Not much

As we come to the end of our time in London, we are doing less and less things.  Not so much because there isn't still plenty to do but more because we are all so tired.  Not to mention that D'Layna hurt her foot.  I've reached the point also that I am no longer taking over a hundred pictures each day. 

For today, Dr. Airhart wanted us to visit the two Tates with well over 50 paintings and sculptures between them.  While I don't mind it, D'Layna and I would neither be able to handle that.  Me, because there is only so many paintings that I can stand and stare at while taking notes on the possible meaning in them before I want to start catching them on fire and D'Layna because she gets overwhelmed with too much stimulation.

So with nothing to do on our schedule in the afternoon due to the Imperial War Museum being closed in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the Great War, we went to the Tate website and looked at the paintings, took notes on the ones we could access, and prepare for our visit today.  Then, after dinner, we went on the "Writer's Walk".   http://www.londonforfree.net/walks/writers/writers.php . 

I can't explain what we did fully because it would take too long but if you are really curious, here is the outline of the walk above along with all sort of interesting information.  We didn't quite make it to the church where they held the suffragette's funeral because we took a wrong turn and it was starting to get dark but it really was a good walk.  And just so you know, sunset is about 9 here right now with sunrise is at 4:50 so we have never really been out when it is legit dark. 

I did take some pictures though we only walked mainly for enjoyment.  One was of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital (GOSH). 

It was one the first children's hospital in Europe where the hospitals often wouldn't admit or treat children.  Charles Dickens wrote about it and fund-raised for it.  Also, it has the rights of Peter Pan and is funded by the proceeds from it.  JM Barrie left the writes to GOSH upon his death.

Another place that I took a picture of was of Gordon Square Garden.

Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group of which she was a part of often met here.  The Bloomsbury was a group of painters and writers.  They had a lot of little squares or even circles of gardens where we were walking.  There was stone, metal, brick, etc. and then there would be these little patches of peace before it continued into more buildings and roads and traffic. 

Today though was really rainy and wet.  We were rained on the whole way to and from Tate Britain.  But it really was much easier to go through the paintings and look at the items when we weren't thinking so much of what to get out of them but more of what we missed on our little computer screens.

One was The Resurrection, Cookham by Stanley Spencer.

The painting is huge and to see all of the little details that he put in is really difficult.  For example, in the back middle, a fat Jesus is cradling three babies with God behind him and to the right of that is Moses holding the ten commandments along with countless other pieces that are hard to pick out.  Can you see the two WWI soldiers?  I didn't realize who they were until I saw it in person.  I'll give you a hint though, they have no headstone like the countless soldiers who have an unknown grave.  And the headstones, there are pictures on them. 

Another painting that we looked at closer was Mark Gertler's Merry-Go-Round.

While I could see the almost terror on their faces from the computer screen, I missed the cruelty that is in the horses faces as they go around.  This one is really a commentary of the meaninglessness of the war and how they are out of control.

Now tonight is devoted to paper writing and studying for me Walking test tomorrow.  Shouldn't be too hard but it is a good idea to actually read the book before I take the test!  Lol.  Have a good night!