How has it already been five weeks? The phrase, “time flies when you’re having fun”, is an understatement. Time seems to zoom past at an impossible speed here. Perhaps it is because I have found a place I love dearly and have a seemingly unlimited amount of activities to do everyday. No matter the reason, it makes me slightly sad to know that my time here is limited.
This week, I returned to Harrods and the Victoria and Albert Museum. My last visits were too short and did not allow me to get the full experience of these places. My first stop was at the V&A museum, as it’s often referred to. This time, I got to wander through the different exhibits as aimlessly as I pleased. The jewelry room was absolutely amazing, though not usually the collection I actively seek out. Unfortunately, the museum does not allow pictures in that room but I recommend making the trip if you are able. The walls of the room are painted black and there is limited lighting. The only lights are the ones illuminating the priceless jewels and pieces in their glass cases. The curator made the perfect decision with the layout of this room because the way it is lit makes the jewels and precious metals dance, providing a feeling of wonder. You really feel like you’re surrounded by luxury. My favorite room, however, was the Cast Courts. This room contains casts of famous statues, sculptures, and architectural wonders; all presiding around the world. The casts are exact copies of the real pieces which allows the art to be seen by a lot more people. The magnitude of these pieces was surprising. When I previously saw photographs of the real ones, I did not realize how large they actually are.
Next, I returned to Harrods to explore the upper floors. The clothing there is beautiful. I loved walking through and getting to see the gowns and outfits made by my favorite high-fashion designers. Harrods is more similar to a gallery of clothing than a store. The people who shop there are art collectors and the designers are the artists. I ended up getting lost in the labyrinth of the really expensive clothes. The lack of windows in the inner sections and the sheer amount of stuff makes it hard to leave quickly; though an effective strategy on their part.
I also visited the National Portrait Gallery this week. I went in with little expectations other than suspecting every piece of art would be of a person; due to its name. I didn’t know if I would like visiting a place that only contained a single genre of art but I ended up really enjoying walking through the different collections. They were not all the same, as I was worried they would be, but were actually all very unique depending on who was being painted and who was doing the painting.
The last historical destination I made it to this week was the Palace of Westminster. This is the companion building to Big Ben and is where the two houses of Parliament meet. I was able to tour the inside with one of my classes and it was like stepping back in time. I was also able to sit and listen to the House of Lords and the House of Commons speak in their respective chambers. The House of Lords is much more formal and ornately decorated than the House of Commons because it is where the Queen meets with Parliament when she visits this palace, and the House of Lords were, historically, superior (though I am sure the House of Commons would say otherwise). I really enjoyed listening to them discuss matters of the country and government, even if they were slightly less exciting than I was hoping. The House of Lords were discussing reform on the way future Lords would be appointed. The House of Commons discussed matters of parking. It was still exciting sitting in the same room where the most important decisions in the UK are made. Unfortunately, they are very strict on photographs. I would have loved to have a picture of the Queen’s throne in the House of Lords. It was one of my favorite experiences this past week. Later that same night I was invited to dinner by some new friends. The restaurant they made the reservation at ended up having a Michelin Star! As I am sure you can imagine, the food was spectacular and expensive, but worth the experience. After a delicious meal, we ended up going dancing at a Salsa bar which provided us with lots of laughs and some embarrassing dance moves.
This was a full week of exploration and priceless memories.
Ta ta,
~Kaitlin
Kaitlin's Space 