Here we are, Sunset & Camden

I love books.  I know my library card number like I know my phone number and was averaging two books a week before leaving for London.  I love fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, mysteries, love stories, biographies, autobiographies, and everything in between.  I dream of one day having a library in my future nonexistent home but after our trip to The British Library today, I am starting to think maybe I'll just move in there.  Photographs are not allowed in The British Library, as continual camera flashes may damage the works on display in the long run.  With my mental camera, I took pictures of sacred religious texts and illuminated manuscripts; original notes by da Vinci and handwritten drafts of songs by Mozart; poems by Oscar Wilde and books by Jane Austen.  I was astonished at how beautifully this literature was preserved and felt so overwhelmed that I had the chance to see the original copies of such influential works.  My favorite was The Magna Carta room.  Mary Frances shared her wealth of knowledge with me about King Henry I, the need for The Magna Carta, and the tales of Robin Hood.  I could have listened for hours.  The library was massive, and I definitely plan to go back before the trip ends.

The King's Library

Bookworm

After the library, we visited the Camden Borough, and I could not help but think of Debbie Reynolds in my favorite musical, Singin' in the Rain!  Sure, the scene is unrelated to the Camden area in London but nonetheless, I could not get the tune out of my head all day!

We walked along the Regent's canal to get to the Camden Market where the bulk of our daytime adventures took place.  There were trendy shops and yummy vendors selling all types of food.  We ate lunch by the canal and then browsed the shops before heading back to regroup before our big evening.  We went to Evensong at Westminster Abbey, which is an Anglican choral service held every night at The Abbey.  From there, we picked up a quick dinner on our way to see Henry V at Shakespeare's Globe, a replica of the Globe Theatre that's about 750 feet from the original site.  As much as I appreciate Shakespeare and his artistic brilliance, I must say that it was a challenge to understand the play.  Pictures are not allowed in the theatre but to give you a better feel, here is an image from Google:

Inside London's replica of The Globe Theatre

Shakespeare included standing area in his theatre so that peasants could have the opportunity to see plays too and the standing area also allows for audience-actor interaction during the play.  We got to experience how peasants watched plays and let me tell you, they must have had some good shoes in order to stand for that long!  Next time I think I'll sneak in a lawn chair.