London: Day 7-10

Over one week in London and I've managed to not get hit by a bus/car/motorcycle/bicycle.  Really this is a feat! Londoners seem like very nice people until they get behind a wheel.  I really don't know how people drive around here without getting in accidents all of the time.

Wednesday we spent visiting the Tate Britain.  After discovering that the paintings we were assigned to study there had been moved to the Tate Modern we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the museum.  Highlights included Millais's Ophelia, Brockhurst's Duchess of Argyll, some Francis Bacons and a giant Bridget Riley that made my head swim.

Thursday we spent in viewing the Wallace collection of art housed in an old mansion in the center of London.  After that we made our way over to the Saatchi Gallery to view some contemporary art.  The difference between these two could not have been more extreme.  It was really interesting (depressing? exciting? not sure but it has given me a lot of thought) to see the change in 300 years time.

Friday we had a bit of a walking tour along the Thames starting at St. Paul's, crossing the Millennium Bridge and making stops at the Old Globe, Southwark Cathedral and a few other sites of interest.  Then we walked back along the river to the Tate Modern and spent the rest of the afternoon browsing their collection.  There were so many great works that I would really love to go back before I leave London.

Saturday I went on a bus trip to Oxford with a few other students.  It was kind of a last minute thing.  We spent the afternoon walking around Oxford, finding old book shops and vintage stores and getting caught in the rain while walking around Christ Church.

Some pictures:

The grand ballroom at the Wallace collection. Rembrandts, Gainsbouroughs and much more.

The oval drawing room at the Wallace collection.  Rococo work including Fragonard's Swing.

The Saatchi gallery was a complete contrast. 

Richard Wilson's 20:50.  An amazing piece involving a room filled with crude oil. 

Lecture outside of St. Paul's.

The view from the window of the Tate Modern.  Take note of the rainy weather.

Christ Church, Oxford.

London: Day 6

I wish every class could be spent in an 18th century sitting room overlooking a garden while rain falls lightly outside.  Though it does make it a little difficult to stay awake.

After lectures and lunch we were off to the National Gallery.  Eugene (our art history and photo prof) gave us 10 pieces of art that we had to find and write about.  Locating 10 pieces out of the literally hundreds of thousands on display was not an easy task.  Not to mention the fact that is is incredibly easy to get distracted from the task at hand when one is surrounded by Rembrandts and Caravaggios and Titians and almost anything else you can think of.  Completely overwhelming, but in the best possible way.

London: First 5 Days

London so far:

Arrive at Heathrow, miss tube stop on the way to the hostel, have to hike 2.5 miles with all 70 lbs of luggage, drag luggage and self up the stairs of the hostel only to be told that check in is not for another 3 hours, finally settle in, sleep.

Go to Portabello Market in Nottinghill (2 miles of antiques, books, vintage clothes and food), score an amazing find at the market (an album of 1937 film, including images of King George VI's coronation).

Meet up with the Euroterm group, settle into new home in London.

Church at Westminster Cathedral (AMAZING), browse around Camden Town Market (CRAZY but very cool), achieve some level of proficiency in navigating the tube system.

First day of class, visit the British Museum, evacuate from the British Museum (apparently someone set off the alarm. At least that's what they told us...), be impressed by the efficiency of the British and their ability to clear hundreds of tourists out of a museum in minutes, revisit the British Museum, double decker bus ride back with a quick detour to Harrod's and now reviewing Les Miserables for the quiz tomorrow morning.  

I don't have any photos that are too good yet because I've just been snapping my shutter at everything like an excited tourist, but here are some anyway. 

Portabello Market

Tourist moment on the way to Westminster Abbey

Camden 

Market in Camden at the site of old horse stables

Amazing Greek sculptures

Some of the Parthenon sculpture

View from the top of the bus

At the British Museum (the tourist we asked to take the picture didn't zoom out but we're in front of the Elgin Marbles)

Disclaimer

I really don't want to be one of those people who go to Europe and think that they need to start a blog to share all of their great deeds and thoughts.  But here I am doing it!

Actually this blog is just for my family and friends who are asking me how/what I'm doing over here in Europe.  So I can share some stories and pictures with them and so that they can share in my adventures with me.