Courts, Cathedrals, and Coal Mines.

Roman amphitheater
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The last week and a half has been filled with trips and tours. The weekend of the 19th I went with a few friends to Hampton Court Palace. The palace originally belonged to Thomas Woolsey, the cardinal, but was seized by Henry VIII in 1529. It is the site of the baptism of Prince Edward, the marriage of Henry VIII to his fifth and sixth wife, and the place where Shakespeare and his company performed for the king. It was really an incredible experience to walk around a palace so rich with history. Additionally, the gardens outside were stunning and we had lots of fun walking through the hedge-maze.

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On Tuesday we had a tour of the National Theatre and saw the play 'Pitmen Painters.' The tour was great- the theater facilities are the epitome of every actors' dream. At one point in the tour we actually got to walk out onto one of the stages. I thought I might faint from joy (luckily I stayed conscious). The play was also interesting- it was about the Ashington miners who, in 1934, began an art appreciation class, started painting, and were soon celebrated throughout the British art world for their works.

The Abbey
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Thursday through Saturday we were in Wales. The entire trip was fantastic, but my favorite moment was when we stopped to walk around Tintern Abbey. The abbey was once home to Cistercian monks, but was abandoned after King Henry VIII took over the church. The Abbey began to decay and is now only a shell of what once stood there. It is impossible to describe the awe inspired by the ruins and I could have easily spent several more hours simply sitting and imagining what sort of life the walls once held.

My friend Maddy and me
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In addition to the Abbey we visited the Wales Assembly building, Big Pit (a once-functioning coal mine now open to the public), the city of Brecon, and Chepstow Castle. In Brecon we stopped to visit the Cathedral and then had a pot of welsh tea with welsh cakes (very good, I highly recommend it). We also went to see the Roman baths, amphitheater, and barracks (all built in 75 A.D.) All in all Wales was a beautiful, enjoyable country to visit and it was a nice break from the busy streets of London.