Well today I literally got to experience being face to face with history, i had so many plans for spending my saturday in sunny london, but first stop was the National Portait Gallery.
My natural instincts took me straight to the tudor rooms, which took me to the potraits of Elizabeth I, Anne Boyeln, Henry the VIII and many more.
I stood face to face with oil paintings of the faces I have read so many words about, books which have described their personalities, their idiosyncracies, their likes and dislikes and I was mesmerised.
Mary Queen of Scots didnt seem to be as beautiful as she had been described, but her gaze stared right through me. I could feel the paranoia and suspicious nature which pervaded henry's personality in his painting.
I took in the portraits of dudley, cecil, elizabeth, katherine of aragon, katherine parr and soaked it all up. Luckily it wasnt a busy day and I just stood, a private audience to these pieces of art that seemed to speak through colours, intricate details and history.
the one which really took my breath away was the original of shakespeare, or at least who they think shakespeare is. His bohemiam mannor seemed to dance around his painting, it was dull and dark but I could still feel his personality.
The awe inspiring presence of elizabeth's paintings where unreal, they just took my breath away, the potraits of cromwell and wosley where also interesting to look at.
I just loved soaking in the culture and history of the works before me. I meandered through the floors looking at all the different pieces of work from the tudors through to now.
The photography was out of this world, the mod andy warhol pics of queen elizabeth in her jubilee, prince chardes sitting relaxed in a backyard, princess di before her wedding, nelson mandela, elizabeth taylor..
it just blew my mind, the detail, the personality the aura of hte works.. it gave me so so much to aspire to with my photography. My favourite woudl have to have been the one of alfred hitchclock, it just summed up his personality and of course winston churchhill and his belligerent stare toward the camera. just amazing..
next it was off to covent garden. I adored strolling these lanes, they seem to exude a rustic charm you cant help but smile at. The street performers are hte most endearing, charming characters I have ever met, they could charm a penny off a hobo. Clowns, to magicians, to wax frozen men, to opera singers lined the streets.. the smells of all the fresh cooked food and sweets made my taste buds water. it was a delight to explore the cobblestoned streets while nibbling on a bens cookie with kate through the area.
The next stop was to walk down to st james walk and walk up to westminster abbey. I loved it, talking in the people feeding squirrels and ducks.. there was one old man who semed to talk to the pigeons and squirrels without saying a word. they all gravitated towards him, and the squirrels climbed up his legs and arms to feed off him, it was magical.
As we rounded the bend to westminster i grabbed a glimpse of big ben. The tower of ben peaked over the buildings. The golden pinnacles gleamed in the sunlight which peaked out from the clouds which always surround london.
When we finally came up to the front of westminister and ben it was surreal to be standing in front of a monument that has been standing in the city for so long, the same place where queen elizabeth the 1st was coronated, the same place where princess di's funeral was held. Even on a cloudy day it seemed to shine and glow with an presence that you just couldnt help but stare at.. a part of history alive and standing amongst us.
At the end of hte day i was exhausted, not from walking so much as what i had to take in, I had literally stood face to face with history, touched it and had it touch me as well. it really invigorated my soul, its true what they say, to get to know yourself u need to understand your history. I had just met some and it breathed fresh air into my lungs..
long live london, long live history.
