I’ve been trying to make this post for-freaking-ever!! For some reason (I swear I didn’t do it) my pictures-upload have decided to stop working. I never used to use this because I never knew when my blog would move (when I was with DeadJournal and various subdomains and even Free Wordpress)… however, now that I’m on Wordpress on my own domain, I’ve been uploading to the domain instead of with Photobucket. Anyway, I got it fixed… and it was stupid, but here’s the post.

Last Friday (February 22) Craig and I met Nathan, Natalie, David, and Stu at London Euston. Craig has been planning this weekend for months and the four got the train down from Manchester earlier in the morning. The plan was to drop their bags off at the house back in Potters Bar then head into London again to do some general sight-seeing. Instead of both of us (Craig and I) paying two train fares back and forth, I stayed in London and killed some time while Craig brought them back to the house. I decided to go to the British Museum and get in a couple exhibits.

The platform is rarely this empty, but I thought I would show you some of the decoration in the interior of the station. A greater percentage of the station platforms have these gorgeous tilings along the wall. In King’s Cross tube station it’s 5 crowns in a + shape. I’m not sure the symbolism of these tilings for Tottenham Court Road… but they certainly are nice!

Here is the British Museum exterior

Interior… isn’t the domed ceiling gorgeous?! The natural lighting in there is absolutely amazing.

Inside there is the famous Reading Room. It has been renovated and the bookshelves and catalogues are no longer there (Moved to the British Library, London St Pancras in 1997), but the Room still in its original place. Unfortunately due to the First Emperor exhibit I couldn’t go into The Reading Room and actually gaze at the domed ceiling myself. I would have had to pay to get into the exhibit where as most Museums in the UK are free to enter.

First I went into the Egypt Exhibit which was crowded, but I had a chance to see, in person, the original Rosetta Stone.

The text itself if not particularly exciting – a decree from Ptolemy V instructing taxes and buildings to be erected – however, it is the fact that it is written in 2 types of Egyptian hieroglyphs and a form of Ancient Greek. It has allowed scholars to decipher certain hieroglyphic character, something that was previous unobtainable.

A few interesting sights in the Egyptian Rooms:

The Egyptian Sarcophagi were too crowded and behind shiny (read: camera glare) glass. None of the photographs turned out, but there were interesting panels along the walls explaining Egyptian burial rights and afterlife.

Then I went up to the Drawings and Paintings rooms as the book I’d bought (The British Museum A-Z Companion) said that the Museum had over 40 Rembrandts. The Drawings and Paintings rooms are constantly changing… and no Rembrandts were on display, but this Michelangelo sketch was a permanent installment.

I asked one of the guards where the Rembrandts’ were and he said to go to the back door and ring the buzzer and just ask to see some. So I did and was led into the Drawing Study. I had to fill out slips of paper and then one of the workers would fetch the sketches I wanted to see. I couldn’t photograph them because they weren’t “on display” and they were already catalogued by the Museum.

The Drawing Room

One of the books (Michelangelo) where you pick which plates you want to see In Person. I got to see Rembrandt sketches from The School of Rembrandt, Michaelangelo’s sketches for the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael’s Virgin & Child.

Michelangelo’s sketches for the Sistine Chapel.

On the way back, I stopped for a few minutes at the British Library.

I did go inside but I didn’t have any proper time to see the books. I went into the foyer and the gift shop. Maybe I’ll get a chance to go back and study there one day.

Happy Leap Year!

Devon is celebrating her Blogiversary in a very tempting way… sharing your favourite dessert! I couldn’t decide… I can never decide in restaurants either! Craig would pick anything chocolate any time… except he’s given up chocolate for Lent!

There is a book giveaway at The Story Siren for the Fire Study series. I’ve not heard about these before but they sound interesting, and I get an extra entry for spreading the word. Of course, I had to go look them up on Amazon because I’m not going to enter a contest I’m not interested in and take the chances away from someone who really is… but these books sound really interesting. Poison Study was the first book (2005) in the series by Maria V. Snyder and it’s a gothic/fantasy romance series – followed by Magic Study (2007) and now Fire Study (March 1, 2008).

Jessi informed me that DropStitch Knitter is having a contest. I entered sharing my favourite tip when following a new pattern. To enter just leave a comment about your favourite tool or knitting tip!

Nannybird Crafts will be having a contest every week in March (that’s 5 in total!) to celebrate her Blogiversary. The first one is here. Make sure to check her out in the weeks to come. :)

I just found a new knitblogger that I’m liking, Margene, who I discovered through Grave of Lovin Comfort Knits. Margene is also having a blogiversary contest and wants you to share your favourite nature/landscape/place and why it is special to you.