Giving the Oyster card a good workout

Today was our last full day in London, so we tried to cover most of our must see attractions here.  One of the best ways to move around London is by public transit.  Hence that is where the Oyster card comes into play.  The Oyster card is like the Bay Area Clipper card but you get a discount by using the Oyster card.  We left our hotel this morning at the crack of 11AM and headed out with our Oyster cards. First stop - the underground.

                    

Grumpy old man on underground train, oh wait that’s me rip roaring and ready to go on another London adventure!

 

View of the long escalators heading to the train platform.  Some of the stations are decorated with murals. (Russia’s subway has better murals)

Our first stop of the day was The British Museum.  By the way, Oakland and Berkeley take note: they also have food trucks here.

 

                                                   These are not your run-of-the-mill roach coaches!

The British Museum is free to the public and has an unbelievable collection of artifacts from all over the world, acquired when England’s empire ruled one quarter of the world.  I’m not saying they sacked and stole these artifacts.  I think they are on long, long, long term loan. They have the best Egyptian exhibit that I have ever seen and probably the best one outside of Egypt.

                                                                                                                       This is the Great Court (entry hall into the museum)                                       The real Rosetta Stone (not the language company)

            

The head of King Ramses                                                    One of statues guarding the tomb of King Ramses

             A stone section of the beard from the Sphinx.

In a good exhibit you always need some mummies!

After the Egypt exhibit we went into the Assyrian exhibit. Their conquests in the Middle East compare to those of the Roman Empire.

                         

These were located at the gates of the Assyrian King’s Palace (as Rick Steves described it, a flying horse with a ZZ Top beard).

                                                

                      This is one of the doors from the King’s Palace! (I think that is the Queen standing in front).

We next ventured into the Greek exhibit BE (before Euros)

These are stone carvings removed from the Parthenon in Greece. (Remember they are just on loan to England for a long, long time)

Leaving the Museum and only seeing some of the highlights, we ventured on and saw this unique bookshop.

                                     

I’m holding out for the bookshop and Ice cream shop.  I know I could spend hours there and may get a chapter or two read.

Back on the underground we headed to St. Pauls cathedral.  Realizing we were running out of time we took a quick trip around the outside and hopped back on the underground.

 

Not much of a photo but I said we were running out of time and wanted to make it to Westminster Abbey before closing.

We made it to the Abbey with only an hour and a half for touring left before it closed. Cindy & I are glad we did get in to see it.

     

Westminster Abbey is located right next to the Palace of Westminster where the House of Parliament is located and the tower of Big Ben and the Thames River. Great place for photos.

       

Cindy exiting Westminster Abby                  Tower of Big Ben with the London Eye in the background.

We hopped back on the underground for our trip back to our hotel.  We made it in time for happy hour and hot hors d’oeuvres.  Life is Good!  Tomorrow we are off to Southampton and the Caribbean Princess and some much need rest!