Well, I ended my last European adventure with tea in a museum, so why not start this one the same way? I write to you from a cozy table in the National Gallery in London. Check out my view of Trafalgar Square!

I am technically meant to be at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in 46 minutes to see The Winter’s Tale, but I am weak and I am hungry and opportunies to have afternoon tea in the National Gallery in London do not come around every other Saturday!

To start from the beginning, I awoke Friday morning to a text notifying me that my flight was delayed nearly two hours, but luckily the new departure time was actually when I had thought my flight was leaving all along. Had the flight not been delayed, in fact, I’d have had a fairly stressful rush at the airport. As it was, security was a breeze and the flight was uneventful. Unfortunately, I was placed in the very last full row of the plane, in the center section, with absolutely no view of any window. Without the plane wall to lean on, I didn’t manage to get any sleep. Hence, je suis fatigue. (That’s called a plot hint.)

I realized on the tube this morning that this is my sixth visit to London. I like that I feel comfortable enough here now that the idea of changing plans at the last second to rest up doesn’t bother me one bit! It was actually the interactive map on the plane ride which inspired my quick visit to the National Gallery.

If you’ve been reasonably aquainted with me (or my blog) in the last few years, you’ll know I’m a sucker for national galleries. It took me a hot second to find the artists I like because there are so many rooms here, but once I did, I was in heeeeaaaven. I’m also quite impressed with how well I’m able to identify artists now! Gauguin, Cezanne, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Eckersberg, Turner. Gah! Turner! One of my favorites of his is here!

Rain, Steam, and Speed, it’s called. I studied this painting when I was in Copenhagen, as with most of the works I love most dearly. I can’t decide if it was my art history teacher that sealed the deal or the fact that for the first time, I was able to see the real, actual, in-the-canvas or in-the-bronze pieces I was learning about right in front of my eyes. Every time I see one of these works or artists we studied that semester, I’m taken back to Denmark and that class and the whole experience that was study abroad. I sometimes say I feel like studying abroad didn’t change me at all, but in reality it gave me a very fierce sense of independence and adventure when it comes to exploring new places in new ways.

But anyway…. Allow me to bombard you with more beautiful art:

^This one’s a Monet, so the style should seem familiar to even the most disinterested consumer of art.

^One of Van Gogh’s famous sunflower paintings

^Degas liked to paint dancers and ballerinas! Two loves in one!

^This one is a very interesting Manet painting of the execution of Maximilian. I’m not usually a fan of Manet. His work is very modern and crisp, often scandalous, and not very pretty. I’m one of those art lovers whose admiration stems from being able to enjoy what I’m looking at and experiencing rather than having to read too hard into crazy meanings and purposes behind the art. Those are sometimes interesting as well, but if I wouldn’t put the art in my home, I’m usually not a fan. What’s interesting about this painting, though, is that it was cut up after Manet died and reassembled later by Degas. Interesting, no??

^^Venice and Venice!! So pretty!

^Matisse’s unique take on the gardens at Fontainebleau

^Another Monet! I hope to visit the inspiration behind this painting later this week! Eeep!

Okay. Enough of that. Mom, if you just scrolled on past those without blinking an eye, shame on you! Go look! Go blink!

Okay. So I got most of that out of my system and was on my way out to the Globe when I came across “The National Dining Rooms.” Ha! I hemmed and hawed for a while about whether it was worth missing the show, but you know where that got me. I’ve now finished my scone with clotted cream and am indulging in a stuffed bell pepper with my tea. It’s soooo delightful.

The cutest thing happened after I sat down. My waiter took my order just fine, but before he left, he asked, “Are you from America?” in a London accent. I said that I was and he instantly lit up. “I love your accent! Whenever I hear an American accent, I ask if they’re from America, and if they say yes I say I love their accent!”

It was too cute. I thanked him and assured him that I loved his accent as well. He kind of reminded me of a Weasely brother. Tehehe.

I think that next on the docket, I’m going to head over to a very large bookstore at Picadilly Circus to grab a new book by Jonas Jonasson, a hilarious Swedish writer. The UK covers are gorgeous and the US covers and crap, so I’m going to capitalize on this opportunity to keep my series looking nice and matchy matchy. Then, if the winds take me East, I’ll hit up the second half of the play that started five minutes ago. If the winds blow West, I’ll parade around the Natural History Museum. Life’s an adventure and I intend to live it flippantly and in a very confused fashion!

Tonight, I take the Chunnel to Paris, where I’ll meet up with a surprise guest (one I never thought I’d get to see on this blog!) This mystery person is the reason I’m here bleary-eyed (and a little bloodshot in the right eye) right now and not fast asleep in Seattle. Thank you mystery person! I’ll see you soon!!!

Until next time…

Pip pip, cheerio, and all that good stuff,

Lizzy-wa