This week I visited two very different sites that contributed to my learning and dispel the rumors I heard before my arrival in London. First, I had heard about the tasteless food in London. As I love discovering unusual food in any place I travel, I was determined to prove that I could find delicious food. I heard from a friend in America that there is an amazing Jewish bagel shop. Bagels are one of my favorite foods and New Jersey is known for the best bagels. My friend told me that Brick Lane Beigel Bake has delicious Jewish style bagels and corned beef, so I wanted to see how London bagels would compare to bagels in America. As I enjoy researching food I knew that bagel stores are either rated at four or five stars, or one star because it is either a great bagel or it is not. I knew I had to try this bagel when I saw the store ratings on TripAdvisor were a four. I looked up the address online, and Julia, Carson, and I took the tube to Brick Lane. When I walked down the streets on the way there I was curious if we were in the correct neighborhood. I did not expect a bagel store to be in the same neighborhood as many Indian and Ethiopian restaurants. Indian men were standing outside of a row of Indian restaurants trying to persuade Carson, Julia, and I to eat there. I have never seen this done in America, and I thought it was disruptive as we were trying to enjoy the scenery. They we very insistent, but we had a mission to find the bagel store. The restaurants in that neighborhood must have trouble finding business because the restaurants serve similar food, so they are competing. We walked by beautiful street art in neighborhood filled with Indian and Ethiopian restaurants and food stands. Finally, we made it to Brick Lane Beigel Bake, but the line was out the door. I wonder how many visitors this bagel shop gets daily because this shop was very crowded, but there was a bagel shop right next door that had no business. The Brick Lane Beigel Bake is famous for their salted beef bagel. The tasty bagel and salted beef came with a pickle and mustard. After eating this delicious sandwich I do not believe the rumor that London has tasteless food. The shop reminded me of the bagel store I go to regularly in America because it seemed like a family owned shop and there was no glamour, but delicious bagels. It was delightful to feel so at home at a bagel shop in London. I thoroughly enjoyed Brick Lane Beigel Bake, and it was worth the 45-minute travel. I plan to take my parents there when they visit London after classes end.
Secondly, I visited Buckingham Palace. After researching neoclassical architecture, I was able to observe common themes such as a lot of columns and bare walls. When I viewed the palace for the first time I wondered why it did not look more decorative. I expected more beautiful architecture and decoration because of what I have seen at other well-known buildings we have visited such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. The palace is a huge building, so I wonder if it is neoclassical style architecture because that is easier to build on a large scale. Julia and I arrived an hour before the guard switch ceremony, so we would be able to take pictures and get a good spot to stand. Through reading the book Londoners, I learned that the Changing of the Guards ceremony is where the Queen’s guards are switched, and I was excited to see this in person. Unfortunately, about thirty minutes before the ceremony would have started we found out it was not happening because of preparation for the royal wedding. I was a little sad that we had planned to visit, and that ceremony was not taking place, but I still was able to see the beautiful scenery of Buckingham Palace and take pictures of the architecture of the building. I thought that this ceremony was mandatory to take place every day, so I wonder what other events allow the changing of the ceremony to be cancelled. I guess special occasions in London can change rituals that take place daily. Next time I visit Buckingham Palace I will confirm that the guard ceremony will be taking place before I go. While visiting I took out my phone to research the building I was looking at and find out facts like how many rooms are there and what is inside of the palace besides the people that live there. I also wonder how this type of architecture was chosen and what other factors of neoclassical architecture are inside the building that cannot be seen by the average person. I figured out answers to some of these questions, but since the Buckingham Palace was originally Buckingham House it is difficult to find reasoning behind the original meanings of the architecture. Others questions I have are was it chosen because it was an easier type of architecture to build? As buildings such as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral had reasoning for the height of the building and the shape I wonder if Buckingham Palace has the same type of rationalization for parts of the building. Attached are a few of the images I took while visiting Buckingham Palace. The golden pieces on the gate stood out to me because they are the only part of the building that shines, so they are a focal point when viewing Buckingham Palace from a distance. Most of the architecture of Buckingham Palace is plain. I am surprised that such a significant building does not have more interesting elements of architecture. A few of the photographs of Buckingham Palace are from farther away so the neoclassical architecture is clear through the large columns on the front of the building. I chose the picture with the gates opened and the palace behind because it shows symmetry. It also gives the viewer the sense that they are being invited into the Palace. Works Cited Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Neoclassical Architecture.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 Apr. 2013, www.britannica.com/art/Neoclassical-architecture. |