Second Star to the Right: "Speak What We Feel, Not What We Ought to Say"

I have only been in London for three days and already I seem to have lost track of the time. I frequently found myself thinking, "Wait, is today really Thursday?" We pack so much into each day that I am continually surprised at how little time we have actually spent in London town. I love every minute of it! This morning we did not have class, but instead met as a group to go tour Middle Temple Hall, one of the four inns of court in London. We learned a lot about the history of the structure, becoming a lawyer therein, and other fascinating things. It has such a rich history! Shakespeare's Twelfth Night was actually performed for the first time within those walls! We also got to see and touch a table that was gifted to the inn by Queen Elizabeth I as well as a desk that was made from wood taken from the Golden Hind, one of the first ships to circumnavigate the world. This country is bursting with history!
Following that tour we were taken to see Temple Cathedral, a modest cathedral near Middle Temple. We were given a brief time to take pictures and wander around before we continued our "Shakespeare Walk". We crossed the Thames to see the Globe Theatre, the entrance to the Rose Theatre, and the original foundation of the Globe Theatre as well. We ended the walk at Borough market, one of my favorite London locations. It's an outdoor market that sells all different kinds of glorious food. They are quite well known for their grilled cheese sandwiches, but today I really felt like getting a pasty (a meat-pie sort of pastry). It was raining most the morning and the steaming bread looked and tasted fantastic. We quickly had to leave, else our wallets would soon find themselves empty! I didn't even let myself look at the turkish delight. That can come later.
I took a break briefly to study for classes and even sneak in a nap, and then a group of us went to Embankment to get dinner to celebrate Jessa's birthday. We ate at a Japanese restaurant called Wagamamas. It was quite good and although it was still slightly drizzly, we ate outside under heaters and umbrellas. It was so nice eating delicious food with the Thames as our backdrop! I even got a delicious cup of hot chocolate! Ugh! Food! So much food and so little time!
Our group met up in the evening to go and see King Lear at the National Theatre. I had read the play earlier this week (like....yesterday) and I wasn't too sure how I felt about it. The play, however, blew my mind. Though I feel it started off slowly, it quickly turned fantastic! The actors were all amazing and I loved the minimalist nature of the set as well! It truly shows that to truly appreciate Shakespeare, you need to see it performed by the professionals. Speaking of professionals, looking at the program I was surprised at how many of the cast members I recognized. We pulled out our phones and as we looked them up online, we saw that many of them have been in shows and movies were are familiar with like Sherlock, Harry Potter or Les Miserables. Cool stuff!
We took the long way home and passed by Parliament and my old friend Big Ben! London during the day is a beauty, but London at night is a marvel! I am so blessed to take part in this wonderful experience, and I look forward to all that I get to experience very day!

London: A Jace's Tale
Today's Cast (friends from King Lear you may recognize)