Since the last time I posted, I’ve been pretty busy! Monday I got up bright and early in order to make it into London by 10, so we could secure tickets for Sweeney Todd that night. And we were successful! But then we had a lot of time to kill in London, given the show wasn’t until 7:30. So first we went to the National Gallery and browsed around at the paintings there. My favorites were definitely the Van Gogh pieces. I just love his style of painting. After spending a few hours in there, we ventured on over to St. Pancras, so we could go to the London 2012 store. It’s still so crazy seeing all of the things they’re doing here to get ready for the Olympics! I do have to say, however, I’m glad that I won’t be here during the games, because I can’t imagine the amount of people that are going to be here. It’s going to be so crazy!
Anyway, we grabbed some cornish pasties for lunch in the station, which were absolutely delicious! It was pretty much like beef stew in a pastry. After lunch, we did some souvenir shopping, then headed to Waterstones to hang out and read while waiting until it was time for dinner. For dinner, we went to a Japanese restaurant, which was delicious as well! I’ve tried so many new foods while I’ve been here, and I have loved them all! By the time we finished eating, it was finally time for the show, which was absolutely spectacular. Imelda Staunton (who plays Umbridge in Harry Potter, if that name sounds familiar) did a fantastic job as Mrs. Lovett, and Michael Ball was amazing as Sweeney Todd. The whole cast did a wonderful job!
The next day wasn’t as exciting, given that it was just a lecture day. Today, however, was anything but boring. The Dark Knight Rises European Premiere was in London today, so we decided to make our way down to Leicester Square to see if we could see any famous people. I have to start with this: when it comes to celebrities, people are insane. We got into London around 2 and of course the square was already packed, some people had been there overnight. We got into the crowd, and were basically packed in like sardines, and people kept trying to push their way to the front. It was crazy! I don’t ever want to be in a crowd that big again. But I do say, the experience was interesting, and I definitely got to see some famous people, even if I didn’t get their picture. After finally getting out of that crazy crowd (we were standing there for a little over 5 hours, it was kind of tiring), we made our way back to Surbiton to have some delicious Indian food before making our way back home. I must say I’m glad I’ve had the experience, and I don’t think it’s one I will ever attempt again! Tomorrow I’m venturing to Shakespeare’s birth place for class, which should be a wonderful time. Until next time, happy reading! 🙂