London Education

What we learned today in London:

How to Kill an Hour in London
1. Stand outside a tourist attraction (in our case, the Horse Guards).
2. Look at your watch wondering what time the parade starts.
3. Be greeted by an elderly Londoner (he said he was 81, didn’t look a day over 60).
4. Spend the next hour walking and getting a tour and history lesson on the Changing of the Guard plus tips on where to stand, little things tourists might miss, and very enthusiastic advice on where to get theatre tickets.
5. Part ways, see a great Changing of the Guards, and curse yourself for not getting the man’s name.

The Rosetta Stone
It’s bigger than you think and really fascinating. The whole of the British Museum was great, even if we only got to see about a third of it (if that much). Also, seeing the Elgin Marbles was quite interesting along with a whole host of Greek and Egyptian artifacts.

How to Make An English Lit Geek’s Jaw Drop
Enter the British Library and go into the Special Treasures Room (sorry, no cameras allowed). Turn to the left and wait for it. The original copy of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Go a little deeper and pass copies of da Vinci’s notebooks, Shakespeare’s rough drafts, Handel’s Messiah, and you’ll end up at one of four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. It is strongly recommended you bring along a towel to wipe up the drool.