4/30 British Library & Hamilton

I am having problems keeping up with my blog, so some of my postings may be a bit short on commentary.  What I will do is add things to a posting as I think of them later.  

So far, I have pretty much got the Underground down.  Can mostly read the map and figure out how to get somewhere.  The nice thing is that this town is swarming with tourists, so about half of the people riding transportation are as lost as you are.  I have even had a couple of people ask me for directions, in spite of the fact that I am carrying a map around!  

Some things I wish I had brought include:

• A couple of washcloths - They often don't provide them in UK hotels. 
• Some Advil and/or aspirin - Took me a while to find the British equivalent.  
• Some warmer clothing - It has been very cold and damp here, and my think raincoat is excellent for rain, but lousy at keeping me warm.  I really need a sweatshirt to wear underneath.  Walking around outdoors, at least 2-3 miles per day, has made me really feel "cold to the bone."

I am also finding food an issue and am not eating and drinking enough.  Part of the problem is that I have been living on sandwiches and take-out from various places like a Chinese noodle place, Pret A Manger, and Starbucks.  I take things back to my room because by the time I am ready to eat, I am so cold I need to warm up.  Getting ice for drinks is also a problem, but the hotel gave me a cup full when I bought a Coke from the bar.  No drinks machines or ice machines. 

Anyway, here are some photos from the British Museum.  Took two subway rides and a long walk to get there because I got lost, so I was really worn out just getting there. 

Walked about half a mile down this road before I got out my cell phone and realized I had walked in wrong direction. 

This is the grand courtyard of the British Museum. It is a huge building, and you can only see a small part in one visit, so I decided to focus on ancient Britain.  

Do you remember reading about the Sutton Hoo ship that was found in the UK?  It was a burial chamber for someone very special and filled with all the things a warrior might need in the afterlife, including a lot of gold. 

Many of the items, even the gold items, were in small pieces, so this is a replica of one of the warrior helmets that was found in the burial chamber. 

This is one fo the actual helmets discovered.  It is gold and bronze.

Pieces of a shield. 

Next few photos show gold clasps and buckles.

Some silver platters and bowls overlaid with gold.

A Roman cup found in Britain.

The nest few photos show hoards discovered in England. The UK has a great process for what happens when someone finds buried coins, gold, or other ancient items.  They must notify the government immediately and stop digging, and the appropriate museums or antiquities department sends out researchers to dig out the items properly and then give them a value.  The government keeps the treasure but pays the finders and landowners the value of what was found.  

Here is an article from the Telegraph that explains what to do if you find buried treasure:  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/gold/6256121/Gold-what-to-do-if-you-dig-up-your-own-Anglo-Saxon-hoard.html

Here are some more hoards displayed in the British Museum: 

Another interesting thing that happens in the UK is that occasionally ancient bodies are found in peat bogs.  Because of the chemicals in the peat and the lack of oxygen, the bodies have been turned into leather and preserved for thousands of years.  One of the most renowned was Lindow Man.  He was buried in the bog about 2,000 years ago.  

Here is an article from BBC about him and his discovery:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28589151  

Yup, this is the real guy.  I'll bet he never imagined he would end up as a museum exhibit!

Leaving the museum in the cold and rain.  Brrrr.  I really need to buy a sweatshirt of some sort to wear under my rain coat. 

Went back to the hotel for a rest before heading out to Hamilton.  Luckily, this theatre is only about five blocks from my hotel, so I walked rather than taking the Underground. 

I had chosen a front row, first balcony seat, which is my favorite place to sit in a theater because the view is terrific, with no one sitting in front of you.  Unfortunately, the seats were small and uncomfortable, so I had a terrible time with my back and tailbone pain.  

Hip-hop Hamilton was fantastic, however.  One thing I learned is that I need to do more studying of that period of history.   

Couple of ladies I was sitting next to were kind enough to offer to take my photo after I took theirs.  One nice thing about London theaters is that they allow you to bring in food and drinks from outside.  Also, they sell the usual drinks in a bar, but they also come around with little Hagen Das cups of ice cream you can buy. 

I took the Underground back to my hotel because I could not figure out which street led back to my hotel!  Victoria Station is right next to theatre and my hotel is only half a block from the St. James Park Station, so it is very convenient, or at least it would be if not for all those stairs in the stations--has to be at least 3-4 flights down and another 3-4 back up.  Whew!  Cold and tired when I got back to hotel.