Kasblah

Our first touristy stop is going to be the British Museum. Standing on the doorstep our bellies growl and our plans change slightly. It’s lunch time and we want to sample British cuisine, so we look for a pub. The appropriately named Museum Pub beckons, and we order some traditional fare: Shepherds Pie and Fish & Chips! Plus some tasty brew. Verdict? The pie filling tastes like it came from an old tin, and the peas have a neon-green sheen to them, pretty basic stuff. Fish & Chips pass the test (plate empty). Next time we need to go to a Gastro-Pub, a new trend in British cooking apparently.

The British Museum is pretty amazing. I saw the Rosetta Stone and most of the Partenon friezes, highlights from the hoards of loot collected by colonial administrators in the heydays of the British empire. The museum, in an attempt to ward off criticism, has a glossy “why they should stay at the British Museum” handout ready. But its not very convincing, and the Greeks are building a huge new museum next to the Partenon specifically to house these big marble blocks so you have to wonder how much longer they’ll be in London.

On to the Eqyptian section I spot this charming kitty-mummy! Some ancient Egyptian animal cults worshipped various animals, and placing these mummies into the tombs was supposed to be a good thing. A related exhibition looked at afterlife traditions in various cultures and I really liked these wooden hentakoi figures from the Nicobar Islands. They help ward off the spirits that keep returning to pester the living. (with their annoying thumbs-up positivism )

We continue the obligatory tour of the touristy things down by Big Ben (doesn’t look much different than the pictures). We check out Carnaby Street (too Gap-py), eat some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (do they fly it in from Vermont?), and finally eat a tasty Indian dinner.

Next day its Millenium Wheel (line too long, expensive), Tate Modern (powerful art…get it?), and shopping. Check out the funky soap store. And where else a store dedicated to tea?

We’re tired of the London bustle and get a trip into the countryside on our last day. Destination Bath, ancient Roman city a few hours sw. The first thing you notice is they built everything with local sandstone, quite a contrast from the brownstone. Bath has a lot of neo-classical architecture and ofcourse the famous Roman bath. Nobody bathes there anymore but you can get a taste of the water in the pump room.