Hampton Court Palace

On my last day in England we travelled out of London to Hampton Court Palace, the setting of much political intrigue. It was the oft-married Tudor king Henry VIII who turned the country house of Thomas Wolseley into a royal residence on the banks of the River Thames. Christopher Wren and ‘Capability’ Brown later left their marks on the site and in 1838 Queen Victoria opened this Historic Royal Palace to the public.

Portrait of King Henry VIII with Prince Edward and Jane Seymour

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

When I started planning my recent trip to England, I wanted to see a play. Then I heard about a new production to premiere in London’s West End, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and I registered for priority booking. Advance ticket sales opened in October 2015 and I logged on to find myself about 1,800 in the queue. After waiting two hours for my turn to buy tickets I had problems on the web site and came away empty handed. The first four months of performances sold out in hours.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at London's Palace Theatre

Sunday Morning on Trafalgar Square

A few years ago I saw Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in London’s National Gallery. Thanks to jet lag, the experience was a bit of a blur. But there’s something about this painting that lured me back. Perhaps it’s the expression of cheerful, positive energy from a man better known for a life of emotional turmoil and tragedy.

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square

Harry Potter Studio Tour

My children grew up with the amazing exploits of the boy wizard, Harry Potter, and together we’ve watched all eight films (several times). With a new stage play in London’s West End and five planned Fantastic Beasts films, the magical world created by J.K. Rowling will continue to entertain us for many years to come. I couldn’t miss an opportunity to visit the studio in England where the movies were filmed: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.