Monk's House

In her beautiful gardens

Small Back Door

Virginia Woolf

In my Great War and Modernism class we will be reading the novel Mrs. Dalloway, written by Virginia Woolf. It is a book that was highly experimental, deeply involving, and impressionistic for her time. Today we took a trip to her home. It’s formally called Monk’s house. It’s a weather-boarded cottage embedded in wild gardens and beautiful scenery. I noticed that inside her house there were a lot of thought provoking novels, many of which were war books. She had a separate room set aside for her writing. Inside of the room were pictures of all the people that visited her home, one of them being T.S. Elliott. It’s sad because we learned upon the visit that she had committed suicide. 

Bateman's

Kipling's Study

In Front of the House

We visited the tranquil home of the famous author and poet, Rudyard Kipling. “Recessional” is a poem by Rudyard Kipling that he wrote in 1897 for the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

During his concluding comments in the General Conference session that was after September 11, 2001, President Hinckley used this poem. He said:

            “Regardless of what may come, may faith, immovable and constant, shine above us as the polar star.

Now, today, we are faced with particular problems, serious and consuming and difficult and of great concern to us. Surely we have need for the Lord.

            When I went home for lunch, I turned on the television, looked at the news for a moment, and paraphrased in my mind the words of the Psalms: “Why do the nations so furiously rage together?” I’ve lived through all of the wars of the 20^th century. My eldest brother lies buried in the soil of France, a victim of the First World War. I have lived through the Second World War, and Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and lesser conflicts. We have been a very quarrelsome and difficult people in our conflicts one with another. We so need to turn to the Lord and look to Him. I think of the great words of Kipling:

Far-called, our naives melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire-

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget—Lest we forget!

It is such a fitting poem for the issue President Hinckley was forced to address. After reading this conference talk I knew that Rudyard Kipling must have been an excellent author and poet if President Hinckley read and quoted his works.

When we arrived at Kipling’s so called “good and peaceable place”, the woman that greeted us said that it was a modest home of the time. As soon as I saw it I was surprised by its size and elegance. In my opinion it is not a modest home by any means, but maybe for the time in which he lived it was. Kipling’s wife was a very artistic woman and had a lot to do with the interior décor. It was decorated with crafts and heirlooms from all over the world. They had many things imported from abroad, supplying the home with only the finest. All the linens in the bedrooms and kitchen were hand –made. My favorite room was Kipling’s study. The walls were covered with shelves holding years of classical literature that may have inspired his works. I loved the library look his study had and would love something similar in my future home. The estate also had beautiful gardens surrounding the house and covering acres of land. Beautiful homes like this make me wish that I lived in these times.  

1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield

Battle Abbey

We visited the grounds of the most famous and important battle in English history. It was kind of cool to think that on October 14, 1066 thousands of men were slaughtered on the very land we walked on. It was the last successful military invasion of England where the King was killed. The battle transformed the country forever. I touched the stone that marks the place where King Harold fell in battle. The fighting with shields and swords that took place on this battlefield reminded me of the fighting that took place in The Book of Mormon. 

Bodium Castle

Up on one of the castle towers overlooking the countryside

Bodium Castle

This 13^th century castle looks like the ones you find in storybooks, almost too romantic to be true. The fact that the castle is completely surrounded by a lake-like mote with a single bridge walkway up to the main entrance gives it a magical touch. Within the castle walls, the open area is beautiful with marble arches and unique windows of all sizes. Sir Edward, the man who built the castle, wanted it to not only be a military stronghold but also a residence that showed off power and wealth. When I stood on one of the top towers overlooking the beautiful countryside below, I felt that great sense of power that Sir Edward had in mind.  

Happy Birthday Lisa Claire!

Devoured Gu Cupcake from Harrods

Midnight Birthday Surprise

Lisa and I grew up together in the same home ward and have been friends since elementary school. Birthdays have always been a big deal to Lisa and she never fails to celebrate for everyone else. Her 7 roommates (including myself) wanted to do a little something special to celebrate. We are all ALWAYS together so we knew it would be hard to surprise her, but who doesn’t love a good surprise.

We picked up some yummy desserts from Harrods and planned to have the ritual singing and treats in the kitchen around midnight. The struggle was to not let Lisa know what was going on and then somehow get her to come into the kitchen without suspecting a surprise. After some brainstorming we had figured out a plan.

