"The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire"

[jaideran_frost]

Have recently returned from England with my dad.  Here are some highlights, for those that are interested...

London

-National Gallery - 8/10
I'm not big on art, but seeing the Greats (Monet, Da Vinci, Titian, etc.) was amazing.

-Buckingham Palace - 7/10
Because of September 11, those Red Guards with the funny hats are now behind the front gates.  As

Comments

[mints4friends]

"The sun never sets on the British Empire"...and that's why on maps, all the Commonwealth countries are frequently a pink (i.e. sunsetty) colour. Yay map geekery!

Hoo. Right! Sounds like you guys did a great whirlwind tour and had a blast! Very glad to hear that everything went well.

The National Gallery was a highlight for me as well when I was there...as was seeing the Rosetta stone in the British Museum (though I concur, the constantly shifting exhibits makes the place seem rather unfinished - they are supposed to have the best and most comprehensive Egyptology displays of any museum, but it just wasn't that impressive!). I also particularly liked Westminster Abbey (that truly is humbling architecture) but wasn't able to go inside. I'm still pouty about that, and it was 3 years ago. ^_~

[jaideran_frost]

Aww! If I'd known you'd gone, I would have asked for advice!

Yeah, the rosetta stone was kinda cool. I guess my problem with the British Museum was that I thought it would be the *ONE* place with EVERYTHING. Their mummy stuff was cool, but again, they only had like 20 of them. I thought this would be to museums what the Louvre is to art- the one place where there are 300 mummies, with 20 foot tall statues of them, with a 60 foot sculpture of some gods, and a full suit of Egyptian armour, and lights and bells damnit!

For example, they had these sculptures from the Partheon. But it was like, "Here's Posideon's chest...his head is in Greece, we think, and his legs and arms were destroyed." Yeah, its a 5 foot wide chest of a Greek God from 500 BC....but again, I thought this would be the one place where they'd have all 12 Olympians **complete**.

I guess so much of it is lost to the ages...

[boywhocantsayno]

"The sun never sets on the British Empire"...and that's why on maps, all the Commonwealth countries are frequently a pink (i.e. sunsetty) colour. Yay map geekery!

There's a line from "Are You Being Served?" that sums this up:

"It used to be, you'd look at a map, and there was red everywhere - that was the British Empire! Now it means we owe money there."

Seriously, I'd like to go to London some time - they just had a TrekBBS meetup there this past weekend. Maybe some day.

[mints4friends]

HAA! Love it.

[jaideran_frost]

"The sun never sets on the British Empire"...and that's why on maps, all the Commonwealth countries are frequently a pink (i.e. sunsetty) colour. Yay map geekery!

Wow, someone got the reference! I see you learned well through your edumacation. ;) But consider this: Was it the saying that made all the maps show pink? Or was it the maps which led to the saying? Yeah. Think about it.

[darthmarysue]

It sounds wonderful, and I'm completely jealous. I can't believe the baths in Bath are still operative; that's so cool! Must see them someday, and Stonehenge, and, well, most of the rest as well. Someday!

[jaideran_frost]

Yeah, it was wonderful. Do try to visit if you can...flight deals are out there to be found.

And were you the one reading the Patrick O'Brien novels? I decided to immerse myself in the culture while there, and started reading "HMS Surprise." Not exactly easy reading... ;)

[darthmarysue]

Indeed I am, and I'll agree they're not so much easy reading. I started at the beginning, with 'Master and Commander', which eases you into the world a little more gradually. He introduces most of the main characters, and explains quite a bit of the ship stuff in laymans terms. After that, you're expected to remember what came before! Which I can't, so I gave in and bought the companion book to explain things to me. ^_^

[chanilye]

Next time take me with you! :)

[jaideran_frost]

Heh...will do. ;)

[randomyst]

You're back? You had a good time? You didn't bring back some British floozy? You're still mine?

Yeah!!!

*does patented Dance of Happiness*