Public Transportation, Tate Modern museum, and Globe Theatre

Hello,

I apologize for the lateness of this blog post. It has been a hectic first couple of weeks trying to get my bearings and prepare for class. I have slowly been exploring the city more and more. Trying to get out of this posh neighborhood and determining the best way to use public transportation. The underground, a.k.a tube, is the easiest way to get across the city it is very efficient and fast. However, you don't get to see too much of the city when you travel underground and it can be very expensive if you travel between zones. The bus is a little more confusing than the the underground, but it is cheaper and you get to see all the sights. Almost all the buses are double deckers here and are kept very clean. The best way to describe it is vintage and traditional. The last form of public transportation that you can use besides taxis and walking; is the bike system. You can go to any of these bike stops, and rent a bike for a day. It is only cost one pound. There are over 300 of these bike stops across Zone 1 in London, which is where I live.

This last saturday I went to the Tate Modern museum. The Tate Modern is a museum that exhibits modern art. It was an old power plant that got turned into a museum (there is a picture below). It has seven floors and three floors are full of exhibits. Not going to lie some of the exhibits were "beyond me." I really don't get how art can be just a big canvas and line... Oh well, some of the other exhibits were amazing. There were Pablo Picasso paintings, which contained more of his surrealism and abstract paintings. My favorite exhibit was this one called A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters,  by Taryn Simon. You can read more about it Here. My other favorite part of the Tate Modern is the view from the balconies. Also, the day I went I got lucky because it was the Thames festival. So there was just a lot of people walking along the river and there was live music. London is a great city to people watch! Since, it is so multicultural. Last thing to add and the great thing about London is that all of the museums and art galleries are free, which is great when you are poor college student.

Millennium bridge. This bridge is in Harry Potter and gets destroyed in the sixth movie. 

Picture of the Bridge from the Balcony in Modern Tate.

This is apart of the Thames festival.

I don't get lines... Looks like a murder scene.

Favorite Picasso Painting that I saw, notice how the "blue" face looks like it kissing the "white" face.

Being a history a minor, I love just walking around. You can just feel and see the history in London. When walking outside of a pub you can find memorials and monuments attributed to subjects that I have just learned in class. It is amazing being able to experience it and now I can say "oh I have been there," just makes everything more relatable. Speaking of places that I can now say "I have been there," for class I went to the globe! I watched the play Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe. It was hilarious and the production at the globe is incredible. If you are willing to stand in the yard and be known as a "groundling" you can get a ticket for five pounds. It was painful to stand for three hours but it is totally worth it. Most study abroad students have "trip" classes, which means that there class goes on trips throughout london. I am just fortunate enough that mine goes to the globe and sees plays!

Classmates and me at the Globe! The poster for the play is behind us.

Cheers,

Brian Trubowitz