The BYU Centre had been contacted by the U.S. embassy with a world-wide travel alert for all Americans. Our professors had talked to us briefly giving some advice to avoid public political displays and other things to keep us safe while abroad. They said that they would let us know if they hear anything else on what things could be going on etc… When everyone was assembled in the kitchen a few girls were still in our room with Lisa. As planned someone came into the room and told them that we were all meeting in the kitchen for an unexpected update on news about 9/11 from the professors. Lisa claims that she had no idea and totally believed us. When she came into the kitchen we sang to her and shared some delicious treats. It was a fun night and great way to start off a birthday. Happy Birthday Lisa Claire!

Canterbury Cathedral

Inside of Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

This Cathedral is the mother church of Anglican Christianity. One of the greatest aspects of this cathedral is its exterior. Its location was in a quant little town that is said to look similar to Switzerland. The best part of the tour was when our guide told us about the archbishop, Thomas Becket, and his murder. King Henry II appointed Thomas Becket to be the Archbishop of Canterbury thinking that he would be able to impose his will upon the powerful religious institution through his dear friend. King Henry II was mistaken. Thomas Becket had an allegiance to the church inspiring him to take a stand against the king. The king’s men were sent out to kill Thomas Becket. When they found him in his home and sanctuary (Canterbury Cathedral) they tried to take him from the holy space for execution. He would not leave the cathedral so the king’s men spilled his brain on the steps of his own altar. It’s a sad story because Thomas had done nothing wrong and the blame of his murder fell onto his former close friend King Henry II. The interesting part of the story is that King Henry felt so bad that the next day he walked the streets barefoot and let the monks of Canterbury Cathedral beat him. People take a pilgrimage to visit the crypt and memorial of Thomas Becket still today. 

St. Martin's Church

Crucifix and Stain Glass in the Church

Over the many years that BYU has been here in London, there has never been a group that has been able to go and visit the St. Martin Church in Canterbury. We studied the background story explaining how it got there and where it came from. To me it seems to be a love story. Love of religion incorporated with the growing love of a marriage. King Ethelbert had an arranged marriage with Princess Bertha of France. A part of their arranged marriage agreement was that she would be able to worship as she pleased when they were married. When they married she moved over to England and her husband allowed her to continue practicing her religion in an existing church that had been used in the Roman period but had faded into disuse. Queen Bertha was admired, adored, and loved by the people and later on she even converted her husband the king. The church is still used today, but will forever hold that legacy.

In my reading for my religion class the symbolism that is found in churches was explained in depth and St. Martin’s church was a prime example. The ceiling above the nave of the church looked like the bottom of a ship. A parallel is drawn from the scriptures; there are various accounts of boats saving the people form the storms. The baptismal font was in the front of the church right after you come in the doors. As you progressively travel east in the church you get closer to the crucifix. This advancement through the space represents the journey of life towards the Savior. Another really neat thing that made this church unique was the crucifix. The crucifix was a cross with a tree branch on it. My professor was surprised by this idea and said that in the book of Isaiah he refers to Christ as the living branch.

Before we left the church we sang a few hymns as customary in such a private sacred space. We sang “I Need Thee Every Hour”, “The Spirit of God”, and “I am a Child of God”. I definitely felt the spirit and it helped me look past the differences of this church building than to mine and realized that there are many sacred spaces around the world. I am sure that BYU will be back to visit this church in the future. 

Dover Castle & Secret War Tunnels

On the Bridge leading to the Caste

Dover Castle

On the White Cliffs of Dover

The first destination the morning of our day trip was to Dover Castle on the coast of England. Unfortunately it was a bit overcast and rainy, but I’m not worried because I’ll be back to take a fairy over to France soon enough! On a sunny day you can look over the English Channel and see the Eiffel Tower in France. When my stake president heard that we went over to Dover he wouldn’t stop talking about some old British song titled “White Cliffs of Dover”. He told me that I had to look it up to really appreciate the place we visited. When I got home I did just that and found it to be a pretty cool song. The lyrics of the song are pretty neat. This is the first verse:

“I'll Never forget the people I met,

braving those angry skies.

I remember well as the shadows fell,

the light of hope in their eyes,

but though i'm far away,

I still can hear them say.

Thumbs up for when the dawn comes up:

There'll be bluebirds over,

The white cliffs of Dover,

Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

There'll be love and laughter,

And peace ever after,

Tomorrow when the world is free.”

It’s a fitting song for the history of Dover Castle and the role it played in times of war and combat. The castle has defensive significance throughout the history of England. When we walked through the castle it was decorated to look the way it did when it was built during medieval time giving us a good sense of its origin. Next to the castle is one of the oldest Saxon churches and a lighthouse that dates back to 50 AD.  

