Cat's Adventures in the Wild: 7/27/2024 - Saturday

7/27/2024 - 8:00 am

Trigger Warning: Colonialist Sarcasm related to to Overwhelming Might & Ability to Pillage Indigenous (or conquored or impoverished) cultures of their cultural artifacts is wholely intended (along with me being a little slappy for taking too long this evening... again.... but no morning work tomorrow!). There is some tongue-in-cheek, but hey - if they didn't have it there in the museum then I would never be able to run around the whole world to see it myself in person. So .... Yay! but Not Yay.

It also progresses with the amount of time spent in museum going slightly loopy.

***********************************************************************************

Sooooo hard to get up this morning! I was up until 2am last night finishing the blog posting, there was a strange humming I could hear through the walls that kept me up longer, I took Advil PM to sleep. Then I needed to go back this morning and try to squeeze in more of Kew in a second blog post - doing the introduction to that very badly, I feel.

Got away from my hotel later than I would have liked since I had 10:30 tickets for the British Museum. That was no problem since the instructions said "you may arrive any time after your scheduled time." The museum was only 3 miles away, but it was going to take me over an hour to walk and about 45 minutes to ride the train (that's a long 3 miles!). Ok, so I decided to ride the train... tube. I was too tired to walk.

Picked up coffee from this cafe shop. Waiter's name was Abs (I texted it to myself in case I forgot... which is a guarantee because of how tired I was. Which, of course, means that I actually remembered. He was very sweet, cute, & flirty. Not complaining. I don't mind someone making me feel good about myself when I'm wiped out & trying to peel myself off the floor to make me feel somewhat human. Thank you Abs for helping turn around my morning!

Picadily line was super crowded on the tube this morning. It started emptying out somewhere around Picadilly, but then I only had 2 or 3 more stops.

Love all the languages I hear being spoken on the Tube and around town! French, German, Italian and all manner of Eastern languages that I can't identify.

Arrived at the British Museum & got straight in through the queque with my ticket. So, the Hoards of British Treasure began... I started with the Minoans.... then Troy.... then Athens.... I started seeing connections of similarities and differences. Then realized if I take that kind of time getting through ancient Greek pottery I would NEVER get through the Museum.

LOVING all the Octopus things on the Minoan art. They said something in notes about it probably being some sort of artist's stamp - and they know what they're talking about, of course - but to me it just screams that these are people that have an intimate relationship with the ocean. AND they love beauty. AND respect the dangerous creatures. We make Gods out of things that we fear because we think by worshiping them we can get something back in return. That's fantasy, of course. But it's human logic.

Myconean foor plan for "How to raid a tomb" (pottery examples in picture below)

Repeating geometrical symbols here - so I think these were from Troy (which was in that order)

Athens - because - it's on the text behind the pottery. 😆

So this is about the point I realized that I needed to start motoring through the exhibits. And I still missed most of the exhibits from the far East after lunch in favor of seeing the "I can't see it anywhere else in the world" artifacts.

THEN WAAAAYYYYYY DOW ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR.... almost like it was forgotten

So... I started myself methodically working through priceless artifacts at a pace they don't deserve.

Greece.... the parthanon stripped of their Friezes. (Note for those who, like me, thought these were "Reliefs" and don't know that apparently if figures in a RELIEF form a PROCESSION then it is called a FRIEZE. Good to know!

Anyway - all the lovely pieces of the Parthenon that could be brought, seem to be here in London.

Nereid Monument

Makes you feel sorry for the Greek economy when their artifacts are being hoarded by first world nations.

I still want to go.

EGYPT!

The list of kings..... just Kings.... no reigning Queens.... and none of the "lesser" kings that only reigned a little while or didn't do anything important (you know... like King Henry VIII's son who everybody forgets.... and Queen Jane.... and we just go straight on into MARY.... as fast as we can rush on to ELIZABETH I ... dun dun dun!.... Yeah. Just like that, right here. List of the Big Pharaohs.

I'm just going to say - the equisite DETAIL in the carving & painting of these artifacts does NOT come through in photographs. You Must see them for yourself to get that. THEN remember that these are anywhere from 3-4,000 years old. Some Older. The fact that color still exists on these paintings, or that we have granite sculptures that have not weathered to the point that they're unrecognizeable. Even IF they were buried (which many were) - it is still absolutely amazing that it's here.

When a heat pump can't survive 15 years. Or plumbing starts needing work after 20.

See what I'm saying?

This is inside the sarcophagus - every inch is painted except where the person's feet would go.

