Let's see..a week ago Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day. Unlike in the States barely anybody here dressed up in green. What Londoners care about is drinking as much Guinness as humanly possible. On St. Patrick's Day night I had a gig for Will and the People, one of my workplace's artists, at the Water Rats (where I had previously seen The Mars Patrol). They're very good, and I enjoy their songs a lot. After the gig I had my first pint of Guinness. I had been trying to hold off until I made it to Ireland but it was St. Patrick's Day; I had to.
Wednesday night I had to go to a concert for my Brit Pop class. We went to go see The Rifles at The Roundhouse in Camden. The Roundhouse itself was incredible; it was first a roundhouse engine shack built in 1846 and was renovated in the 60s to be used as an arts venue. Since then artists such as The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and others have performed there.
Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the audience there. The Rifles are a staple in this generation's "mod culture" as The Who was to the mod culture of the 60s. Actually, I would say that they are a staple to anybody who was ever in the mod culture, as there were plenty of people who would have been my age during the resurgence of the mods in the 70s/80s. Other British audiences I've seen have stood still and enjoyed the music without movement. Not The Rifles fans. They jumped up and down and threw their beer cups into the air, soaking anybody who dared stand near the center of the audience. I was one of those people, so as soon as I returned to my flat that night I threw my clothes in the washing machine and tried to get dried beer out of my hair. The Rifles themselves were very good, though; I downloaded a few of their songs after the concert, but I doubt I will ever see them live again!
On Friday Kara and I needed to get our National Rail cards validated for an upcoming trip, so we went to King's Cross to do so. Of course, since we're both big Harry Potter fans (and that's probably an understatement) we had to go see Platform 9 3/4.
For those of you who aren't Harry Potter enthusiasts, Platform 9 3/4 is where Harry goes through the wall to get on the train that takes him to Hogwarts. And if you don't know what Hogwarts is, don't even get me started! :-D
For those of you who aren't Harry Potter enthusiasts, Platform 9 3/4 is where Harry goes through the wall to get on the train that takes him to Hogwarts. And if you don't know what Hogwarts is, don't even get me started! :-D
On Saturday I took the train over to Hampton Court Palace.
Hampton Court was built in the 1500s by Cardinal Wolsey, but it was given as a gift to King Henry VIII when he remarked on it being too grand for a clergyman. It was then remodeled extensively to fit the king's (and all of his queens') lavish tastes. It was remodeled again in the 1600s by Christopher Wren to suit the tastes of William and Mary. Today it is no longer inhabited, but it's only one of two palaces remaining of the 30 or so that Henry VIII owned.
Hampton Court was built in the 1500s by Cardinal Wolsey, but it was given as a gift to King Henry VIII when he remarked on it being too grand for a clergyman. It was then remodeled extensively to fit the king's (and all of his queens') lavish tastes. It was remodeled again in the 1600s by Christopher Wren to suit the tastes of William and Mary. Today it is no longer inhabited, but it's only one of two palaces remaining of the 30 or so that Henry VIII owned.
Besides being a favorite home of Henry VIII, Hampton Court is mostly known for two things. The first would be it's world-famous gardens, which are GORGEOUS! There was one garden that was just an acre of daffodils, which is my favorite flower.
There were sunken gardens where the ponds used to be for the palace fish supply. There were shaped trees and fountains and swans everywhere.
I didn't even get around the whole of the grounds, but it was breathtaking.
The other thing Hampton Court is known for are its ghosts. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, they still make a good story. The most popular ghost would be that of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife whom he had beheaded when he found out she was having multiple secret affairs. Her ghost is said to haunt the Long Gallery, where she tried to run to beg Henry for forgiveness while he was at mass in the Chapel Royal. I had no idea where the Long Gallery was, but I came across it as I was leaving Wolsey's apartments. It may have only been because the corridor was slightly dark and empty, but I definitely felt a little spooked there and hurried out. Only after I asked a guide where the Long Gallery was did I find out that that's the corridor I'd passed through. And a few years ago, a mysterious figure in period dress appeared on the security cameras when a set of doors in the palace blew open at the same time three days in a row.
On Sunday a few of us went to check out the markets in East London. We went to the Sunday UpMarket near Brick Lane, which had an amazing selection of food vendors and unique clothing and jewelry. We walked down Brick Lane, which is home to many vintage shops.
We ended with Spitalfield's, a shopping centre/market with everything from food to crafts to vintage clothing to sock puppets.
Tonight is the last episode of our favorite British TV series, "Skins," so we're having a get-together at our flat tonight to watch the season finale. And then we all have to leave for various airports at 3 AM tomorrow so we have a nice long night ahead of us!
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