Grand Tour.

That’s what we had around the British Museum this afternoon.
I loved the place as soon as we walked in! Sent a picture of this amazing atrium to daughter Grace and she replied that Rod had designed/engineered it. That’s her father in law. I should have known as his company were responsible for the Millennium Bridge and Dome and the Emirates and Olympic stadium work for which he later received an OBE!
We had a 90 minute ‘Round the World’ tour as we felt we wouldn’t know where to start. One thing I definitely wanted to see were the medieval Lewis Chessmen and these were the first artefacts we were taken to. I’ve seen the 11 they have in the Nat. Museum for Scotland and we’ve been to the place they were found on Lewis. They are amazing and I was thrilled. 
Next  everything that was found at the excavation at Sutton Hoo from Anglo Saxon times plus a reconstruction of the helmet as it would originally have been. Ticked all my boxes!
We visited 15 artefacts in all from different periods and countries ending with the Parthenon stones or Elgin marbles as we used to know them.
So much more to see and a return visit is definitely required but I think it was a great way to start. Don’t know why we haven’t been before as we’ve even twice stayed in a hotel virtually next door!
It was a lovely day too, warmer than yesterday and I was wearing too much, but we had a morning wander around the city and north bank before crossing the Millennium Bridge again to go to the Tate Modern. Went up to the Viewing Gallery for a coffee and got great views of the Riverside City. We did the two minutes silence along the river when we heard it announced over a station tannoy. Lots of very smart uniformed and medal wearing people around today for the march past at the Cenotaph.
Well that should have been enough but after a Turkish Mezze at St Katharine’s Dock we had an evening tour of the Tower of London booked. A very witty Yeoman Warder was our guide and he told the history of the Tower brilliantly making it well worth another hour and a half out and on our feet. The evening culminated with the Ceremony of the Keys at 10.00 pm. This has been done every night for 700 years and involves regular soldiers as well as the Yeoman Guards who have to have had at least 20 years military experience to get the job. We had to be silent and no photography or recording is allowed. Our group was joined by others who we were told had been on a waiting list for 12-18 months to come and witness it.
A brilliant day but I’m now pooped! Sorry no comments tonight.
 
 London Day 2  Flickr link
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16251802@N05/albums/72157711752313218