Hampton Court Palace revisited

A few years ago I wrote a blog about Hampton Court Palace.Last June I went to London again and decided that I wanted to give myself a small Henry VIII holiday. I am fascinated by him for years and I booked some things before I left for London. I saw Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies (http://www.wolfhall.co.uk/default.asp), with great performances by all actors. Nathaniel Parker plays Henry and he does a wonderful job. You can still see the plays untill 4 October. Follow the link given for more information on tickets.

I also visited the Tower Of London and I decided it was time to visit Hampton Court Palace again. It is only 30 minutes by train from Waterloo station, and once in Hampton Court you only have to cross the river Thames to visit the palace.

It has been a few years since I've visited the palace, but it still gets to me. There are actors in costume, so you can see and feel what it looked like to live in Tudor time. Ask for a program at the entrance of the Palace, as there are some nice activities throughout the day to see. You can follow Henry VIII and his advisors, and on my visit he persued Catherine Howard. I got to meet her and her aunt with the same name, and ofcourse Thomas Culpepper, the man she really loved.

Hampton Court Palace is a nice day out for the whole family. There are lots of things to see and do for everybody. Just check the website (http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/Default.aspx) for more information.

This year you can not only see Henry VIII walking around, you can also meet the Glorious Georges. Untill 30 November, they celibrate the fact that 300 years ago King George I was crowned. You can visit his appartments and even have a "smell tour" through his rooms. Just ask one of the staff for a smell guide and you can smell what the rooms smelled like in these days. You will be surprised to see that this wasn't so bad.

Hampton Court Palace is my favorite of all Historical Royal Palaces. I've been there 3 times now and I think I never get bored by it. If you visit London and want to visit the Royal Palaces, why not concider a membership. I bought one too, and it is worth it. You can find more information here (http://www.hrp.org.uk/SupportUs/Membership/). With my visits to Hampton Court Palace, the Tower Of London and Banqueting House my membership already payed off. Also you get a 10% discount on stuff you buy at the Palaces shops and in the restaurants.