Greenwhich & Docklands

     I went to Greenwhich today with Kiley, Hannah, and Kate. I really liked it. We walked up to Cutty Sark and just the way everything around was very historical reminded me a lot of Washington, D.C. It was full of tourists, but somehow calm and not overwhelming like the overcrowd in London. It was a smaller town and it was a nice change of scenery for the day.

     
      We went to the National Maritime Museum. They had photos of ships as well as artifacts and interesting information about what was going on between different regions of the world at that time. They mentioned the East Trading Company, which is in the film Pirates of the Carribean, so the entire time I was there I couldn't help think of the film, ha. Upstairs they had a world map drawn on the floor and children were jumping on different parts of the world. I thought that was really cool. I liked that Greenwhich seemed to be full of rich history.

   
     We then walked through Greenwhich Park and up the hill towards the Royal Greenwhich Observatory. Greenwhich Park was lovely. It was very green and peaceful. I also love seeing all the dogs frolicking in the grass because it makes me miss my dog and I just love dogs in general. The park reminded me of a little piece of Central Park in New York. Seeing lots of grass also reminds me of North Carolina. I don't know if I'm missing the United States or not, but everything today reminded me a bit of my favorite places in America.

     At the top of the hill, there was a really good view of the city. It was really cool. We saw the Royal Greenwhich Observatory, but unfortunately didn't go in because it cost money and we were all saving up for Spring Break adventures. I love the idea that it's a place that marks time, that separates the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. Time is an interesting concept when you really think about it and I also love astronomy, so I might return later on so I can go inside.

     Afterward, we decided to check out the Greenwhich Market, which had delicious looking food everywhere. As soon as you walked in, overwhelming, good-smelling aromas hit your nose. It was hard to resist not eating. We walked around for a bit before heading back to Russell Square. It was a nice trip and nice to see a different side of London. I think it was one of my favorite assignments so far.

The East End: London's contemporary art centre

     I went to London's east end today with Jooson. It was a lovely day with weather up to 54 degrees and the sun shining for most of the day. It was a perfect day for walking around. We first went to the White Chapel Gallery, which was really cool. It was full of abstract art connected with geometric shapes and each room held art that was similar, but slightly different. It was interesting and intriguing.

     Afterward we continued to walk and passed really cool graffiti. Not the usual random writings and names kind-of graffiti, but graffiti that was actually artistic. They're were paintings and drawings that were from extremely talented people. They were fascinating to look at and very creative.

     We then came across Spitalfields Church of Christ, which was really beautiful to look at and caught my attention immediately.

      We then walked into Spitalfields Market. I loved the market! There were so many things to see and buy! Being a shopaholic, it was hard not to lose control and want to buy everything. For example the vintage jean jackets and leather jackets, all the chocolate cookies, and all the cute, summer-y dresses. I like vintage things and loved all the vinyl records that were there. The market was full of all sorts of things from sunglasses to food to leather purses to t-shirts to sweets, and the list goes on. There was a bit of everything there and the market was full of people. It was a pretty big market too. I walked out of it and thought I'd left, but instead ended up in another part of the market. I bought new sunglasses finally, which I needed because my previous ones had been in my robbed purse unfortunately. I bought a giant chocolate cookie because I'm a chocolate lover and a vanilla milkshake because I felt like enjoying myself.

    Afterwards, we continued to walk and crossed the street to find another smaller market (which I don't remember the name of) with lots of cool thrift, vintage things. It was full of posters with lovely photography of London along with posters of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, Pulp Fiction, and Amy Winehouse. I was tempted to buy an Audrey Hepburn poster because she's one of my idols, but since I already have three of her hanging in my apartment back home, I decided not to.

     Jooson and I continued to walk and explore the surrounding area until we got too cold and went home. It was a nice little adventure exploring new parts of London I hadn't been in before and a nice day for walking. I had fun and I plan to revisit Spitafields Market when my mom comes to visit in April so she can buy me things, haha.