British Museum

Some toast, jam, and coffee then off to the underground for the museum.  We seem to be getting into the European breakfast idea.  That will change when we get back on the cruise ship.

After a change of trains near Trafalgar square, we exited the underground a few blocks from the museum.

Our walk to the museum was interesting.  We passed a theater advertising The Devil wears Prada and a very different Burger King building.  I bet the building existed 100 years before the first Burger King was built.

The building for the museum is very impressive.  Established in 1753, it was the first public national museum in the world.  This museum is more than 20 years older than the United States.

There was a longer line but those were people who had gotten a later entrance time than our tickets.  I asked a “guard” and found that we could enter now and that line was much shorter line than expected.  After a short stop at security were entering the museum.  It is enormous at over 800,000 square feet.  That is over 18 acres.  They need that much room because there are over 8 MILLION items on display.

Some displays were very interesting and some not so much.  The “new” exhibits or not over 100s of years old I just wanted to skip.  Strange but you have to understand that we only had so much time and many of the interesting exhibits were of objects over 2000 years old.

Just a few of the important ones are:  The Rosetta Stone, Original Parthenon Sculptures, bust of Ramesses the Great, an Easter Island Statue, and I will not even get into the number of Persian, Greek and Egyptian items robbed from Pharaohs tombs.  To say the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians would like the items back is an understatement.  They consider the British as thieves.

Some of the most famous British explorers and archeologists traveled the world collecting for the museum.

Just minutes after we walked into the first hall I turned to Shawna and said “I want to stay for the rest of the day.”  We did stay until we were exhausted. 

I am sure some of the exhibits will seem to be familiar.

Our first area was focused on the Middle East. The first exhibits were from Nineveh in Northern Iraq and dated from 880 BC. As we turn the corner we are greeted by a 30-ton statue with a human head on a winged lion. In the background is a huge door from the palace of the King.

Next, we moved into a hall where there were carvings from the King's place.  The detail was amazing considering it was over 1100 years old.

As we entered the Egyptian exhibit, it was amazing.  There are huge sculptures, papyrus, sarcophagi (sitting right out in the open with just a sign that says, “Please do not touch”.  They are so “exposed” that I brushed against one accidentally and still can't believe that happened.  Yes, I touched, by accident, an Egyptian sarcophagus. 

There were so many mummies, canopic jars, gold items from the tombs,...  Items found in the tombs...  We were both fascinated.

More and more.  I was amazed at the detail that survived after so much time.

The Rosetta Stone.  WOW!  The stone was carved in 196 BC but not found until July 1799. A royal decree was carved in three different ancient languages. The linguists could not have asked for a better find as one of the languages was Ancient Greek.  In 1802, the complete translation of the Ancient Greek language was complete. With that translation being understood this stone allowed gave them the key to understanding Hieroglyphic's which were almost a complete mystery.  

Canopic Jars, Mummies, and more Egyptian exhibits.

Next we moved into the Greek and Roman exhibits.

Some Roman exhibits which included a carved head which was of Alexander the Great.

Some tiles from Pompei.

Move sculptures, vases, ...

Assyria. 

In the afternoon, we got a small lunch and then off to see an Moai from Easter Island.

A Buddha.

One room was focused on treasure.

Roman items found in England.

A Medieval chess set.

We were able to see all the areas we were very interested in but decided to go.  We were just exhausted.

Time for some dinner.  We hopped on the underground again and at the next stop popped up to walk to a really obvious Tourist Trap. The Sherlock Holmes Pub.  Ok we just it would be neat to visit, and they did have some good reviews for the food.  They were just a bit overpriced but that was expected.  Right across from our table was a room decorated to look just like the TV/Movie versions of his study.

On our way to Trafalgar Square, we passed the South African Embassy.  We never did see the US Embassy but did not know that it was only 2 miles from our hotel.

We walked around Trafalgar Square and ​Nelson's Column.  We did not have enough time to visit the National Gallery.  In fact, we needed a whole week just to see half of what we wanted to in London.  If we had more time....

Time to head back to the hotel.  Underground to Waterloo station then then back above ground to walk back to the hotel.​