The Guilty Blogger

Alright i'm finally doing it.  I've put it off for long enough for reasons unexplainable!  I am two weeks in to the London trip and having the TIME OF MY LIFE!

Incredible things I've seen so far:  Kew Gardens, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The London Eye, Portobello Road, Middle Temple Hall, The Globe Theatre, The National Theatre of London, The Tower of London.  NOT to mention the astonishing plays, vast endless graveyards, gardens, parks, pubs, buildings, bridges, and funny looking cars i've enjoyed!

It must be said that Kew Gardens was one of my favorite places, surprisingly enough, considering my deep love for Tudor history and those gardens have absolutely nothing to do with them.  However, I got lost from the group of friends I was with and had one of those 'moments' while walking the gardens for five hours.  I've always loved being by myself.  But being by myself in the most beautiful place i've ever seen was heart stoppingly precious to me.  This is what I wrote in my journal about half way through the day:          Drinking hot vanilla tea under a cool breeze with the perfect sky above in front of Queen Charlottes burnt orange palace.  Trees and flowers as far as the eye can see.  The sound of chit chat and birds chirping.  The sweet smell of lavender, vanilla, and oranges hangs in the air and drifts in the wind.  The lyrics to a Kimya Dawson song is playing in my head.  Absolute bliss and perfect calm is all that can describe this moment.  I could be here forever.  Will you come with me to the garden in my dreams?  Everything is still and it seems the blue bell fields will stretch until the world drops off at its end.

I will end this particular blog by writing about last night and today so I can start tomorrow fresh and actually keep this blog going!  Last night I saw a production called The Holy Rosenburgs at The National Theatre.  To say it disturbed, touched, and effected me would be an understatement.  The story was about a Jewish family on the brink of falling to pieces.  One of the sons had died in the war in Israel fighting fo the homeland and was being buried the following day.  The story mostly revolved around the Father and his grief and guilt, though all of the family members played their part.  The acting was pitch perfect and utterly believable.  I cried basically the entire second act.  The play reminded me so much of someone that I lost recently in the war and afterward I felt completely despondent, almost shell shocked from what I had just witnessed.  I felt like it was so personal, I didn't even want to watch.  But i'm glad that I did. 

Today was a much less emotional, but no less astonishing day then yesterday.  I went to Westminster and saw the tombs of Kings, Poets, Scientists, and believe it or not ACTORS!  Yes, ACTORS!  I stood over where Laurence Oliver was put to rest.  It was breathtaking.  But even more breathtaking was being in the presence of Queen Elizabeth I, one of my favorite past monarchs.  Her tomb was absolutely beautiful.  Golden tudor flowers surrounding the encased marble liking of herself.  She looked peaceful, like she was just taking an afternoon nap with her hands clasped over her chest.  Because of her sister, Mary's, unpopularity...Mary didn't have a shrine quite like Elizabeth, infact her grave was barely marked at all, though they laid to rest beside each other.  Next to their tombs it read: 
NEAR THE TOMB OF MARY AND ELIZABETH REMEMBER BEFORE GOD ALL THOSE WHO DIVIDED AT THE REFORMATION BY DIFFERENT CONVICTIONS LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR CHRIST AND CONCIENCE SAKE
I had to remind myself to breathe the entire time I was walking around her tomb.  BEAUTIFUL.  Some other A lister's I saw were Charles Dickens, George Frederick Handel, Chaucer, Richard II, Henry III, Henry V, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles Darwin, Ben Jonson, and practically ever monarch that has ruled since about the 13th century.  With the exception of those that weren't highly favored or were buried in family plots.  I learned on our tour there are 33,000 bodies buried in Westminster so naturally a few of their names have slipped my mind. 

That's all for now.  I'll pick up my blogging tomorrow and continue for the rest of the trip!