London – Day 4

The British Library!

I like libraries, a lot, calm and quiet and no one cares that you are poking around at everything, it’s bliss.

The British Library is a great one and their gallery of rare books was my reason for going.

Below is an 11th century Ethiopian text regarding sainthood within the Ethiopian Christian Church, it’s amazing to me that a book like this can survive a thousand years, looking at it give me a feeling that I can’t describe but I know it makes me feel good.

One of the four original copies of the Magna Carta is also held at the British Library, no photography is allowed and the document sits in a room alone with a guard beside it so getting this shot required real patience.

The National Gallery was next on the list, I had heard before that it’s not the greatest gallery and that the entire collection is only about 2500 pieces but there was still a really nice collection of Impressionist works.

The view from the front steps of the National Gallery

Monet painted this piece from a viewpoint of the balcony of the American Bar at The Savoy Hotel around 1900.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The world’s largest museum of design, lots of cool stuff but I was mostly there to see the jewelry room, it did not disappoint.

Celtic gold ring, 2000BC, Scotland.

I like peridot. This set contains dozens of perfect quality peridot, probably the piece I liked best in this gallery.

Remains of the original walls of the Roman fort of Londinium, more than any other time this period and place in history, Roman and Pre-Roman Britain is my favourite and is the time I have studied the most. Seeing the wall here made me giggle with joy.