Baa Baa Black Sheep: Spring Break: London (part 1)

So it's been a while since there was anything of substance up, for which I apologize. I'm done vacationing, though, so it's back to work for a couple of days until my parents get here!! I am so excited.

After Luxembourg, I was off on an early-morning train for London. My friend met me at King's Cross station and off we went! It was exciting to be in a big city again for a couple of days, and also to see so many amazing museums!
We started by heading to Trafalgar Square, home of the National Portrait Gallery, and National Gallery.

The galleries were incredible, and I saw some beautiful works by Degas, Monet, Sisley, and Turner in addition to portraits of Jane Austen, Gilbert and Sullivan, and an exhibit of the Russian Ballet. We even got into trouble! There were tons of people in the impressionist rooms, and there was a huge school group surrounding the Turner's. May Alcott, who I portray at work and who's letters I've been transcribing over the past couple of summers lived in London for a while as a Turner copyist, so I was really excited to see those. My friend and I were discussing them, and trying to figure out if we recognized any as matching Alcott's copies when the tour leader shushed us!! That hasn't happened to me in years. oops.

Trafalgar Square was neat, but really crowded with tourists. I know, I know, I am a tourist, but working in the industry for so long has taught me several things about being a good tourist:

1) research in advance the places you want to visit. Know the opening/closing times, nearby attractions or places to eat, and vaguely how to get there (knowing the address is also very helpful).

2) Try not to stop aimlessly in the street to take pictures. If you are going to take pictures, try to stand out of the way or wait for a clear moment. You are not more important than the traffic.

2a) Also, if you are in an area full of other tourists, be aware of other people's pictures. Walk around them if you can, which I recognize is not always possible.

3) If you wish to walk slowly to look around you, do so on the outside edge of the sidewalk in the correct direction of travel. Actually, this just applies to everyone. I walk fast, and that death glare I'm giving you as I move into the street to get past your slow-moving, hand-holding set? Not a joke. I am actually that annoyed.

But anyways. Something that appealed to me about the area of London I was visiting was the literary historical charm. For example:

This is an entire street of antiquarian book shops. We popped into some of them, and they were fantastic. Also, out of my price range. But very cool. One of them also had one of the original prop Daleks from old (pre-2000s) Doctor Who. Like, a real one. It was extremely cool.

a clothing shop we walked past. I wish I knew more people who dressed like this.

We also saw a book shop which had been the home of Randolph Caldecott, the illustrator the Caldecott Medal is named for. The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to a new American children's book with original illustrations. Some of my favorite books as a kid, including Make Way for Ducklings, Where the Wild Things Are, The Polar Express, Mirette on the High Wire, and Officer Buckle and Gloria, are all previous medal winners. (and if you haven't read these, do so immediately. They are all fantastic and will brighten your day.)

Next we popped into the British Museum to see the Rosette Stone and the clock room. The Rosetta Stone was neat, and reminded me of how cool learning about hieroglyphics was in elementary school.

We were there until closing, and afterwards went back to dinner and the UCL dorms for an early-ish night. Plus Black Swan, which I still hadn't seen.

On my one full day in the city we hit the two most exciting parts of my trip: the Freud Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Freud house was his residence and office for the last year of his life, from the family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 until his death in 1939. The Freuds were lucky enough to have help getting through border control, and so were able to take many of their belongings with them to England. The museum is able to display Freud's famous couch for psychoanalysis, some of his massive antiquities collection, his library, and many other belongings. They also have a collection of his daughter Anna Freud's belongings--she lived there until her death in 1982. Also a psychoanalyst, Anna specialized in child psychology (and the relationship between development and parenting) and founded Hampstead War Nursery, a foster care center for children affected by the war. Several years later (1947) a children's clinic was added. Anna Freud said: "I don't think I'd be a good subject for biography...not enough 'action'! You would say all there is to say in a few sentences - she spent her life with children!" I actually think she's awesome.

Both Freuds are really interesting as people, even if I don't agree with the most famous parts of Freud's theories. The museum was a really special, really dorky treat.

We were awarded these on the way out!

We spent the afternoon at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was founded as a museum of art and design, displaying marvels of craftsmanship and engineering. It has amazing collections of my favorite museum items: table services, jewelry, theatre costumes, and fashion. I had such an amazing time it will have its own post later on!

Plus, I love Queen Victoria (we would so have been best friends), and it was really interesting to learn more about British pop culture during her reign!

Busts of Victoria and Albert

Imitating one of my favorite historical figures :)

The guards actually had to kick me out-I was so not leaving until absolutely necessary! At that point we were both museum-ed out for the day, so we headed over to a different kind of institution: Harrods!

Totally unaffordable but very very pretty...especially the shoes. I really need to get over my love of rhinestoned shoes-it's such a problem.

My final day in London we woke up early to see the 'treasures room' of the British National Library. It was amazing! There were works from all over the world, but my favorites were the ones about famous works--some of the earliest mentions of the Hamlet story and journal entries by authors such as Austen and Bronte. There was also a really neat display of different publications of Alice in Wonderland, including the original Dodgson copy for the real Alice and his journals/letters. I was especially fond of the Dali-illustrated version.

Dali's interpretation of the caterpillar scene

The rest of the day was spent doing traditional site-seeing: walking along the Thames, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. In the evening we caught a train to Edinburgh. A whirlwind couple of days, but a wonderful trip!