Again - the detail, the natual setting, and the energy in this painting is splendid.

These mosaics are from near Ephesus, for the biblical scholars. They actually referenced Eephesus on one of the walls, but the face of fear in the middle of the flower, I find a rather interesting commentary of the human condition. You can ponder that how you will.

LUNCH - I arrived at 1:15 and was seated right away for my 1:30 reservation. My waitres, Petra, from Hungary - was very kind explaining what my pre-paid lunch included and what it did not. I appreciiated her patience.

This cafe Americano was umm.... strong. Yummie! But my hands were shaking by the time my fish arrived.

Dat Crazy Coffee!

journal entry -

1:35 pm London - British Museum

You will see the hoards of the British soon enough, for now I am relaxing with my Americano & taking in the magnificent glass dome. My reservation - prepaid lunch - at the Great Court Restaurant includes two courses. I have ordered the trout and the Cornish Strawberries (a Truffle! 💖) My waitress is French (she wasn't). She is very polite & helpful answering my questions about the menu.

I am liking the chance to sit & rest for a bit I feel like this is my first free moment today.

Many of the customers decided to order 'ea' for their lunch - or maybe it was in addition to - I have yet to have a formal Tea. I think it would be fun, but I prefer tood to sweets. And I can't imagine doing both in one sitting.

I like my Aunt's idea of bringing a little stuffed sheep (or other animal - cat maybe?) to take pictures with. Her take on the observations were always witty & light-hearted.

All I have is my face to put in the pictures occasionally to prove it's me in these places.

This is my second Americano of the day & this one is very strong! Part of me wants to nap & the rest of me doesn't want to lose any time on this trip. But honest - I would be very happy sitting beside the Thames, watching people for a day. Sometimes it is more enjoyable watching than being one of them.

Rosetta Stone - Must see that before leaving. Thanking Reddit - an Easter Island Totem pole as well. Apparently it's (Rosetta Stone) in Room 4. Lower Level - so I passed by on my way through the ancient Greeks & things.

Salmon? doesn't look like trout. Oh wow on the lobster risotto! Definitely tastes like salmon to me, but maybe this is how they identify the freshwater salmon differently. It would make more sense. I was confused by the 'salmon' designation in New Zealand, but if it is a salmon-like fish that lives exclusively in freshwater - that explains both naming conventions.

Cornish strawberries.... topped with a candied orange rind? Bottom is mostly a gelatin, but the strawberries that are in there are really fresh & full of flavor!

Tea for after the strawberriess, & a close-up of the sugar cubes - white & brown sugar options, all rough cubed that bubble when they're dissolving.

GREAT GLASS CEILING

(that makes everything in this room look blue)

In the African section - very nice of them to concern themselves with blaspheming one tradition while ... well....

carefully compare the picture to the tunic being displayed?

Modern pieces to help represent the African culture from the collaborative view of some modern artists. These are really very nice.

Rosetta Stone - I should have been using my phone the whole time. I'm starting to be very dissappointed in my handheld camera's resolution.

More beautiful mosaics - beautiful detail (and my camera not picking it up crisply)

Exhibits in the Great Court - and yes, that's the cafe & diners around the polynesian totem poles.

One of the earliest examples of written writing....

Alexander - I don't think he needs to be introduced, though he does need some clothes.

One of the Easter Island Statues

And then there's the treasure that reminds you - oh yeah - they're not all just philanthropically visiting the world to bring back artifacts to protect & treasure - they were building an empire based on....

Ok - left the museum at about 4pm & headed over to the Royal Academy Museum of Art

Oh yes... Picadilly circus.... that happened

Oh... back to the Royal Academy -- I wonder what the artist is trying to say aboutt this man's artistic talent.......

He's producing massive piles of .... what?

Anyway! Iside, there are many Awesome Statues - made from casts of the originals, which are held at other galleries. But I believe these are used as teaching tools. Pretty amazing to have a reproduction at your art school. And very interesting to see some of the work done with them in the drawings on display nearby.

Walking home - the whole 3 miles - only to pass by...

Lovely Day to be in.... Buckingham Palace Park?!

Really sucks when you have to put up security because

somebody broke into the Queen's bedroom once upon a time

to ask why they couldn't do anything about the job's situation in GB

Also along the way.....

Just around the corner where Princess Elizabeth & sister Margaret kicked their heels up by being real rebels & sneaking out from under mum & dad's noses..... to right aroud the corner?

Really?

Those rebels.