Hello Culture - Part 6

Day 6 – December 28th

When I was younger, I gave serious consideration to becoming an archeologist. Had I followed my dream, I’m sure that Indiana Jones would have seemed a pin-headed moron by comparison. I’m not sure what happened to my dream. It could have been my dislike for Anthropology courses at University. It could also have been my anticipated dislike for long summers digging in the jungles of Borneo or the Steppes of Russia. As it is now, I much prefer reading the Globe & Mail on summer mornings in my backyard. I think I made the right choice.

But I digress. Today we attended the British Museum and, on first inspections, it appears that the British Museum has stolen a lot of valuable artifacts from a lot of different cultures. I knew that Empire had to have more perks than just all the tea in India. I’m sure these cultures have forgiven the British Museum their thievery for the simple reason that the Museum has organized their plunder so neatly – 3rd Century BC Greek sculpture in this room, 14th Century French coins in that room. Brilliant! Could you imagine if they mixed up 9th Century Assyrian pottery with 7th Century Indian jade ceremonial jewelry in the same room? Chaos!

All kidding aside, the Museum is an excellent way to spend the morning and we didn’t even get through half of it. Particular highlights included large statues of Ramsses II, the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles (I believe the Elgin Marbles were sculptures placed on the Acropolis in Greece. I also believe that Greece has asked for them back only to be refused by the Museum. Long live the Empire! Rule Britannia, Britannia Rule the Waves …)

After the Museum we made our way to a neighbourhood pub for some lunch prior to heading to the West End for our play – Les Miserables. The theatre was very nice and the acting superb. But, I have to say, Cosette and Marius must be the two biggest ingrates in Western literature. What a couple of worthless people. I suppose the play was a success, but it just made me so angry …

Apres theatre we headed to the Med Kitchen - a renowned West End restaurant which lived up to the hype with some very excellent wine on offer. After that we made our way back to the Avonmore via Trafalgar Square and a little pub in Kensington with the nicest bar front we had seen yet in England. They had even hung garlands of greenery throughout the place to make is smell like a pine forest. Very nice touch.