Ryoko: October 2010

This will probably be a photo post mostly with stuff from the British Museum and London, but first, a word about the city. London is beautiful and vibrant. It has all the charm of a European city and a little bit of something I can't quite put my finger on that reminds me of Boston. I spent the weekend satisfying my inner wanna-be food connoisseur, munching on brie and caramelized onion baguettes, gourmet pizzas, and organic frozen yogurt. The early portion of Saturday afternoon was spent sitting in Starbucks, sipping a chai tea latte and people-watching; admiring the glamour of self-proclaimed fashionistas, the determination of business men braving the chill, and narrating the passerby conversations of dog-walkers. A trek over to Portobello road revealed the bustling and occasionally coercive lives of antique hawkers. My friend and I were pushed along the street by the sheer mass of people all struggling to catch a solid glimpse of the antique valuables strewn across roadside tables and shop fronts. It was loud and congested, a feeling intensified by the practically neon apartments lining the road and the rhythmic drumming of the street performers. It was mesmerizing, for lack of a better word, and we slowly made our way up and down the street, pausing whenever something bright or shiny happened to catch one of our eyes. We finished our weekend with a trip to the British museum, which was stunning at the very least. The museum itself is imposing, taking up almost an entire block and composed of three massive sectors and a basement. We traveled through ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, Japan, China, Mesopotamia, Europe, America, and Africa, all in about 4 and a half hours. The collections were vast and informational; I could have easily spent several more hours meandering through the enlightenment and ancient Japan. I'm going to Brighton this weekend, and Barcelona and Amsterdam in just a few weeks, so I should have plenty more to write about soon. On with the photos!