On Friday, we had a tour of the Globe Theater. It was one of the things that I had been looking most forward to and it didn’t disappoint me. The building is architecturally beautiful and the craftsmanship is just top notch. Walking into the space, it really did feel like walking back into time. We are in a very busy part of London but it was quiet and serene in the theater. The knowledgeable tour guide had a great sense of humor which made the very detailed tour a lot of fun.

We had some free time after the tour, so some of us went to the Tate Modern Gallery for lunch…nothing like just popping into a lovely museum for a warm meal. After walking down the Thames to the National Theater to buy a few souvenirs, we began a walking tour of London based on William Shakespeare’s London. What I enjoyed most about this tour was that at almost every stop we read a piece of one of the plays that was connected to what the tour guide had talked about. Nothing like reading some Shakespeare while walking around London!

After the tour, we, again, had free time on our hands. This is where I have to say I was almost proudest of the students. Each pairing set off in different directions to finish up what we wanted to do in London. Some saw family, some went shopping, some did more sightseeing. What really made me proud was that there was no fear in anyone. This same group of student who had come to London a week earlier a bit nervous and timid were zipping around on the Tube/Underground like they owned the place! What a difference a week made! We saw a production of The Tempest that night in the Globe. A very magical experience sitting outside watching amazing actors recite lovely lines of poetry! What was a lot of fun was watching the interaction between the actors and the Groundlings (the people who stood for 3 hours watching the play!). The actors not only talked to them but spit water over the crowd, fell into the crowd, moved through the crowd and basically made them part of the performance…very much like it would have been in Shakespeare’s day. One last night in London and we had to say goodbye to new friends and a city that we all enjoyed immensely! I am so happy that we all have shared this experience! To all of my fellow London travelers—until we meet again in this fair city and always remember to “mind the gap!”