Slow Saturday - 7/2

On Saturday, I needed to take things easy. My legs have been hurting from all of the walking. I'm not used to this much walking normally, because like many Americans, I'm addicted to my car and driving everywhere.

Anyway, as you may have noticed, I spent a little time on Saturday morning updating the Friday entry. After that, I walked down to the British Museum - which is a convenient 10 minute walk from where I am staying in London. The British Museum, like most major museums, can be dealt with in many ways. A quick "highlights only" tour in an hour or two is very touristy, but is often all that many people do. I prefer a more leisurely, multi-day approach. Therefore, on my first afternoon at the British Museum, I decided to touch on only a few exhibits - my favorites. I went into the early Mesopotamian rooms and then to the early European history rooms. Luckily, visitors can take pictures, so here are few of mine.

The main entrance to the British Museum

The main hall/central hall in the British Museum

Winged lion/sphinx that stood at the main gate of the ancient city of Nineveh in Mespotamia

Panel showing the goddess Ishtar, or possibly Ninurtu, from Nineveh

A fragment of clay ablet on which part of the Epic of Gilgamesh appears - this is the account of the Great Flood

a very large cauldron found in an Anglo-Saxon hoard

examples of Roman glass objects found in various places throughout England and Europe



Anglo-Saxon glass cups found in high status burials in England



this is an interpretation of what the Anglo-Saxon helmet fragments found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial may have looked like when they were first buried

 After my trip to the museum, once again several of my colleagues and I went out to dinner. This time, we went to a very nice Greek restaurant. Ethnic food is very prevalent here in London, and better yet, much of it is very good. Anyway, I didn't take pictures of the food, this time. Just let me say that everything was excellent, and I ate far too much.