Sunday 26/7

Hello All,

So today was tea at the Ritz. To say it was incredible would be an understatement. The food was great, the harpist played songs that I could recognize and the service was very attentive. I realized that I have led quite a charmed life this summer, to say the least. 

Yesterday I visited Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge. Windsor was beautiful and the rooms were decorated less ornately than Versailles so it seemed more inhabitable (But still a tad on the extravagant side). Bath was really beautiful, located in the countryside and inspiration for many of Jane Austin's novels. We toured the Roman baths and the surrounding area and we were able to drink the water from the springs..It tasted very metallic-y and I was not a fan but it is said that the water has magical healing powers so I had to give it a try. Stonehenge was an interesting place to see (the idea that people dragged these ridiculously heavy stones across the country is hard to fathom) and I got some great pictures.

Friday was an extremely productive day. I got some cute shirts while shopping and I saw the National Gallery and the British museum. Highlight of the National gallery was definitely vanGogh's sunflowers. I felt like such a dork at the British museum because I loved every minute of it (and could have spent the entire day there). I walked in and was greeted by the Rosetta stone which, unlike the mona lisa, was not a disappointment. It is huge, you can see all of the different languages and you are able to get pretty close to it. There are currently exhibits on Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and Indian art. I skipped the Indian art exhibit but I LOVED the others. It was cool to see the busts of playwrights whose work I read in my myth course, as well as the artwork that depicted scenes from myths that I am familiar with. And mom I took pictures of the canopic jars from the egypt death exhibit--look just like the ones I made for my third grade project.

Friday night my friend and I went to an asian fusion restaurant that I found online. It is under the movie theatre that is across the street from our house so we now call it our secret hideout. The food was great and I hear that it is frequented by the who's who of the London theatre world, so I am sure we will head back there again. I stayed in and slept Friday night (had to get up at 7am for the tours on Saturday) so last night I checked out a famous London club with my friends. It is called the "ministry of sound"..I stayed and danced with my friends for around 2 hours but I got tired and I am not a fan of the creepy euro clubbers so a group of us headed home. I think we might do karaoke tonight or check out a jazz club (where we can just sit and talk which I much prefer). I am planning on spending the rest of the day reading for a class though so I will have to see how far along I am in my work and then figure out what is a reasonable option.

Steph--we may head to the burberry outlets tomorrow (items are less than half the cost) do you want a scarf or anything? And mom I think I may get zoey a wallet for a graduation gift since I still need to do that (she got me one so it is only appropriate that I get her a present)

That is all I have to report. I think this week I am going to tour westminster, sit in on parliament and head to the Freud museum (? still deciding on that one). I guess the gang wants to walk around all of london on friday to say bye to some of our favorite places, so I am sure that will be a nice way to spend the last day. See you all in less than a week! Steph..work on that scrabble game.

Love,

Hope