a tour and a tea

Today was our first academic day. We had a private tour of Sir John Soane's House. Soane was a famous 19th-century architect and his house is kept as he left it (with a lot of work, for the most part) He bought three traditional English row houses in a row and changed and linked the interiors to his taste. What is left is a maze of amazing inferior spaces brilliantly lit by skylights that house relics and paintings that he collected for his and his students' benefit during his lifetime.

We were incredibly lucky because we had private tour with the deputy director of the museum for about two hours. The house is closed on Monday so it was even better. There were two other parties in the house though. One was doing a photoshoot for a catalog and another group was moving a "small" (huge) Canaletto painting from the house to the British Museum to be part of an upcoming Canaletto show.... yea...

So we felt pretty special. In addition we are to have one of the Soane rooms as our classroom for our studies. It is the first time that the Museum is working in conjunction with a university and we are the first to use the space.



This is our group outside the Soane this morning.


This afternoon a group of us girls went for tea. We decided it was time for us to do tea! Kathleen had researched and found a great affordable tea place called Bea's of Bloomsbury just a couple blocks away from us.

Today was our first rainy day so it was just what we needed. They did incredible scones and cupcakes. We're all feeling a little overwhelmed now by all the sweets but we have an hour break before our "inaugural lecture" this evening. The lecture to be followed by a wine reception where we will meet a few of our professors.


Bea's of Bloomsbury!


Kirsten


delicious!



Marlee and Kathleen