You'll be surprised to know that not too much has happened since my last entry. There is, however, plenty to talk about. I spent most of last week with my classmates and professor, checking out things in London and on an academic visit. Pics? Got 'em.
I checked out the changing of the guard. For attracting as many people as it does, it's not that exciting.
Make way!
This is a tiny slice of the crowd. There were thousands of people practically crawling on monuments, curbs, stairs, and gates.
She looks like I feel
We saw this lady...
...and this guy. We all think it was Gordon Brown. He arrived in a BMW 7 Series.
This is probably the best shot I took of the guards. There wasn't much to see.
The next trip we took brought us all the way out to Richmond upon Thames to Hampton Court Palace. We started from Waterloo Station, the one used in The Bourne Ultimatum.
He's breaking in!
We saw Kurt Wenner, a famous 3D street painter. He created an ad for an insurance company that apparently saved people an overflowing vault of money in 2007.
A factory?
We arrived at Hampton Court Palace after a nearly hour long train ride. I thought the front of the palace looked a lot like a factory. The inside was considerably nicer.
This is Fountain Court. They had a man mowing the lawn in a perfect baseball field checkerboard pattern. The wealthy used to hold socials on this lawn and there has been a fountain there for quite some time now.
This is clock court. On the right side is Henry VIII's great hall. There were about a dozen elaborate tapestries, easily 25 feet by 15 feet decorating the walls. Apparently, Henry could have financed, built, fully manned, armed, and supplied a warship for what he spent on the tapestries.
Crazy Brits and their tapestries.
One for the ladies...
These are the actual costumes worn by Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson in The Other Boleyn Girl.
We took a stroll
The gardens at the palace were gigantic. This might be one of my favorite pictures. Do me a favor and check out the larger version or, if you're patient, the really huge version that doesn't leave anything to the imagination.
Hey guys - where are we?
The last thing we checked out was the hedge maze. It's the oldest hedge maze in Great Britain, something they are very proud of.
The next day, we took a visit to Brunel University to hear some talks from their Computer Science grad students. Brunel's computer science department was housed in one of the older buildings on campus, but Brunel has recently undergone expansion and improvement, partially for the 2012 summer games in London. One of the grad students told us that the games were expected to need every available space for accommodations and training.
New residences
These were the newest residences on campus. The building on the left was one of their athletic facilities.
Look familiar?
I couldn't get past the fact that one of the most central buildings on Brunel's campus looked exactly like the central building on UMass Amherst's campus. Uncanny, no?
Our next visit was to King's College in London. I didn't know anything about King's College before visiting, but I found out that DNA was discovered there by Rosa Franklin. However, the ones that get all the credit for it are Watson and Crick. Rosa Franklin's work (a set of pictures taken using x-ray diffraction) was shown to Watson and Crick who, at the time, weren't that close to making the discovery. Rosa Franklin has a commemorative plaque affixed to the main building at King's College.
This is the main courtyard at King's College. The door on the left lead's to England's version of the IRS. Amy Winehouse an Lily Allen have both performed here.
University College London and King's College have a Harvard-Yale type rivalry. In the last few years, the KC mascot was stolen by UCL students. Once it was recovered, they cast a cement base so it couldn't be stolen again.
Embankment
This is the patio that overlooks the embankment. I would be a nice view on a sunny day, but we didn't mind the break from the mid-80's that we've been subjected to.
King's College Church
It's impossible to see here, but the right most window in the center set is an image of Watson, Crick, and Rosa Franklin looking at a strand of DNA in a book.
World's first battery
We stepped into the staff lounge to check out the world first battery. It was about two and a half feet wide on the long side.
Whaaaat?
Our guide, a professor of computer science, told us that this is what the typical staff meeting looked like.
After our King's College visit, a few of us walked over to see Trafalgar Square.
The Square
I took this shot from the steps of the National Gallery. It's quite a sight to see. If you look at a larger version, you can see the Canadian flag flying proudly from their embassy on the right.
Lucas and I got a bite to eat at the Texas Embassy, a Tex-Mex restaurant that I went to in 7th grade. The funny thing about the Texas Embassy is that it's adjacent to the Canadian Embassy. It's almost insulting that the Canadians should have to give up some of their building for Tex-Mex of all things. They just can't get away from us Americans.
No childish pictures to end this entry. I've been better behaved lately. Speaking of better behaved, I'm going to a pub in Camden tomorrow night where Amy Winehouse DJ's. I hope I see her!
Well, it's been good writing to you. Give me a call on Skype (screen name: edramstad) or drop me a line (edrams [at] gmail [dot] com).
Cheerio,
Eric
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