To be or not to be: that is the question. (Hamlet)

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? (Romeo and Juliete)

Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. (Julius Caesar)

A man can die but once. (Henry IV, part 2)

How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!

I am the one who loved not wisely but too well. (Othello)

To thine own self be true. (Hamlet)

Guess where we went yesterday???  YES, a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  

The reflection in the glass is of the apartment/office building in the background.

(this was just a cool piece of art that was in the theater)

(A Midsummer Night's Dream)

This was in the gift shop but I thought it was fitting for Cam, Elizabeth, and Ava. I guess strong, independent, mothers produce strong, independent daughters!

It was profound to see where Shakespeare performed.  The thatched roof, open air theater is small, standing only on the floor (600 people, yeah right?!) and wooden seating around the upper two floors of the theater.  

It was illegal for women to act during the Elizabethan period.  They used prepubescent boys for the women parts because their voices hadn't changed yet. 

Then we went to the 

Tate Modern museum.  It was one of MY favorite museums in London, although we're not going to be able to make it to the Eltham Palace, which is a home from the Art Deco period, that one may have been a close first or second.   Sorry you can't see the "Tate" sign, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Here were some of my favorites....

of course there were many more. 

Oh, I almost forgot.  The first place we ventured to was the Beatles Store.  I'm not a big fan, but David and Andy were, so I feel like I at least know a lot about them

Ever since we were planning this trip (May 2014), I had been looking at the different plays, musicals, entrtainment, etc.  One play/musical that I really wanted to see was "Beautiful, The Carole King Musical".  It was indeed as beautiful as I thought it would be.  My ONLY complaint was for people in the audience to STOP SINGING!!!  We paid money to hear the actors perform, NOT YOU!!  I knew her life story before I went...it's amazing how many songs she composed (her husband was the lyricist) before she actually started singing them herself.  "Tapestry" was her best-selling album in which she sang her own songs.  One thing I didn't know....she sang at Carnegie Hall.  That was my dream when I was younger in all of those years of voice lessons.  

Every place we've been (Paris and London) there are rentable bicycles.  Phoenix has them too, as do other big cities.  A fellow FB friend posts photos of her on them wherever she goes. 

Remember, earlier I told you that everyone goes out for dinner??  Well, the pubs and thousands of tiny restaurants are packed every night.  Here must be a manly pub for the men to gather after work.  I think it's kind of contradictory that it's the floweriest buidling on the block!

 I watch the news every morning, and everyday they speak of the American economy.  They watch us closely.   Today they were talking about how American's are buying less gasoline and how that affects jobs all over the world.           In London the World Rugby tournament is going on.             According to the BBC, the UK is on the highest terror threat level, "severe", since 9/11 which is in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria.  There are five levels of threats, and "severe" is second from the top.  The highest threat (because it's the easiest) is to those traveling abroad.  No one is really talking about it, and so far we haven't heard anything from the airport.  

As I mentioned before, London is a city underground.  It has the most sophistacted "tube" system.  Kuddos to them because it's very easy to get around, change routes, and maneuver underground.  Often crowded with people, it still moves quite quikly.  Hustle and bustle of the people in London!!

Tonight we're seeing the Book of Mormon.  Should be funny I'm guessing.

Finally, a word of advice for today--

If you're coming to London, you only need to bring a few things; black clothing, "flats", a scarf or two, and RED lipstick!

Love you bunches, oodles, and gobs

Mom/Cyn