I woke up to another very dark and dreary morning and again the only thing that really got me out of bed was breakfast. I went a little later today and it was more crowded, but it was fun to see the other people staying in the hotel with me (up to this point I had not really seen many people here). After breakfast I came back and piddled around my room some more trying to figure out what I would do with my day. By 12:00 I finally decided to head out.
I headed down toward Shakespeare’s Globe and I passed by it and headed on to The Tate Modern museum of modern art. I spent most of my day here finding it to be much larger than I expected. It was also much more crowded than I expected. It is really great how so many museums and art galleries are free here. I think it draws a much larger audience, plus it is nice for people like me who just don’t want to spend any money. I really liked this museum and I surprisingly recognized many of the artists. It was overwhelming and I feel like I could have spent a whole day in each of the 4 halls, but I did not have that time so I did rush a little. There was also a lot there that I did not understand and did not even know where to begin. I really cool exhibit was about a cartoon, Ana Lee(?), and her struggle for identity that has apparently received a lot of attention from other artists. I wish I had had more time to look at it, but it was really interesting what I did see.
Anyway, after I finally left there, I went back to see the Globe again and then went across a millennium footbridge straight to St. Paul’s Cathedral. I walked around it a lot looking also for something that Erin’s mom told me about, but I couldn’t remember or find it. Then I got some dinner and ate it in the garden area around the cathedral. It was nice and I also saw a statue there of John Wesley.
I then got on the tube and went to check out Buckingham Palace, which I somehow missed when I was right over there yesterday. I walked around it a little, but was not that impressed. The building itself was pretty boring. The stuff around it was more ornate though.
Then I went through the Green Park and saw my first British squirrel. I also saw a bunch of war monuments before getting back on the underground. Then I came home and got lost a second time at Paddington station because it is so huge. Overall not a hugely exciting day, but not bad either. But then, after I got back to the hotel I started watching TV and there was a segment on one of the channels that was talking about Texas and windmill energy. They were focusing on Sweetwater, TX (which is where Isaac is from) and had a hilarious stick figure drawn with a Texas bandana and cowboy hat.
What I learned:
Londoners love to run. I saw runners all day even in the crappy rainy weather.
Today was a big football match (Manchester U. and Barcelona). Unfortunately I did not find out until the game had just ended.
Modern art is really fun, but can sometimes make you think too much, maybe? Sometimes I found I was not even enjoying the art but instead racking my brain over it.
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