2018-05-04

Thangov Weasel has informed us that the rest of his team headed home today, therefore he is free to explore the sights of London after a short amount of code is turned into the overlords-overlord. While this important coding is completed in bed, it allows the remaining part of the tech support team to sort out the wifi calling to and from another country. Our phones refuse to behave as do our mothers.

Our hotel, The Grange, is close to The British History Museum and high on our list of ”things to” do is seeing The Rosetta Stone, which resides there.

Wasserweasels at lunch

First stop though, is to nourish ourselves at the Museum Pub as Than has not experienced the pie. He has however eaten at the German Gymnasium, which strangely enough, is a restaurant.

Inside the museum

 It’s Friday, the sun is shinning and the Museum is not crowded. As we pass thru security, the guard asks if I have any sharp objects on my person. I answer tartly, “Only my tongue” he looks slightly shocked and tells Harvey “Good luck with her.” Eyes are rolled. The museum is free to the public. Donations are requested. The outside building does not prepare one for the interior structure, which is modern, clean with an outrageous glass atrium connecting all the buildings. Than has memorized where the Stone resides and leads us there, straightaway.  We are not messing around. This is the Tech Squad, for gods sake.

The Rosetta Stone is not big. It was a part of a larger stelle, which was “taken” as a souvenir from Memphis, Egypt. Once linguistic specialists realized what an extraordinary find it was, the remainder was long gone. Modern man’s knowledge and ability to understand ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics is linked directly to this stone. Languages on the stone include: Egyptian, Ancient Greek and Demotic; a royal decree written “in stone’ during the Pharaoh Ptolemy reign. The stone resides in the Egyptian/Assyrian/Greek wing of the Museum. The annex includes an impressive display of artifacts which one should understand were “misappropriated” from the countries of origin. The justification being those countries inhabitants were little better than savages who had no knowledge or understanding of their value or history. Most of the reliefs of the Parthenon in Greece are in this hall; taken by an Englishman “who knew better.” Perhaps this is why the museum is free, an attempt to assuage guilt of theft, oops, I mean “misappropriation”. Museums across the globe continue to struggle with the modern day legal implications of “misappropriated” artifacts.

We have no plan to spend the day here but there is also a rare collection of Mesopotamian/Babylonian (modern day Iraq/Iran) artifacts and examples of cuneiform tablets. Most remarkable was a very small map stamped in clay, which showed the range of the flood that most Christians associate with Noah. There were no religions of the God of Abraham when this map was created. In addition to the map was another tablet which told the Mesopotamian version of events. Joseph Campbell taught that there are many tales of the great flood. The major significance of this small bit of clay, it that is written history and not oral history.

It’s afternoon, time for a coffee and to check in with the mother and her impending release from the hospital. She is well. She is so well that we must now argue. There is no sign/symptom so great as to determine wellness in the elderly, than the ability to argue with family. Thank you again, Cathy. Oy.

Back at the hotel, I am ambushed by the shower and hairdryer.  I consider myself fairly cosmopolitan but the bath accoutrements is more sophisticated than I. Senor Weasel could have warned me, but I assume he really wanted to hear me squeal. Perhaps I should not have tormented him as much during his formative years. NOT!

Mustel Nivalis - together again

We dine at the Famous Fish and Chips, Rock and Sole Plaise, in Coventry Gardens and gird our loins for the long trip out of town on the underground to Greenwich, to ride the Air Emirtes gondola across the Thames. We are shooting for a dusk ride as the lights of London turn on. The Emirates have spent an ungodly amount of money developing this side of town this side of the river. Once a decaying maze of wharves it is shiny, new and feels like one has gone to Abu Dhabi. The view from the lift was astounding as the sun set a dusky, pink. Excitement abounds as the lift is directly on final approach at the London Airport and jets buzz over our heads dipping down to the Thames where the runway meets at the locks of the river.

Part of the redevelopment is the massive O2 Center which looks like something that was built to guard England at Christmas, if Dr. Who was not available. Running straight thru the O2, was the prime Meridian, marked in black stone in the large public park outside radiating from the observatory. We wanted to visit the Observatory in-person, but this was just about as good, particularly, since the Meridian Line Marker was an unexpected discovery on our part. The Tech Squad was besides themselves with nerdish joy. It was all very timey-whimey and could have only been more blissful if there had been a Tardis involved.

It's not vacation without a foot picture