God save the Queen....and her castle.

Hello from the rainy island!

Our permanent tour guide Simon informed us that January has seen the most rain in London in quite some time, and it is on the right track to break records. As I was here most of January and observed the sporadic and truly small amount of rain that has fallen since I've been here, I just have to laugh. For all of you who are in Wisconsin, braving the cold, had school canceled, and/or had to shovel for hours....I will tell you that on the last day of January we got a little of your weather---it hailed---10 minutes maximum. As is the custom with any weather.

Last weekend we went to Windsor Castle, and it is gorgeous! The Queen wasn't home...so I managed to take a few pictures inside (oops) and they were way better than the postcards they sell in the gift shop. My favorite part of Windsor Castle is "The Long Walk" which is the Queen's personal entrance to Windsor Castle. At three miles long, lined by trees on either side, and a straight drive that leads directly to the front doors of the castle, it is spectacular. I can't imagine a more perfect landscape!

Later in the day we visited Eton College where the boys were on holiday, and the empty schoolyards left much to be desired. Our tour guide was an elderly woman who made sure to point out where Harry and William once lived when they attended Eton, but no royal sightings...no one at all actually. The streets of Eton were lined with antique shops, and Katherine and I were upset to think that we had missed out on such treasures.

On Saturday we went to Borough Markets---cheese wheels, jellies, jams, tarts, fresh vegetables, breads, juices, and flowers. As overwhelming and busy as it was, I managed to find a gorgeous little orchid to put on the mantle of our fireplace in our room.

On Monday we went to see the play "Dealer's Choice" for theatre class. Definitely a play geared towards the masculine audience, but definitely still funny!

On Tuesday evening, instead of class on Thursday, our theatre class met our professor at Blackfriar's tube stop to walk through the South end of London. When the Globe theatre was first built, there was only one bridge leading across the Thames to Southwark. The monarchy, under Queen Elizabeth, kept theatre and prostitution separate from the rest of London. Actually, at this point in time, Southwark was not part of London. So, the Southwark banks were lined with brothels, and thrived due to the theatres. The Museum of London uncovered a prostitutes' graveyard about 18 months ago, called the Cross Bones Graveyard. Its whereabouts had been rumored, but relatively unknown. We were able to go to the graveyard and see the memorial there, where prostitutes and paupers were buried because they could not be buried in London, as their professions were unorthodox. We saw the Globe Theatre, which sits on the South bank. The real Globe Theatre sat about a mile away, but now sits only a memorial. The Globe burnt down once, and was rebuilt, and then theatres were banned, and the Globe was turned into a warehouse. The Globe burnt down again, and since theatres were still banned, the Globe was never rebuilt.

On Wednesday, we had a pub crawl where our tour guide Simon showed us really old pubs in the area of Belgravia. Belgravia is a very wealthy area, and most of the homes have been inherited from generation to generation. We went to The Antelope, The Star Tavern, and The Grenadier (where Madonna used to take Guy Ritchie on dates.) At the end of the night we did a shot of whiskey with our UW Professor, and he told us we drank shots like the Russians. He sipped his Bell's whiskey slowly. After the pub crawl we went to Imperial College Union to hang out with the British kids our age!

Thursday morning brought class about Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Muddy Waters, Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton.

Thursday evening we all got together again and ate Fish and Chips at Costas Fish Bar. Delicious, and topped off with apple pie and butterscotch ice cream.

This weekend I have spent writing my 8 page paper on Roman London, Roman colonialism, and imperial policy.

Tonight we are off to the Union to watch the Super Bowl, and tomorrow morning meeting our History of London professor at the Tower of London for class. Papers in hand, it should be a good morning...and I'll have the rest of the day to spend wandering the streets of Westminster! Tomorrow night we will all meet at the theatre again to see The 39 Steps.

Next Thursday I am off to Prague and returning on Sunday. I am more excited for this trip than any other! I'm sure it will surpass my expectations, and I am truly looking forward to that.

When Mom comes at the end of March we are going to spend Easter weekend in Brussels, and I have a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland in the works for the end of February. Other than that, all travel plans are set for the rest of the semester.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.....and Go Packers! (Reality is overrated!)

Cheers,
Annette