Monday evening, January 12, 2015

Today is our first “working day.”  The weather was cloudy and drizzly throughout the day, making it easier to stay inside and focus our attention on our primary course papers.  Five students working on scientists (John Dalton, Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, John Flamstead, and Isaac Newton) went to the Royal Society and registered to use its archives.  Everyone went to the Wellcome Library to register to use its history of medicine library.  Both libraries offer remarkable resources for the study of the history of science, medicine and religion.

Mid-afternoon, we visited the remarkable British Museum.  With limited time, we saw the Rosetta Stone from Egypt, the Elgin Marbles of the Parthenon from Greece, and the mummies from Egypt.  The Enlightenment Period exhibit of 17^th and 18^th century science was closed for refurbishing, but should reopen a few days before we leave.

This evening, we attended a first-rate theatre performance of “Wicked.”  Wow!  What fun!

Photographs, L to R: A-Interior of British Museum, B-Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

Sunday evening, January 11, 2015

 

Today dawned clear and bright, and reached a high around 45^oF.  We all keep an eye on the weather at Calvin College, and are additionally grateful to be here.  We worshipped at 9:30 a.m. with All Souls’ Church, Langham Place, a thriving, multiculturally diverse congregation in the evangelical branch of the Church of England.  After worship, we caught a double-decker bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral where we worshipped at the 11:30 a.m. Sung Eucharist service with the 12-men Vicar’s Choir (no Boys’ Choir today).  The cathedral was visually and acoustically resplendid.  After worship, we gathered to reflect briefly on our different worship services.

Via bus and tube, we made our way to Camden Market and Locks.  The “Locks” refer to two locks on the canal at Camden that are interconnected to canals that cross England and even London, allowing people to live and travel on long, low, narrow houseboats.  The markets are countless small booths, hundreds clustered adjacent to each other, hawking a wide variety of ethnic foods, souvenirs, clothes, shoes and boots, jewelry, tattoos, and even some drug paraphernalia.  On weekends, it is inundated with commoners and tourists.

Photographs, L to R: A-Sanctuary of All Souls’ Church, Langham Place, B-Camden Market and Locks