This blog is not once again about running, but I find when I come back from a run I always want to write - hence all the running blogs; this blog is about WICKED! And my day at Blenheim palace, the extraordinary day I experienced yesterday. We started the day at 8AM and drove to Oxford from London which is about a 1.5hr trip. We arrived at the palace at the side gate and I was blown away. Our bus driver actually drove us around the palace before going up the long drive way and the land expanded far beyond you would expect.
Queen Anne gave Duke of Marlborough an extreme amount of land and money to build a palace on for winning the battle Blenheim. The palace has been handed down from generation to generation and each that inherits the palace becomes the new Duke. The 11th Duke and his wife currently live in the East wing of the Palace. When a certain flag is raised it means the Duke is in, yesterday he was in and Tom was the only one from Saint Mary's who saw him! There are a few months in the winter when the Palace is closed to tourists and the Duke has free reign (well mostly I assume there are restrictions - strange having restrictions on the Palace that you OWN) and invites family and friends to visit.
The grounds. The land that the Palace is built on is absolutely gorgeous. It consists of the world's 2nd largest hedge maze (I wasn't that impressed) but I did get lost running around it and finally found my way out. Also, there are numerous paths along a man-made lake which is enormous all owned by one person; the Italian Gardens but they are closed to tourists, but the Rose Garden is not, and it was beautiful. All the flowers were in bloom and it contained all the natural colors a rose could be.
There was an adventure land which was a wooden playground and reminded me of the wooden playground that St. Anne's had when I first attended school; it was great! I haven't even mentioned how gorgeous the garden right behind the palace was with its statues, hedges so neat, fountains and flowers awing to one's imagination. We kept saying to each other how imaginable it is to say, "this is My Garden and land." What a life some people live that most of us in the world can't even dream up.
While the Blenheim Palace was a major highlight of being in London, it was not the highlight of my day because I saw WICKED!!!! The show that I have been dreaming about seeing since Stauffer introduced the music to me our freshman year I was finally able to see! We had pretty good seats, but knowing me I'd love to be in the front row, but I was definitely not complaining, the price was student discounted and we got five seats together, Me, Maggie, Greg, Josh, and David! I didn't have a tall person sitting in front of me and we split a pitcher of Sangria before the show. I couldn't ask for a better setting, and then the show began. Having listened to the soundtrack so many times I was just dancing away in my seat and I don't think I stopped smiling the whole show...well maybe during the sad parts but they always got better and ended happily!
The way that the actresses can belt out is amazing and I only wish I could sing half as good as them. The set was spectacular and the lights blew me away! My favorite was during the scenes that included Emerald City. It was absolutely amazing; ironic that Emerald City matches Alphaba's skin but she fit in perfectly. Also the costumes that the citizens of OZ wore were magnificent, I do wonder when we'll be seeing some of the designs on the streets of London and then the states, and then Wisconsin :) If you haven't seen this show and like the Wizard of OZ, you need to see this show and you will fall in love. If the music isn't enough the plot will surprise and entertain your mind, but the music is the BEST!I am so happy to have seen Wicked I can't even explain it! I am so lucky to be here in London and to have the chance to see all the talent I have already witnessed and all that is to come. This is all thanks to the my wonderful mom and dad, and of course all those who pushed me to go :) Definitely the right decision!
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