An American in London: Days 4, 5, 6, & 7

Well I haven't been updating my blog everyday, but that is because I've been too busy off having fun in London! We've been seeing most of the city: old and new things for me, and basically doing it all by walking, so hopefully we've been counteracting all the good food we've been eating with all the walking (and a couple runs).

Tate Modern.

On Thursday, 7/22, we took the day off from exercising, and after Jared headed off to work, I vegged around the hotel for the morning, catching up on emails, etc. (loving the free internet at the hotel! It's sooo fast compared to Dubai!). I wanted to check out the Tate Galleries (The Tate Modern and The Tate Britain), neither of which I had been to before, and which my friend Pauline had smartly advised that I could take a boat-ride between (how lovely!). So when I finally motivated, off I walked to the Tate Modern, which was just across the River from our hotel. Like all of the National Museums in England, the Tates are both free, which is nice because not only does it save money, but it makes you feel as though you can stay and enjoy for as long or as little as you'd like (versus paying for a museum, I sometimes feel like I have to stay and 'see it all' even when I've lost interest). So I wandered through for a couple hours, taking in the Picasso's, Jackson Pollack's, and even some Abstract Expressionism and a late Monet painting. I am not a huge modern art fan as some of it freaks me out, and some, frankly, looks like my little cousins could have painted it, although, it is good to change things up. I do just enjoy the breadth and variety of art and museums in London. In Rome, it's pretty much all Renaissance Art. In Dubai, fashion is the only 'art'. I loving being back in a place with so much culture, and culture of all varieties.

The nice thing about the location of the Tate Modern, is that it's located on the River, almost directly across the River from St. Paul's Cathedral (lovely views), and also basically right next door to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (replica). More culture!

View Across the River from the Tate Modern to St. Paul's Cathedral (with the Millennium Pedestrian Bridge).

After I tired of modern art (like I said, some of it freaks me out), I headed to the boat for the Tate Britain. The boat, however, was not free, but well worth the £5 for the twenty minute ride down the River Thames. Such beautiful views of the city from the River that I got a bit carried away...

View of the Temple area from the River.

Approaching Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament on my boat ride.

Big Ben & The Houses of Parliament.