Birmingham

Woodbrooke

On Monday we left London and came to Birmingham. We are currently staying at Woodbrooke, which is a Quaker-run facility devoted to the academic pursuits of its residents. It's a beautiful facility surrounded by gorgeous grounds and gardens. Since we're a ways away from the city center, most of us haven't ventured off the grounds, and have taken the opportunity to get caught up on schoolwork. Yesterday was an exception, however, and after class in the morning, we drove to Stratford, Shakespeare's birthplace. After touring the house where Shakespeare was born, we saw a performance of "As You Like It" by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was fantastic, with first-rate acting and lots of unique and avant-garde production choices. I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we're heading back to London for another ten days before moving on to Northern Ireland.

Photos

Some highlights so far:

Trafalgar Square


Parliament and Big Ben


British Museum

After a great "field trip" to the British Museum yesterday, we went to see Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. It was absolutely wonderful. The acting was great and the play itself was thought-provoking and hilarious. I know this is only the beginning, but I'm still classifying Arcadia as a highlight.

We have the weekend free, but I'm planning to see the National Gallery, the Tate Modern Art Museum, and possibly Buckingham Palace, which is currently open for viewing. On Monday we move on to Birmingham for four days before returning to London for another ten days.

London

We've arrived in London! We're staying at a dorm at the London School of Economics, and having class in one of their buildings in the mornings. We had our first full day yesterday. Class was mainly just orientation. Once class was over, my friend Joy and I headed out to see some of the city. We walked to Trafalgar Square, over the Thames, and down to the Parliament building, Big Ben, and Westminster Abby. It was quite a walk. I'll post some photos of our outing sometime in the near future.

Today we started out our day with class and a brutal quiz, but the day should be getting considerably better. This afternoon we're going to the British Museum, and tonight we're going to see a production of Tom Stoppard's play "Arcadia". I'm especially excited about "Arcadia", because Stoppard is my favorite writer!

More to come very soon!