“To see the world, things dangerous to come to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel, that is the meaning of life.”
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
This quote has been on my mind for my entire adventure here to London. It’s from one of my favorite movies. Walter spends his days working for LIFE Magazine and in short, lives a very ordinary life. He hasn’t been anywhere or done anything. All of the sudden he gets the chance to go on a grand adventure and live out the motto of LIFE Magazine.
It seemed appropriate to me.
Yesterday we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and today we took a day visit to Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the largest museum of decorative arts in the world. It was founded in 1852 and is in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. We spent two hours in this museum and we barely scratched the surface. The building itself was magnificent. They have glass windows and altar pieces of Medieval Germany, sculptures that once stood in Florence, Italy, and Raphael paintings on loan from the Queen that once hung in the Vatican. It was breathtaking, to say the least. I couldn't help but say "wow!" out loud when I was walking around.
Stratford-upon-Avon was a much different scene. It was a small village about two hours outside of London by train. When we arrived we ate at a tiny little pub called the Black Swan or as it was renamed by the American soldiers in World War II, The Dirty Duck. It's famous for its food and it was delicious! After we ate we went to the birthplace of Shakespeare, Shakespeare's home, and his daughter's house. A lot of it was reconstructed to look like what it did in Shakespeare's time but it was still an amazing experience. The garden's were my favorite part and although it was raining, we still managed some fun pictures.
Despite the difference both of these places inspired me to think about who I am, what I want to be and how I need to remember the people who paved the way for me to have the opportunities that I have.
Two of my favorite moments:
i. Sitting in the room with the floor to ceiling, bigger than life, Raphael paintings depicting different stories of the Book of Acts and crying because they were so beautiful and I felt so small. It was one of those moments when you have a glimpse of clarity and you realize that you are part a bigger story somewhere, somehow and everything in you longs to jump into that river that will carry you on adventures farther than your imagination could roam.
ii. Smelling the sweet peonies in my favorite playwright's garden. One day I desire to write beautiful, potent words that inspire and infuse people with ideas long after my life is over.
London is grand.
Cheers!
Bethany Berger
Stratford-upon-Avon was a much different scene. It was a small village about two hours outside of London by train. When we arrived we ate at a tiny little pub called the Black Swan or as it was renamed by the American soldiers in World War II, The Dirty Duck. It's famous for its food and it was delicious! After we ate we went to the birthplace of Shakespeare, Shakespeare's home, and his daughter's house. A lot of it was reconstructed to look like what it did in Shakespeare's time but it was still an amazing experience. The garden's were my favorite part and although it was raining, we still managed some fun pictures.
Despite the difference both of these places inspired me to think about who I am, what I want to be and how I need to remember the people who paved the way for me to have the opportunities that I have.
Two of my favorite moments:
i. Sitting in the room with the floor to ceiling, bigger than life, Raphael paintings depicting different stories of the Book of Acts and crying because they were so beautiful and I felt so small. It was one of those moments when you have a glimpse of clarity and you realize that you are part a bigger story somewhere, somehow and everything in you longs to jump into that river that will carry you on adventures farther than your imagination could roam.
ii. Smelling the sweet peonies in my favorite playwright's garden. One day I desire to write beautiful, potent words that inspire and infuse people with ideas long after my life is over.
London is grand.
Cheers!
Bethany Berger
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