Live, Laugh, London (Part 3): London (Museum) Marathon - Achieving 40K Steps In A Day!

- July 9, Thursday.

- And just like magic, we're back in London!! After going around different cities in the UK and Ireland, we're back in the city where this all started. The flight from Edinburgh to London was just an hour, and I rode the train to the city. 

- The moment I left my luggage at the hostel, I took no time to explore (I stayed at Astor Museum Hostel, beside the British Museum). I passed by Leicester Square, a 17th century square, but remains a popular meeting point for both locals and tourists. I had lunch there too - where else, but Jollibee.

Leicester Square.

WHAT I CAME HERE FOR.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge filmed here! - This is a Bollywood film from 1995 and is one of them most iconic movies of that decade. It also resonated lots with the Indian diaspora globally as it was a film about the relationship of overseas Indians and India. These statues are of the two lead actors, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol!! (And yes I cannot count how many times I watched his film. I also watched it in a theater in India!!)

This is my first time to see an actual Haldiram store, since I mostly see Haldiram's products in Indian groceries everywhere.

Harry Potter!!

- Walking south of Leicester Square, I reached Trafalgar Square, which was occupied because of an NBA event. But my main reason for going there was to visit the National Gallery, which first opened its doors in the 19th century. It seemed to have an infinite number of galleries, which was difficult for me because I was pressed for time that day. Fortunately, I knew which particular works of art I wanted to see.

National Gallery.

Another museum, another dome.

Monet!

Another Monet!

Hans Holbein's "The Ambassadors". 

Jan van Eyck's "Arnolfini Portrait". I've been fascinated about this painting since I read about it online some years back. It doesn't look like much at first glance, but it has so much meaning and detail (I guess, like other works of art too.)

Van Gogh!

Very much a Van Gogh work!!

The reality of visiting a museum in Europe. (It's a good sign, I guess, at least many people appreciate art. It is, however, difficult to move sometimes. The heat was not helping either.)

Trafalgar Square and NBA.

- Just behind the National Gallery was the National Portrait Gallery, opened in the 19th century. Now I thought I wouldn't be spending much time here, but I think I had too much fun the moment I saw the portraits of the Tudors, especially the six wives of King Henry VIII. (Yes, I am a fan of the musical "Six" and I've watched it live too!!)

National Portrait Gallery.

Portraits of famous British people (I see Anna Wintour!!)

King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Anne Boleyn.

Jane Seymour.

Catherine Parr.

Anne of Cleves, and maybe Katherine Howard.

Mary Queen of Scots.

Gallery halls.

William Shakespeare.

Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel.

Isaac Newton.

Queen Elizabeth II.

The royal family's centenary portrait.

- One of the museum's I had always wanted to see was the British Museum. While my hostel was located right beside it, this was the only time I had to visit it! The museum does not look big outside, but it is massive once you enter! It was established in the 18th century and is the first public museum in the world. It is home to several important artefacts, and is often known as the home of the Rosetta Stone (which, during my trip to Egypt months back, the Egyptians would constantly remind because people would sometimes forget that it isn't currently in Egypt). More importantly, it was also at the British Museum that I got reunited with my good friend Jacklynn whom I haven't seen in more than a decade!

British Museum.

At the Great Court.

Grenville Library.

Sumerian outfit.

Finally found a moment at the Great Court with less people. This is the usual spot where people take photos.

OMG HELLO JACKLYNN!!

Amenhotep III.

I HAVE FINALLY SEEN THE ROSETTA STONE. This was the crucial stone that led linguists crack the code on Egyptian hieroglyphics. The stone was written in three scripts: Egyptian hieroglyphics, Egyptian Demotic, and ancient Greek. Since linguists in the 19th century already knew ancient Greek, they used that to start decoding the hieroglyphics. It is said that they started with names, since Egyptian hieroglyphics enclosed names of pharaohs or gods in a cartouche (an oval figure), and the linguists could read the names from the Greek script. From there, they found out which symbol made which sound.

Bust of Ramesses II.

One of the 6 caryatids of the Acropolis. (The other 5 are in Greece.)

Other Parthenon statues (which are subject of tension between Greece and the UK, because Greece does not recognize British ownership of these statues, including the caryatid above.)

Shiva Nataraja statue.

Gandhara Buddhas. This is Greco-Indian, so influences from both civilizations can be seen in these sculptures. Gandha is also between East and the West, which are today's Afghanistan and Pakistan.

- Jacklynn and I later walked around the city just so we'd have time to explore and catch up. We passed by Big Ben and the London Eye before going to Piccadilly Circus and surrounding areas. The Piccadilly Circus was built in the 19th century, and isn't what some people might think it is. "Circus" in this context just means a circle, a public one, and not "circus" with acrobats and animals doing tricks. The Piccadilly Circus is one of the main arteries of London, and is filled with many stores and theaters.

Hello again Big Ben!!

With the Eye of London again.

We saw a fat squirrel!!

I'm glad Jacklynn showed me this spot!!

Big Ben made of Lego!!

At the M&M Store with M&M Beatles.

Piccadilly Circus.

Along Regent Street.

Carnaby Street. There was an exhibition about Frida Kahlo at Tate Modern, so this street was sort of advertising it.

- Later that evening we had dinner in Chinatown. London's modern Chinatown is quite young, formalized less than a hundred years back. However, the Chinese have been in London for far longer, and other older Chinese quarters have existed. Today, London's Chinatown is mainly known for its selection of Chinese food.  

Chinatown!!

I think this is the main paifang (Chinese-style gate).

We didn't have a photo during dinner because we were so tired and hungry. We had dessert at this Filipino place. They ran out of halo-halo for the day so an ube shake it was haha.

- I still despised the heat in London but I was glad to be back and glad to have met Jacklynn as well. We walked so much and talked a lot more that I didn't realize I already had more than 40,000 steps!! I think this was the most number of steps in a day that I had ever!! This was a good way to start the latter half of my stay London, and I'm excited for more things that London has in store for me!!