World War II Secret War Tunnels

Women of World War II Monument

Underneath Dover Castle there are three layers of tunnels from different time periods. One of the tunnels has graffiti and etchings into the stone from the times of crusades. The tunnels that are the furthest underground and are the largest are the secret tunnels of World War II. We took a tour through them. I kind of had an eerie feeling as we walked through the operating room, latrines, dormitories, and eating hall. The reason why it was kind of creepy was because they had kept the original operating tools and appliances along with the dim lights making it feel like we had just traveled back in time.

We also got to walk through the tele-communications and planning rooms. Our tour guide noticed that the majority of us were women. He told us that even though there were 2,000 men stationed to live in these tunnels, the women that worked in the tele-communication and planning rooms were a large contribution to the operations of war that happen there. It was insightful to hear that the people of England recognized women to be a large contribution to the war. I took a picture of a monument that lies in the middle of the main road that leads to the Houses of Parliament near Westminster. It symbolizes the many new roles women took on as the men went off to war. 

Banqueting House

Execution plaque of King Charles I

Ceiling paintings and interior of main hall

We are studying architecture amongst many things in my humanities course here in London. One of our field studies was to a revolutionary building named The Banqueting House. The structure was inspired by Palladian Italian renaissance style and was the first major classical building to be completed in England. It’s interesting to see how the influence of this building is reflected in every other building that is now on the same street. The breathtaking canvases of the ceiling have survived flooding, fire and war and is nothing short of a miracle that it can still be enjoyed in their original setting, just as kings and courtiers have done for the past 400 years. My favorite thing about the banqueting house is that it’s the execution site of King Charles I. There aren’t many historical places in England where someone in the royal family had their head cut off. The plaque above the door when you walk in gives a nice little description of the event.

I guess the banqueting house is still used in a similar way today as it was used in the past. There are frequent governmental events and seminars that are held there. They also rent it out to the public for other events such as receptions, concerts, and dinners. 

Museum of London

This museum gave a great overview of the history of London. We were a bit fatigued from walking up and down a million stairs and seemed to resort to all the videos playing through out the museum. Short documentaries accompanied the exhibits outlining events such as: The Black Plague, The Fire of London, All World Wars etc. This museum was very modern in comparison to all the others we have visited so far. It is nice to gain a better understanding of the history of the great city we get the opportunity to live in for a few months. One of the quotes from the museum referring to the city of London that I really liked was:

“London’s lure was irresistible. People were drawn to the capitol for its wealth, excitement and life-changing opportunities.” 

St. Paul's Cathedral

Modern Day St. Paul's Cathedral 

Out in front of the cathedral

Infamous stair case

Glass box from the top of the Dome

View from up above

Original St. Paul's Cathedral prior to 1666

From all of the amazing things I have done here in London over the past week, taking a guided tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral has been my absolute favorite. The first picture on this post is a model of the original St. Paul’s Cathedral that was burnt down during the Fire of London in 1666 (the model of the building itself is 100 years old. I took a picture of it at the London Museum). The second picture is the St. Paul’s Cathedral that is present today; the one I toured. It was so nice having a tour guide to give the insightful background and answer any questions you had. He told us that it cost 40 million pounds ($62 million) to clean the cathedral and because of its size it takes 4 years for them to complete the detailed cleaning. You weren’t allowed to take pictures inside of the cathedral. We were, however, allowed to take a picture of the infamous staircase. This staircase that is right off the main entrance has been used in the filming of Sherlock Holmes and the third Harry Potter movie.

The entire interior of the cathedral is astonishing. Christopher Wren (the architect of the building) hired out the best craftsmen in each specialty joining in an elite workforce of brilliance. Every ounce of ceiling and wall was lined in gold leaf and intricately hand carved. The only part of the entire cathedral that has stain-glass is the American Memorial Chapel. This chapel was added as a memorial and reminder of gratitude for the U.S. and their contribution to the ending of World War II. In the stain-glass each state is represented with a seal and then along the wooden interlays each state bird and flower was carved. The Utah tile is of a beehive and reads “Industry 1847” over it. Our tour guide was not familiar with Utah, so it was our chance to introduce ourselves and hopefully leave a memorable impression. That part of the Cathedral was patriotic. In a case were the names of all the American soldiers that were stationed in England during that time. This year England recognizes that it has been 70 years since the World War II Blitz and bombings that devastated the city of London. St. Paul’s Cathedral had a crew on the roof 24 hours a day during the Blitz to protect their beloved building. On Dec. 29^th 1940 28 bombs landed on the roof of St. Paul’s Cathedra and because of the crew finding and disposing of the bombs in time there was no detrimental effect on the building. Our tour guide said that it is one of the few buildings that was saved from destruction during the Blitz.

