Today, we started our first day of classes. After getting a good idea of what we would be learning about, we all walked just down the street to the British Museum. One of my favorite things about London is that all of the museums are free to enter, and even the special exhibitions have a discount for students. Like most museums, however, it was impossible to see everything in one day. Today, I focused on the European artifacts, including items from the Tudor era, and the Ancient Egyptian section. I could never pass up the opportunity to see the Rosetta Stone!

 

This stone was the key to figuring out what Egyptian hieroglyphics meant. It had the same message in Greek as it did in hieroglyphs, allowing cartouches and other images to be translated for the first time. For fans of Ancient Egypt, this is huge, and I was so excited to be able to actually see the stone that changed the world's view of Egypt's history.

In regards to the European exhibit, I walked through rows and rows of glass cases filled with gorgeous jewelry from various centuries, including a whole collection of cameo art and the armbands of Viking warriors. Coins from throughout the ages were on display, as well as an astrolabe that would have been used during the time of Henry VIII. Much of the jewelry and art of the time featured religious imagery, such as pictures of Jesus and Mary or scenes from the Bible. Below is an image from the Tudor section.

One last thing I'd like to mention is the amazing transportation available in London. The London Underground, which even extends towards terminals in the Heathrow airport, is remarkably fast, efficient, and safe. I was amazed to walk out of one of the trains to see a man with a Muppet performing the Monty Python song "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life," and on another occasion I walked past a violin player performing "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. I honestly never know what to expect when I ride the escalator down to the train, past various posters and advertisements for West End shows. This subway ride is truly a unique experience, and to me is much safer than being a pedestrian walking past the double decker buses! Those are a completely different adventure. It always thrills me to ride on the front of the second story and just watch from the window. It's a beautiful view...and it gives you more of a perspective on the driving style in London. I managed to capture a short video while I was on a bus back home, and I have seen much closer calls during my stay than the one I recorded!

Tomorrow's journey: Westminster Abbey!