Hampton Court Palace

I used to live in London, but had never been to Hampton Court Palace. Today I went. It was interesting - far more lavish than I had expected. Nor had I expected the level of family intrigue and machinations that were going on. You wonder if some of the monarchs might have turned out a bit better if the parents / grandparents had been more reasonable as they were growing up - particularly in the Georgian era. The kitchens were also fascinating, because there were so many. 

The picture is one of the grand windows, the one Henry VIII would have faced as he ate. And that was my other take home. There is a point at which being proud of your achievements slips into narcissm. And wanting to look at yourself depicted in a stained glass window smacks of narcissm to me.