National Portrait Gallery etc.

Pictures: 1) the street where we live (our flat down on the right)
2) Picture Katie K. took of me looking at St. Pauls - this is in the last blog, but I edited it
3) Ashley and me in Piccadilly Circus
4) I forgot where this was...it was on my way home as I was lost



Today we all met our London Art teacher - she also seems very nice and the most down-to-earth as it were. After a brief intro (we're going to get to go to so many cool exhibitions with that class), we all walked to the National Portrait Gallery (which is connected to the National Gallery). We saw some beautiful photography exhibits. One exhibit were pictures taken by Annie Leibovitz of the Queen in a way that tried to get beneath the face she is always putting on for audiences. The photos were really masterfully shot and quite lovely. We also looked at an exhibition of photos that were submitted for a 2008 photo contest - some were absolutely amazing. Another room had black and white photos of many famous athletes in the nude as a testament to their strength and similar body form as that of ancient Greek athletes. They were tastefully shot so as to cover most sensitive areas, and their poses were lovely. I look forward to going back and seeing the whole gallery.

From there we were set free and walked through Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus, stopping at Pizza Hut for lunch. lol Pizza Hut is quite different here though - it's a sit-down restaurant. The price of food isn't quite as bad as it was last time I was here. The economy is hitting Londoners hard as well and the restaurants are desperate for business. After that some of the girls and I went to Topshop (a trendy London clothing store). I left after a bit (being rather exhausted and not in the mood for shopping) and walked to Covent Garden. I browsed some of the outdoor stands and watched a juggler and gymnast performing in the street for a few minutes. Then I thought I would be able to figure out my way back to our area of town without a map...well, I almost made it. I was going in the right direction when I finally stopped to buy a map (our art teacher wanted us to buy a "London A to Z" map anyway, so it wasn't a waste of money). As it turns out I would have hit a street I knew in about 50 feet from where I stopped. lol Luckily, all the areas within walking distance from our area are safe - most "dodgy" areas of town are on the outskirts. Plus, I like walking alone - no one to catch up to or wait up for.

Now I'm back in the flat and quite tired so I think I'll take a nap before we go out tonight. I think we're going to go to the ULU (Univ of London Student Union) and try to meet some British people.