My wife and I have finally committed to the trip to London that we booked last summer. With the economy in chaos we weren't sure if the timing made sense, and we're still not sure, but we've decided that we just don't care!
It's a short trip, centered around our long-time wish to visit the famed British Museum. We've been fortunate enough to visit a lot of the world's great museums, but this visit is going to be really special. Just to make sure, we've hired a guide who specializes in the museum to give us a personalized tour.
As previously mentioned, I'm hurriedly reading the Oxford History of Britain to fill in my embarrassing unfamiliarity with U.K. history. In two weeks I've advanced from Roman England to the arrival of The Tudors, about 1500 years of history, so I guess I'm catching up quickly.
I'm sure we'll take in much of the usual tourist destinations, but with only four full days, we don't have a lot of time to mess around. A daytrip to Bath will be another highlight, allowing me to explore the ancient baths, and Eileen to visit the hometown of her favorite author, Jane Austen.
And much to my surprise, I'm really enjoying my audio course on the comedies, histories and tragedies of William Shakespeare. Eschewing much detail in terms of plot summaries, the course provides wonderful contextual analyses of the settings from each play. I'm learning a great deal about the history of Elizabethan England, but also the time and location in which each play is set.
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