My professor, a doctor of religious studies, knew of some pretty special things that were placed in the cathedral. He in fact knew more about them than the tour guide. In a little corner that would have been easily passed over was a stone that had an imprint of the Rosetta symbol on it. The stone had been found by some archeologists in Jerusalem and is indeed one that was from Herrod’s temple. Another piece of stone that was right below it was a stone that came from Calvary (the place of the Savior’s crucifixion). When everyone started to walk away I couldn’t help myself and had to touch them both. From the excitement in  my professor’s voice and knowledge of their origin, I knew they were significant and represented much more than stone.

Part of our tour was walking up what seemed to be thousands of stairs to get to the top of the dome and overlook London. There were actually three levels of domes. One of these pictures shows a glass box that was at the top of all the stairs. When looking through the glass you can see the very bottom floor of the Cathedral. The view from the top of the dome was astounding; you could see the entire city of London. The cathedral was a beautiful holy place that had many things of sentimental value to beliefs of all Christians.

Big Ben & London Eye

Classic Tourist Picture

Big Ben

During some free time, I made it over to see Big Ben and the London Eye. You can see the large landmarks from far away because of their size, but visiting them up close is a whole new experience. Everyone that visits London has to get a phone booth picture with Big Ben somewhere in sight. Since I will be here for a while I figured I had better do that as well! Big Ben is connected to the north end of the Palace of Westminster. It is the largest four faced chiming clock in the world. The London Eye on the other hand is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe and was the largest in the world when it was built. 

The London Eye

St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Concert Goers

St. Martin-in-the-Fields

This ecclesiastical building was built in 1726 and has served the ever-changing city of London in many ways. Some of the girls and I had an assignment to attend a musical performance featuring the work of a major Renaissance or Baroque composer. We decided to attend Vivaldi, Four Seasons that was at St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Trafalgar Square, London). I thoroughly enjoyed the pure, beautiful sound of the classical instrumental music. It is very soothing to the soul and I can imagine that music in heaven will sound very similar to it. During intermission we went down to the performance area and walked around. The piano that was used in the performance looked very odd to me. The key’s colors were opposite from every piano I had ever seen. The girls explained that it was an original Baroque piano and they only used it in special performances of Baroque music. Besides the struggle to stay awake through the two hour performance, it was pretty neat. 

Baroque Piano

Enjoying the view from up above

Victoria & Albert Museum

Known as the V&A, this museum is claimed to be the world’s greatest museum of art and design. I didn’t make it through the entire museum and only visited a few rooms due to time. The small portion that I did see was the cast and ceramics gallery. Replicas of the world’s most famous altarpieces, doors, crucifixes, and sculptures filtered the rooms. My favorite work that I saw was the Well of Moses. It could have been my favorite that day because we were just reading about Northern European art in Humanities earlier that day. Moses (with his odd horns) and five other biblical prophets surround the outside of the well. A museum like the V&A is at times overwhelming because there are so many things of importance to see. It is much easier to take it slowly and know that you’ll be back to visit again. 

National Gallery

At Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery displays one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of European painting. For our study program we were provided with an annual audio tour pass. The audio tours are very helpful in teaching you about the artwork while you are physically standing in front of it. I have already done a couple of write-ups on pieces held in this museum for my humanities course. Having such availabilities to the real life pieces of art in comparison to the glossy textbook pictures makes you gain an appreciation for the famous works. All Western European painting are represented in the gallery from the artists of late medieval and Renaissance Italy to the French Impressionists. Famous artists that have their works displayed here are: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Eyck, Van Gough, Monet, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt to name a few. 

Broadway

Les Miserable

My eyes were opened to a new favorite Broadway show. Les Miserable! I have heard excellent reviews about the touching story and rate it a 10 in all around performance. 25 years on and still the world’s most popular and longest running musical. An epic and emotional tale of love and revenge set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, brought to life by breathtaking music and sensational acting. I recommend this show to anyone and guarantee they will enjoy it. If they don’t, I feel bad for them because they are not cultured human beings.

Jersey Boys

Our first Broadway show in London: Jersey Boys! It was about the legendary story of a group of working class boys from the wrong side of the tracks who become one of the biggest pop music culture phenomena of all time. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons brought the music to life on stage.

The second Broadway show in London: Legally Blonde. This show is a huge hit on Broadway here in London. As well as the movie, Legally Blonde tells the story of sorority queen Elle’s journey through law school as she tries to win back her boyfriend. There was added humor apart from the movie that was relatable to the Europeans, I found it to be pretty funny. 

Jersey Boys

Legally Blonde