Sorry for the delay since my last entry, but I had some very boring, non-tourist-related things to take care of over the last few days. Anyhow, to my next topic, which will be a sort of situation of where I am living for the next few months.
The area of London in which I reside is called Bloomsbury, part of the Borough of Camden, and is noted for its long association with the arts, literature, and especially education. The district lent its name to the Bloomsbury Group, which included authors Virginia Woolf and E.M. Forester and economist John Maynard Keynes, among others. Here is a glimpse of Bloomsbury Square Gardens:
My previous post was but two of the institutions of higher education within the district; others are the University of London, the Royal Veterinary College, the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the hilariously named London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. No, really:
Additionally, the British Museum is located within the district, a short walk from my apartment. Being the sort of person who adores history, I decided to pay a visit to the venerable institution, which welcomed me full-on all its architectural grandeur:
Even inside, facing the central atrium, the effect diminished not one bit:
After quickly scanning the galleries, I made my way to the one that most piqued my interest. Now, some reading this blog might assume that I would have headed to the Greeks, which is reasonable given my fascination with philosophy and the examined life. However, my absolute, hands-down favorite historical period is...
THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST! How can you not love that era? Seriously - this was the period was right after the dawn of civilization, but just before the events in the Bible. Really, it's humanity just after history began, and it's right as History is beginning to take over in terms of the mythology that indigenous peoples are crafting for themselves. In other words, this was the time of Gilgamesh: as you can see in the above photo, cuneiform is up and rolling; literature is just beginning to develop; and the hero archetype is becoming ingrained in a political/dynastic sense. Simply put, it's just a really cool period in human history. Definitely deserves closer study, especially if you want to recontextualize your understanding of the Old Testament. Oh, and because people go nuts over the ancient Egyptians, here is a mummy, I guess:
As much as I do love the ancient Near East, I also had to make a stop to visit my friends the ancient Greeks, such as my good friend Bacchus, god of ecstasy (not the drug):
As well as my philoso-bros, Socrates, Antisthenes the Cynic, Chrysippos the Stoic, and Epicurus the... Epicurean:
All of the galleries were pretty magnificent to be honest. There was an especially nice exhibit on Native American culture and one on the emerging Islamic world, though for some reason I decided not to take any pictures, possibly because I am a horrible aesthetician. The other possiblity was that I was very hungry for delicious British cuisine. So, I made my way to a nearby pub, the Shakespeare's Head, to see what was cooking (and brewing). Once I arrived, one item immediately jumped out at me: the eternal bugaboo of British food: snake and pygmy pudding:
Okay, steak and kidney pudding, but come on, the local rhyming slang is priceless for this sort of thing. To be honest, I was a little unsure about this decision ,even as the plate was set down in front me. However, fortified by a pint of (passable) Abbot Ale, I decided to dig in, and the only word that can really describe it is: savory. Way, incredibly savory. The pudding itself was encased in suet, and was very hot. Not going to lie, I can totally see where people would not immediately reach for this dish, but I decided to go one through it. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it is unlikely I'll order it again. Still, I did it, and for that, I am proud (I think).
That's all for this entry. Stay tuned for next time, when the elitism might rise again!
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