in the hotel's cozy bar and we picked a spot right in front of the fireplace. We chose peppermint and English Breakfast tea and were also served tea sandwiches, scones (super yummy) and pastries. It was a lovely, relaxing way to end the afternoon and truly made us feel like royalty!
This evening, two friends and I went to see the new musical Matilda based on the book by Roald Dahl. It opened in November and has sold out every night since it opened (with tickets for weekend performances sold out through April). It was such an amazing show! Of course the acting and singing were fantastic, but the set design was particularly fascinating especially considering that both the theatre and the stage were relatively small by American standards.
All in all, it was a fantastic day that I felt had a nice balance between some of the perhaps more "touristy" destinations and an example of modern London theatre.
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