Day 8: Hampton Court Palace

     Hello!

     Well, friends...today was my last day in London. I spent it with Kerrie and Nathan at Hampton Court Palace, which was perfect. You all know about my fascination with Henry VIII, so walking around his home (again) was thrilling. The palace had several more rooms open this year, as well as a new exhibit about Charles II’s mistresses, which I had heard about a month or so ago and really wanted to see. It was so amazing, being at that palace again. 

     It really is a labyrinth though! It took us about five hours to make it through the palace and the gardens, not because we were lost, but because it's so big! There was a throne room, and a more private throne room; public dining rooms for the king, and private dining rooms for the king. There ended up being three bedrooms for King William, each with different levels of publicity. There were several dining rooms, several drawing rooms, and hundreds of guest rooms. But what boggled my mind is, this palace was used by several monarchs, and none of them wanted to reuse the rooms of their predecessors; at least not in the same way. Henry VIII's portion was almost entirely destroyed by William and Mary, who wanted to remodel the palace in the Baroque style (my motto is: "if it's not Baroque, don't fix it!" Name that quote!). Fortunately, William was short on money and decided to leave the untouched portion of Hampton Court as it was. As a result, there are several wings of the palace that have been remodeled in several different styles. It's beautiful, absolutely, if a bit of a puzzle. The history that's there is so rich though, as you can imagine! 

Henry's Clock Tower

The Orangery

 The Windsor Castle Pub, in Kensington. Built in 1835!

     After leaving the Palace, we went to the Windsor Castle Pub for supper before Kerrie and Nathan walked me down a picturesque Kensington street to the underground. 

     I'm really sad to leave London. It was difficult last year, after having spent three weeks here. Since I only spent one week here, it's even more difficult. I miss my family and my friends, of course, but this city is very dear to me, and it's difficult to leave. It was a short trip, but I learned a lot. God had clearly ordained every single step, and He took care of me in the amazing, kind way He always does. He blessed me in ways I couldn't expect, and will always remember. He is so good! I leave for home tomorrow. I'll see you all soon!