As our time in London comes to a close, the first in a long series of "lasts" for the Heretics and Mystics course came to pass on our last class outing, and we couldn't have ended with a bigger bang. Hampton Court Palace, located only a half hour train ride away from London, was one of Henry VIII's favorite homes, and later one of the homes of William and Mary as well. Even excluding the rich history the palace holds, the enormous and meticulously well-kept gardens, as well as the world's oldest hedge maze, and actors walking around in period dress make Hampton Court a must-see.
Our class was guided by an audio walking tour, presented by "Master Tom," a servant at Hampton Court preparing the palace for the marriage of King Henry to his final (sixth!) wife, Katherine Parr. Several events throughout the day pertaining to the upcoming marriage, such as choosing Katherine's wedding dress, speaking with Henry in his few remaining hours of unwedded life, and even the marriage itself were scheduled as events for attending that day, although we opted instead to have tea at Hampton Court gardens' cafe and try to find our way through the hedge maze. We couldn't ask for a better day.
Helpful English Hint of the Post: Have you had a pie yet? Most pubs serve some sort of meat pie (there are veggie options, too!). This is no dessert, folks; pie is a meal. In medieval England, the pastry crust wasn't even edible (which we learned at Hampton Court); it was just a vessel for baking the stew-like interior of the pie. Nowadays, though, the flaky stuff is indeed delicious and meant to be devoured!
*Cheers to Liz Certa for her contribution of this post.
Our class was guided by an audio walking tour, presented by "Master Tom," a servant at Hampton Court preparing the palace for the marriage of King Henry to his final (sixth!) wife, Katherine Parr. Several events throughout the day pertaining to the upcoming marriage, such as choosing Katherine's wedding dress, speaking with Henry in his few remaining hours of unwedded life, and even the marriage itself were scheduled as events for attending that day, although we opted instead to have tea at Hampton Court gardens' cafe and try to find our way through the hedge maze. We couldn't ask for a better day.
Helpful English Hint of the Post: Have you had a pie yet? Most pubs serve some sort of meat pie (there are veggie options, too!). This is no dessert, folks; pie is a meal. In medieval England, the pastry crust wasn't even edible (which we learned at Hampton Court); it was just a vessel for baking the stew-like interior of the pie. Nowadays, though, the flaky stuff is indeed delicious and meant to be devoured!
*Cheers to Liz Certa for her contribution of this post.
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