Today we were all feeling healthy and well - hooray! And Mom was a trooper to be up and at 'em and ready for a big adventure today. We made our way to the train station and took the train to Hampton Court. We gradually figured out where to go, and they even had these cute cloaks for people to wear to get into the spirit of the place, so the girls all had cloaks, which was fun. We began at the Great Hall with its amazing ceiling, and the amazing Abraham tapestries Henry VIII ordered for that room. You could sit at the high table and imagine you were the king. From there we toured Henry VIII's rooms with the chapel and guard holding rooms. His life is endlessly fascinating, and we had fun learning about him. I had forgotten that Cardinal Wolsey originally owned Hampton Court, and made it beautiful, so much that when Henry came to visit, he just took over it - what a guy! The kitchens were really interesting, too. We were trying to imagine making food for 600+ people at a time. The girls liked the actors dressed in costume who were acting like Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. When they came in the room, you had to kneel, and they had discussions there that helped history come to life.
We also saw the rooms of George II, designed by Christopher Wren, which were designed in the 1700's. We saw the throne room, bedrooms, study, closet, etc. Following the palace tour, we spent some time outside. The girls really wanted to go to the maze and try it, and we also saw the tennis court, which looked like a racquet ball/tennis hybrid. We got ice cream and enjoyed the beautiful weather and being outside! I haven't mentioned the weather today yet - it was by far the most beautiful day we've had here yet. I was beginning to wonder if the sun ever breaks through the clouds here, and we had this perfectly clear blue sky. It was a wonderful day!!
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