I set my alarm for 6 am even though breakfast didn’t start till 7:30 (I figured I would just have a lazy morning) but when the alarm when off I decided to lay there a bit, and woke up again at 8:45. Yikes! It’s my vacation, so I can’t actually be late for anything. I hadn’t really slept since Thursday night, so I must have been wiped out.
I got up and ready in 15 minutes and popped downstairs for a croissant and jam with juice then tossed on my mint green trench coat and headed out into the rainy London morning weather.
I walked a few blocks to the train station and took the train across town to the Russell Square to go to the British Museum.
It was a couple of blocks from the station, and I got there 10 minutes before it opened and the queue was already down the block and around the corner. I joined the line and at 10 o’clock the line started moving quickly as they checked bags and let everyone in.
The museum is enormous.
I started with the Chinese ceramics since it said that was one of the quieter galleries, and I was the first one in the room. I was able to spend as much time as I wanted looking at everything from different angles, getting so close to the glass that I was sure a sensor was going to go off, and taking pictures of all the different shapes and glazes that I now want to try out when I get back.
I went through all of the Asian galleries next and then headed downstairs to see the ancient exhibitions. So. Many. People. I went through the Egyptian wing, wound my way through the Mesopotamian rooms, and finally into one of the many Greek collections.
Pottery, cuneiform, more pottery. There were a lot of other things in the galleries, but I wasn’t too keen on taking photos of the human bones and mummies in display cases. Yikes.
A large portion of the Greek collection is housed in a set of rooms that look stereotypically like what you imagine the British Museum would look like. Dark wood paneling, glass cabinets, Greek marbles on plinths everywhere.
It was very cozy.
Athena. The original badass bachelorette.
I took a break and wound through the main gift shop (picked up a few things!) and then had a bit of lunch in the cafe. Next I went and saw the Rosetta Stone (no photo as it was packed with people) and the Elgin Marbles.
These really should go back to Greece…
I went upstairs and explored the European rooms, specifically the Sutton Hoo ship burial display and the Viking artifacts.
The discovery of the Sutton Hoo ship burial is a fascinating story that Netflix made into a film called The Dig. The artifacts they found buried in one mound are unbelievable, given that many early European artifacts were made from materials (wood and fibers) that didn’t last, unlike ceramics.
This is a “cloak pin”. You aren’t going to convince me that this TWO FOOT pin wasn’t actually a very dramatic way of removing your plaid/cloak and having a deadly improvised weapon close by at all times.
I took a selfie with one of the marble statues as I was heading down to another Greek gallery. Still searching an Athenian Owl coin…
Seriously, every gallery in this museum is like looking at the pictures from your history textbooks in real life. It is BIZARRE.
The helmets looked so cool I had to get a small replica for Christopher.
And finally, I found the Athenian Owl coin.
Having thoroughly explored the British Museum for the entire morning and part of the afternoon, I headed to the National Portrait Gallery, a short (mile) walk down the street.
The National Portrait Gallery has the only portrait of Jane Austen that was made (by her sister) while she was still alive, so it is a required stop.
The NPG also has a STUNNING collection of Tudor portraits of several of Henry VIII’s wives and daughters.
Henry VIII not included. Wives and daughters only. Henry sucks.
Also found a few familiar faces in the “colonies” section.
But no matter where I looked, I could not find the one tiny portrait I was looking for. Because apparently Jane isn’t on display.
Jane also looks annoyed. She’s apparently good enough for the gift shop though… Consolation postcard:(
Very put out, I tromped off to the British Library which has Jane’s writing desk on permanent display. It’s been annoyingly drizzling all day and it was the appropriate mood weather. I popped in and out of the Tube a few stops away and walked to the British Library, which is a beautiful functional library that has displays of prominent writing and musical documents, including Beatles music. However, after going through all their displays I could not find one thing.
Jane’s writing desk. It’s apparently in storage as well.
I tromped back out into the rain and onto the Tube to find something that WAS DEFINITELY going to be where it was SUPPOSED to be.
Buckingham Palace.
And the sun came out as well. I decided to enjoy the walk to Wellington’s arch and then found some ice cream to enjoy along the way.
That tiny ice cream cone cost me 4 pounds. Readers, when I was 16 I could get a huge ice cream anywhere in London for a pound. Inflation sucks.
I headed back to rest for a few hours since my feet were killing me (18k steps by 3 pm) and I got some bottled water on the way back from the Tube station.
After resting for a few hours I was getting hungry and remembered a cute pub by the Gloucester Street Tube station that I had wanted to try, so I walked the few blocks to the Stanhope Arms for dinner and a drink.
Aspall’s cider and a steak and ale pie. Solid pub dinner.
I hadn’t eaten much (or drank enough water) so the Aspall’s went to my head a bit quick, but it was a delicious dinner after a day of walking and exploring. I attempted to find some provisions for the drive tomorrow in the Tesco’s Express on the way back to the hotel but it was PACKED with people, and I gave that up quickly.
I got back to the hotel, arranged for a taxi at 7:45 tomorrow morning, and crashed for the night. I have to remember how to drive on the wrong side of the car and on the left side of the street tomorrow while driving in one of the busiest cities in the world. I’ve done it once, I’m sure it will come back. Right? …right???