Our last stop before leaving London for the hotel near Gatwick Airport, where we would spend the night, in order to make an early flight home on Tuesday, August 16, was back at the British Museum where we started our sight seeing tour on the first day.
Robert had visited the museum several times and recorded much of what he saw in his blog. I, on the other hand, was jet lagged and tired from the flight over, and had difficulty taking in very much of the vast treasures that are stored there. In the short time we were there, I did see the Rosetta Stone, but most of our time was spent walking around in the Great Court under its spectacular glass and steel dome. The dome is an architectural work of art in itself. Designed to cover Europe's largest public square (2 acres), it allows the sun to stream through its latticed surfaces, casting interesting geometric shadows on the white limestone walls and stairs of the Reading Room( where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital) and creating an atmosphere of warmth and light throughout court.
Robert and I were drawn to this hands-on, history project created by families visiting the museum and participating in one of its many educational opportunities. It was displayed in the Great Court.
The artifacts from the ancient world in this museum are overwhelming. Many were brought back during the height of British domination, when it is said that the sun never set on the British Empire. There is so much of the ancient world collected and housed here that one has to wonder if there is anything of antiquity left to see in Greece or Egypt. It was like the World Showcase at Epcot for the ancient world.
These pictures from the Egyptian collection are dedicated to Mattie. We have a date to visit Egypt when she gets a little older. Until then, the pictures will have to do.
Before we left the museum, we met Katarina and Willim for tea and a chance to say our final goodbyes. The picture below is of Robert and Willim. Bloomsbury Church is in the far background.
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