A day at the Palace with Henry.

---

Today we set of to go to Hampton Court Palace. The palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey and taken off him by Henry VIII, when Wosley fell out of favour. There were several additions to the palace, first by Henry and then by William III and his wife Mary II. We explored the apartment and kitchens of Henry VIII and the baroque additions of William and Mary that included their apartments. We did not feel that the palace was as grand as Versailles, but it was still interesting because of its history. We then spent some time exploring the gardens and working our way to the centre of the maze. There was a vine planted that was reported as being planted about 300 years ago, and it is the oldest and the largest in the world, and it still is producing fruit. When we returned to the city centre, we saw two of London's modern architectural landmarks, the Lloyd's building and the building commonly known as The Gherkin. We thought that both building were wonderful; the Llyod's building looks similar to the Pompidou Building in Paris, but looks much better.

---

Photos

Hampton Court Palace.
The main entrance gate.

The Kitchens.
One of the fireplaces in Henry VIII's kitchens.

The Fountain Court.
The baroque additions by William and Mary.

The vine.
One of the oldest in the world.

The maze.
Here's proof.

The Gherkin.
Wow!

The Lloyd's building.
Brining the inside outside.