Since Prince Albert's death in 1861, Queen Victoria was rarely seen in public and was always dressed entirely in black. But in May 1867, the Queen laid the Hall's red Aberdeen granite foundation stone in front of some 7000 people. It was named the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences in memory of Prince Albert.
Situated directly opposite is the Albert Memorial, which was commissioned by Queen Victoria. The memorial was designed in the Gothic Revival style, and took over ten years to complete.
Buildings in the surrounding area.
Behind Royal Albert Hall there is sort of like a square, surrounded by these buildings. College/university students are seen everywhere: sitting on the steps, on the floor, or walking about.
Upon closer look, I saw these words...
Took me by surprise, because I never expected to stumble upon the place that gave me so much nightmares during my piano-playing days. Born in a typical Asian family, I was "required" to learn how to play the piano. I passed Grade 8 with a merit but since then I've never played the piano seriously. Basically I was "forced" to play the piano and I didn't like it one bit, so I was more than happy to shrug off the burden when the time came, and embrace freedom after almost 20 years.
The Royal College of Music (RCM) is one of the Royal Schools in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), an examinations board which provides examinations in music all over the world.
I went in to take a look, because why not...
As I was walking along the corridor, the pleasant melody of the piano made its way to my ears and my curiosity got the better of me. Found the source of the music and I was blown away by his talent!
There is a Museum of Music which is free to enter.
According to the information available at the museum, the RCM was established in 1883, and since then it is home to one of the most important musical instrument collections in the UK. Today the collections stands at over 1000 items spanning five centuries from the late 1400s to the present.
The collection of around 500 woodwind and brass instruments comprehensively traces the transformation of instrument models and sound from the 18th century onwards. Moreover, significant 19th century donations include instruments from Asia and other countries outside Europe, offering a glimpse into the music of different cultures.
Many of the instruments are in playing condition and can be heard in concerts, masterclasses and other special projects. They are often played by the RCM students.
There is also a collection of musical manuscripts and prints from the 16th century, including manuscripts by Mozart, Haydn, Chopin, and 600,000 concert programmes from throughout the world.
The view as I exited the RCM.
The box office of the Royal Albert Hall. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to catch a play or a musical here because of time constraint.
Made my way to the Natural History Museum. I love the film Night at the Museum, and I guess this is the closest I can get to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City haha.
The best thing is that admission is free (except for certain exhibitions)! I love how there are so many museums in London and they don't cost a penny.
The only thing I was looking forward to see is the massive skeleton of Dippy the Diplodocus (I think the dinosaur section is the coolest), which is sort of like the icon of the museum. However, as soon as I stepped into the building, a sign greeted me saying that the dinosaurs are currently on a break as they are under maintenance.
....... That, is utterly disappointing.
Tried to get over the fact that I couldn't get to see my dinosaurs, and made my way up.
Well... this is pretty cool.
Breezed through the floors and took a few quick snaps.
My dad made the crazy decision to cycle back because there was a bicycle docking station just outside the museum. I had walked the whole day so obviously my legs were really tired and the thought of cycling home was tempting. But it has been years since I last cycled and I didn't know that finding my balance needed some effort in the beginning... and I instantly regretted it.
Furthermore, cycling on the streets of London is as scary as it sounds. Cars were zooming past me while I was struggling to maintain my balance just a mere few inches away from the moving vehicles. Well... it is probably more than a few inches, since my judgment of the distance is skewed as a result of being so paranoid (screaming silently like "I DON'T WANNA GET HIT I DON'T WANNA DIE") ... Definitely not going to do it again.
Some of the views on the way back.
Went to that one Halal restaurant (it was a random choice) near our hotel and had beef burger, chicken wrapped in pita bread, and orange juice for dinner. These cost £12!
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