I thought I would post about London today because the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 Olympics was last night in London! One of my personal favorite stops in London was the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens. We visited the memorial at sunset, and I think there is no better time to visit. The memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria after Prince Albert passed away. Albert really took a lot of the pressure of the monarchy off her shoulders and did a lot of things to help the common people of London. They had nine children together and after he passed she remained in mourning for the rest of her life. Theirs is a very touching love story and you can see how much she truly loved him in the grandeur of the monument and the incredible details in the architecture.

It’s also a lot of fun to try to name the famous people who are depicted in the mosaics of the canopy in the center of the monument. There are four arts depicted: poetry, painting, architecture and sculpture with a famous figure on either side of each. See if you can name all of them! Also, around the four corners of the monument are sculptures depicting Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. See if you can pick out which is which! Up higher on the monument there are sculptures as well that depict different trades. A fun little game to play while you are there.

Tips:

• I highly recommend visiting at sunset. The way the memorial is lit is absolutely stunning.
• Try to guess who the famous people depicted are, what the trades of the four upper sculptures are and which continent is which of the lower sculptures!
• Take a walk through Kensington Gardens on it’s own (maybe during the day time). There is a magnificent children’s playground, an allotment where you can learn about sustainable farming and agriculture for free, and great walking and jogging paths as well as lovely gardens.

Where: Along Kensington Road, London, UK

When: Sunset is the perfect time to see the Albert Memorial

Cost: Free!

Were you able to guess all of the statues and mosaics?? Which stumped you?

Safe Travels!!