Today was a day full of unexpected delights!  I wasn't sure if I wanted to take the 18-pound trip with the University of Westminster to Hampton Court Palace, but I decided at the last moment to go ahead and do it.  The trip sounded like fun, and who knew when I'd have another chance to see the palace?

When I arrived at the train station, I felt a little lost until two of the girls who organize things for summer students bounced over with eager, smiling faces.  "Erica Glenn, right?" asked one.  I was impressed!  Apparently, they'd looked at everyone's names and pictures so often that they had all the faces memorized.  The two of them helped me purchase my ticket, which, with a student discount, came to only 13 pounds, including roundtrip train tickets and Hampton Court admission.  Four other students soon showed up (students I had seen before but had never met), purchased their tickets, and then we were off!

On the train, I started chatting with the girl next to me (Maria).  Maria speaks Russian, French, German, and English fluently.  Incredible!  Her father, a Russian language professor, was travelled from country to country while she was small, so she has lived all across Europe. She came here on her own; she's always looking for summer schools and new study opportunities.  She adores international relations and she actually wants to go to Oxford or Cambridge to study law.  

When we arrived at the palace, I could tell that I was in for a wonderful day.  Maria and I became a twosome, and we explored every nook and history-breathing cranny of the castle and its grounds.   We began by taking a welcome tour guided by a woman in full, medieval costume.  She was very expressive and she really gave us a sense of the history of the palace (from its founding by a group of knights to its construction by Cardinal Woolsey to its grand additions by King Henry VIII to its Baroque-style features commissioned by William III and constructed by Christopher Wren).  We walked through the clock court and the fountain court and admired the variety in the architecture (half in medieval style/half in neo-classical style), the funny little Tudor chimneys (added years after the Tudor reign to give the palace an air of authenticity), and the beautiful fountains and colonnades.

After that, we took a guided tour of King Henry VII's state apartments (his bedrooms and personal quarters were destroyed by William III when he renovated).  I didn't learn a whole lot o the tour, but I certainly enjoyed myself!  The tour was more like a theatrical production than anything else.  A "duchess," dressed in full Tudor garb, put on arrogant airs and led us into the palace through the Great Hall.  Then her nemesis, a cheeky, witty duke “stole” the group from the duchess and took us through the state halls.  It was thoroughly amusing to hear the duchess and the duke casting biting remarks back and forth.  These were obviously trained, Shakespearean actors!  Delightful.

Maria and I decided, at this point, to leave the palace and explore the grounds.  I was absolutely blown away by the immensity and grandeur of the well-planned gardens.  The two of us walked for two straight hours and didn't even pass through all the gardens.  Carefully pruned trees surrounded reflection pools and huge fountains, and flowers grew everywhere in neat rows.  I could've spent days in the gardens alone.  Maria and I even discovered the world's longest vine (over 200 feet!) and the Hampton Court hedge maze.  In spite of my awful sense of direction, we eventually made it to the end of the labyrinth.  Hurrah!

Passing the king's tennis court, we made our way back into the palace and picked up audio tour guides (they were free!).  I was so impressed by the palace if only for the facts that it isn't half as tourist-y as the other places I've visited and that so much is included in the modest price of admission.  The audio guides were wonderful; they led us through William and Mary's public and private apartments and the rooms of King George II.  We also visited Cardinal Woolsey's original rooms and the Tudor kitchens.  The cooks at the palace once had to bake for thousands every day, and the fires and cauldrons were gigantic!

I really think that William and Mary's rooms were my favorite in the entire palace.  I was entranced by all the stories I heard through my headphones and all the history that lies in every room.  I even saw the king and queen's private bed chambers and several paintings by Raphael and Verrio.  Everything was so lavish and ornate, and each room provided ample food for the imagination.  Our group spent a good six hours at Hampton Court Palace, and I really think it might top my list of London tourist attractions.  There wasn't a moment of the day that wasn't thoroughly enjoyable.

Finally, around 5:00, we all headed home on the train.  I was so tired that I slept most of the way back.  We were starving by the time our train arrived at the Waterloo station, so we all decided to eat at a Thai restaurant.  Our bill came to fifty pounds, so we each ended up paying ten pounds, but I have to admit that the food was worth it.  I ordered a Jasmine smoothie and coconut rice and shared a chicken dish with Maria.  Maybe I was just very, very hungry, but I don’t think I've ever tasted food so delicious.  I finished every bite!

After dinner, Maria and I decided to explore the area a bit before heading home on the tube.  Maria was looking for a dress and shoes, so we stopped in several shops and tried on a couple of things (although neither of us bought anything).  I also took her to some of the literary spots in Soho that my teacher had pointed out during our class field trip.  

I finally returned home on the tube and was able to chat with Crystal, Uven, Nick, and Jill for awhile.  Poor Jill was supposed to be in Ireland today, but when she arrived at the airport with her group this morning, she realized she'd forgotten her passport.  Her group had to go on without her.  How sad!   I told everyone about my trip to Oxford tomorrow and let them know that I was allowed to bring friends along.  Unfortunately, everyone but Uven already had plans.  So Uven and I will head down to the church tomorrow at 7:30!

G'night!