This day was going to be devoted mostly to “Lauren” activities, so we started off bright and early at the British Library. They have quite a collection here, including original papers and writings from the likes of Shakespeare and the Beatles. The library also has the Kings Collection on display; a massive collection of classic works presented to the library by George II when he inherited it from his father who collected it all. Most importantly, the British Library also holds one of the four original Magna Carta documents. Unfortunately it was out for the huge celebration going on this summer for the 800th anniversary of the signing. Luckily they did have a reproduction and plenty of other original documents.
Next, we headed to the British Museum which is quite a site. It isn’t quite as massive as the Louvre but it is still massive. They also have their own collection of very unique things; including mummies, the Lindow Man, and the Rosetta Stone. With so much to see I won’t describe everything but seeing the Rosetta Stone in person is a rare experience.
After a long morning of touring antiquities, we were in the mood for something a little lighter and most importantly with drinks. Lauren had found a little place nearby called Bubbledogs so we headed there. This place is exactly what it sounds like; hot dogs and champagne. We enjoyed a really good lunch, some drinks, and a little chat with the owner.
Full and rested up a bit, we hopped back on the tube headed for one of Lauren's favorite things; Sherlock Holmes. Getting off the tube at Baker Street it was pretty clear we were in the right place. We then headed to the Sherlock Holmes museum and enjoyed some classic London weather as the rain really set in. The museum was very cute, but I was sad to see some people there who seemed to think they were seeing the actual former home of a real person. Oh well, at least Lauren enjoyed it. After that we headed to a Sherlock themed pub to end our day.
Unfortunately, as we strolled around we ended up at Trafalgar Square, just in front of the British National Gallery at about 5:20; plenty of time to pop in. Lauren loves the Water Lilly series and they have a few so we went in and took a look. When we exited the rain had picked up a bit and it had gotten fairly dark but we got our first glimpse of Big Ben (I know that isn't it's real name, yes) and it was quite a site. No picture, the camera didn't like the rain and the distance but we could see it lit up and just behind the statue of Lord Nelson from our perspective.
Lastly, we headed back towards our hotel at Paddington and (after a little searching) found a pub frequented by locals. We were hoping to talk to some but we ended up drinking with some very fun Scottish guys instead. A great end to a long day.
-Jordan
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