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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Let me take you to London! - Day 3

From June 15 to 23 I was on a nine day trip to London! These posts are my slideshows of that vacation so you can all travel along with me and enjoy the sights. 

I also kept a journal while I stayed there which I will show completely when I'm done with the photographs. Enjoy!

LONDON DAY 3

On day three I wanted to do two things: walk up Oxford Street both ways and visit the British Museum. Oxford Street is a very (very) long shopping street which is overflowing with people at just about any time the shops are open. I already knew I wouldn't find much in the shops, since they are all about fashion or full of touristy stuff which I don't care for anyway. Not my thing really. But I love to walk among the masses and glare at everything that's for sale. I think this is simply because there's not one place in London so completely opposite to the island I live on as Oxford Street.

You also need to understand that a lot of my love for London has to do with the charm of just being there. There's nothing attractive about Oxford Street, unless you love shoes, clothes, cosmetics and jewelry,  but for me it's like walking in a parallel universe where everything is different from what you know. I also enjoy being anonymous among these masses of people. On my island being anonymous is pretty much impossible.  If I had to walk there (Oxford Street I mean) every day I think I would go insane, but just for the experience it gives me  something like a shot of otherworldly...um..something. ;-)

Coming from Tottenham Court Road I intended to take a halfway stop in Hyde Park and then walk the full length back along the other side to continue on walking to the museum, which is just a short walk from there on.

After the insanely busy tube trip I decided to start calmly with an iced coffee and some pastry at a still quiet M&S café.

Then it was on to the street. This is still early in the morning, so it's relatively quiet.

I believe this is the entrance of Selfridges department store. I loved the winged figure.

Done with the first half I left for Hyde Park and passed Marble Arch on the way.

In case you get lost, there's these signs just about everywhere.

On the way back I did enter the department stores. For their books and for their stationary.

Stationary, books and office supplies may be the only thing I could not resist shopping wise.

Much later than I  would have liked I arrived at the British Museum.

You know a museum is big when there's the entire front of an old Greek temple inside!

I was mesmerized by the classic statues. Took so many pictures of them!

This male face fascinated me most, so stern and serious. And gorgeous too, haha.

Also took many close ups of ancient writings, like Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The museum is beautiful inside and out.

And I got to see way too little of it. Still a little sorry about that.

My loot of the day. Three notebooks, sticker labels and a set of sharpies which was on sale. Oh and a little chocolate!

I had every intention of visiting the British Museum again later that week, because there was a special exhibition on Pompeii and Herculaneum. But I never got around to it. In hindsight I wished I hadn't spent so much time on Oxford Street, but hindsight is always twenty twenty, right?

Like I said I took many many photographs of classical statues. I hope to use them to practice my drawing. I actually did a few of those while I was there and will show those when I show you the journal pages of my trip.

Well, you must be exhausted after all that walking, take a good nights' sleep and I'll see you tomorrow! ;-)