Day 4
Changing the format of the journal to be a tad more academic: I have to do a journal for one of the classes, might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Busiest day so far, we started out early with a tour of the Houses of Parliament. Our guide was very informative and engaging, works as one of the "doorkeepers" for the House of Commons. Combining both ceremonial and practical responsibilities, the "doorkeeper" is pivotal in voting for the House of Commons and in everyday runnings of the House. Unfortunately, much of the palace's stunning Victorian architecture is off limits to photography. However, near the end of the tour groups are allowed to photograph the Great Hall, which is one of the last remaining sections of the original Westminster palace and dates back to c. 1100 A.D.
The existing Gothic styled structure is designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin and for the most part was erected after the fire of 1834 which destroyed most of the original building.
Westminster Palace West Tower
The Great Hall
The Great Hall Angel Detail
The Great Hall Roof Detail
The Great Hall East Wall Detail
Following our tour of the palace our group was shuttled off for a brief police safety briefing which seemed to increase paranoia. Met our professors and had our first class afterward, the Art History class turns out to be more engaging than the History class. The class will be entirely conducted at local museums as a way of immersing the students in the art history through first hand experience.
We also experienced our first bit of British theater: History Boys. Reminiscent of "The Dead Poets Society", the plot tracks 7 students through their last semester of high school. Along the way they are taught by two professors who, though not at odds with one another, have very opposing styles of teaching. In the end the students are given a better understanding of how the two systems should fuse together to form a unique and thorough understanding of history.
The show itself was incredibly well done, however much of the humour was dependent on local customs and went over most of our heads. Though I'm sure a traveling Brit would experience the same in the States.
Busiest day so far, we started out early with a tour of the Houses of Parliament. Our guide was very informative and engaging, works as one of the "doorkeepers" for the House of Commons. Combining both ceremonial and practical responsibilities, the "doorkeeper" is pivotal in voting for the House of Commons and in everyday runnings of the House. Unfortunately, much of the palace's stunning Victorian architecture is off limits to photography. However, near the end of the tour groups are allowed to photograph the Great Hall, which is one of the last remaining sections of the original Westminster palace and dates back to c. 1100 A.D.
The existing Gothic styled structure is designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin and for the most part was erected after the fire of 1834 which destroyed most of the original building.
Westminster Palace West Tower
The Great Hall
The Great Hall Angel Detail
The Great Hall Roof Detail
The Great Hall East Wall Detail
Following our tour of the palace our group was shuttled off for a brief police safety briefing which seemed to increase paranoia. Met our professors and had our first class afterward, the Art History class turns out to be more engaging than the History class. The class will be entirely conducted at local museums as a way of immersing the students in the art history through first hand experience.
We also experienced our first bit of British theater: History Boys. Reminiscent of "The Dead Poets Society", the plot tracks 7 students through their last semester of high school. Along the way they are taught by two professors who, though not at odds with one another, have very opposing styles of teaching. In the end the students are given a better understanding of how the two systems should fuse together to form a unique and thorough understanding of history.
The show itself was incredibly well done, however much of the humour was dependent on local customs and went over most of our heads. Though I'm sure a traveling Brit would experience the same in the States.