Tubes and Towers and Treasures

One thing I've learned from this trip is not to push myself too hard in the service of seeing something instead of taking a necessary rest. I have to be on a train tomorrow and exhausting myself makes me irritable and unpleasant, and no one wants that, least of all me. As a result I missed the National Gallery today, which is a loss, but one I'm willing to take in service of not feeling like a zombie tomorrow.

I did see the British National Museum today. One the one hand it was incredible to see such a huge collection of antiquities from around the world. On the other it was sort of like Britain bragging about all the cool shit they stole when they were overseas. I did enjoy the Roman treasure hoards hidden under English farmhouses and being able to see the Rosetta Stone up close. Also I have no idea how anybody read cuneiform -- it takes a sharper eye than mine that's for sure.

Also, I did make it out to the Tower of London. Had to take the tube which is not exactly the easy-to-use ultra-convenience pro-subway Torontonians make it out to be. Unlike the museum, which was free, the Tower cost about 28 pounds to enter. The group was fairly entertaining however and I got to see the crown jewels up close. My uber driver from the day before was somewhat dubious they were the real thing and not replicas but the security was tight enough that it seemed believable. Plus they looked plenty shiny to me.

And that ends my British adventure for the most part. France tomorrow, if they let me in, and then onward to Italy. London was a very nice city, an if I had a decent reason to come back I think I would. Still, the mark England's made on Canada is pretty obvious as it didn't feel foreign at all.

Tomorrow I should be spending the morning on a very fast train.

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